Four Sold On At Horses In Training Sales And A New Addition

We said goodbye to four of our older horses at Tattersalls Horses In Training Sales at Newmarket last week. Shahdaroba was top lot of the draft, making 65,000gns and has joined Micky Hammond's stable. He was generally pretty consistent, although he struggled with the handicapper after winning at Newmarket's Craven meeting, putting in creditable efforts throughout the season. He has done extremely well for his owners, purchased for 25,000gns as a yearling, winning two races and £36,127 in prize money, plus a £10,000 bonus for his maiden win and will do well for new connections in similar handicaps next year.

The Links also sold the three-years-olds Astrum and Poetic Verse, both having done extremely well this season but both probably held by the handicapper at present and it's the right time to sale them on. Homebred Poetic Verse did particularly well, winning four times this season and was placed a further tweleve times in her career from twenty-three starts. She rose 23lbs in the handicap before her winning run came to an end, mainly due to her excellent attitude but found life harder against some classy sorts in Class 4 company. She has joined John Quinn's yard for 16,500gns and her excellent attitude is sure to stand her in good stead. Astrum was very disappointing at two but he came into his own stepped up in trip as a three-year-old, winning twice and placed six times, he probably should have won three or four but didn't get much luck on occasions. He also went up 22lbs in the handicap and has joined Neil King's yard for 36,000gns and will be sent hurdling in the winter, if his antics when jumping over the road at Salisbury as a two-year-old are anything to go by, he will make a super jumper!

Finally, tough two-year-old Urban Dreamer was also sold on, frustratingly still a maiden but he gave his owners plenty of fun this year. In a busy season, he had seventeen starts, finished runner-up on seven occasions as well as four thirds, a fourth and two solid efforts just outside the prize money in valuable sales races. He still picked up over £13,000 in place prize money and was generally progressive at the end of the season, ending up rated 78. We felt he was the type that may struggle in the UK at three, so although winning a maiden should be a formality (we also thought that throughout the season but UD had other ideas!), life in handicaps could be hard. He made 17,000gns and is now enjoying the sunnier climate of Qatar.

While we also have a new addition to the yard as Triple Chief was purchased for 10,000gns from the Luca Cumani yard. The High Chaparral colt out of Trebles is an unraced two-year-old and he's been gelded and put away for the winter. He's a half-brother to a German Group 2 winner in Sherezad and he could be a nice progressive type for next season.

Shahdaroba In Action On Champions Day

It's nice to be represented at Ascot on Champions Day, with Shahdaroba taking his chance in the apprentice finale, a twenty seven runner cavalry charge! Seven furlongs on soft ground is ideal and he has finally eased in the handicap, just one pound higher than when he won at the Craven meeting. It was a solid effort when fourth over a mile at Ascot two weeks ago and it would be no surprise if he nicked some minor prize money.

At Bath on Sunday, Madame Kintyre bids to go one better after finishing second on her two most recent starts. Somehow she just lost out in a three way photo at Windsor last Monday, beaten a nose by the winner and dead heating for second! She enjoys soft ground, so the more rain the better and Pat could take off a valuable seven pounds. She certainly deserves to get off the mark in 2013.

Two Year Old Trophy Task For Dreamer

Consistent two-year-old Urban Dreamer goes to Redcar for the £150,000 Totepool Two Year Old Trophy and has outside chances of picking up some minor prize money. He's an incredibly tough two-year-old, from his fourteen starts he's racked up seven seconds and three thirds and has run consistently well throughout the year. Blinkers seemed to bring about some improvement when second to Deeds Not Words last time and he wasn't stopping at the line, so six furlongs could help. He ran very well in the Super Sprint, showing good speed before getting badly hampered and in a better race, it would be no surprise if he ran a career best and nicked fifth or sixth prize.

It was another solid effort from Shahdaroba when finishing fourth at Ascot yesterday. He again stayed on well enough to suggest that he has enough stamina for a mile but also confirmed that he's a tad high in the handicap.

Shahdaroba At Ascot

Shahdaroba goes in the 0-90 Classified Stakes at Ascot on Friday. The Haatef gelding has struggled with the handicapper since winning at Newamarket's Craven meeting back in April but this is his first run at 0-90 level this season. The trip of a mile is a query, he has won both his races over six furlongs but has run well enough in two attempts at today's trip, a second at Chepstow and fifth at Kempton to suggest he has the stamina. Although very soft ground wouldn't be ideal, the excellent drainage system at Ascot means it rarely gets too heavy and he certainly has each-way chances.

Eugenic ran a nice race on his second start at Warwick on Thursday, finishing seventh of thirteen and running much better than his odds of 100/1 suggested. He is still on the weak side but should make up into a nice three-year-old next season.

Shergar Cup Third For Icebuster

After a couple of below par efforts, it was a return to form from Icebuster as he stayed on well for third in the 1m4f event at Ascot's Shergar Cup. He settled very nicely under German rider Andrasch Starke (rode Danedream to win the King George) and looked dangerous entering the final two furlongs but he couldn't reel in the front two. It was another solid effort but he is plenty high enough in the weights at the moment.

We also had Shahdaroba in the three year old sprint with Kieran Fallon in the plate but it was a rare disappointing effort from the Haatef gelding as he was a well beaten seventh. Perhaps the drop back to six furlong was against him but a mark of 94 does make life hard.

Meanwhile, Gaelic Ice ran another solid race at Windsor, finishing thrid in the ten furlong handicap and once again she has shown enough to suggest she can win a race.

Shahdaroba Second At Chepstow

Shahdaroba picked up some nice prize money (£3,600) when finishing second in a £19,000 81-100 Handicap at Chepstow on Friday, his first start over a mile. While it certainly wasn't a strong contest for the grade and just five runners, it was a solid effort over the new trip. Although his stamina wasn't tested as he dictated a steady pace, it was pleasing to see him stay on again inside the final hundred yards to suggest that he's worth preserving over a mile in the future. Unfortunately the handicapper has put him back up two pounds to 94, which won't make life easy in more competitive events.

After disappointing at Royal Ascot, Master Carpenter ran much better in the July Stakes, finishing eighth but only beaten five and a half lengths. He appeared to run to a slightly higher level of form than previously (RPR87 compared to previous best of 84) and while he's a useful two-year-old, he just isn't quite as good as we hoped. We will now lower our sights a little, with the valuable Sales races rather than pattern races, his new targets.

Shahdaroba Hampered At Newmarket

It was a wasted trip up to Newmarket on Saturday, as in a very rough race Shahdaroba got bumped about and lost his action quite badly going into the dip. Andrea eased him down in case their was a problem but he seems fine after the race. He needs a fast run race and ease in the ground to be seen at his best but a mark of 94 makes life very hard and we're not too sure where he heads next.

Two Fourths On A Big Day

Neither Icebuster nor Shahdaroba were disgraced when finishing fourth in two competitive handicaps at Newmarket on 2000 Guineas day. Icebuster found nine furlongs too sharp and got going all too late but showed he can be competitive of his new mark of 86. He will have a short break as he has been very busy. The seven pound rise Shahdaroba got for his success at the Craven meeting slightly anchored him but he was never far away and was hampered in the final furlong so could have finished closer. He will go back to Newmarket on the 18th May for a £45,000 sprint and he shouldn't be far away once again, especially if there is some ease in the ground.

Icebuster And Shahdaroba At Newmarket On 2000 Guineas Day

It's great that the yard is doubly represented at Newmarket on 2000 Guineas day and hopefully both Icebuster and Shahdaroba will put up good shows, despite the handicapper making life much harder after recent wins.

Icebuster thoroughly deserved his head victory at Haydock last weekend after his narrow Kempton defeats, although its debatable whether he deserved a six pound rise. He's dropping back in trip once again to nine furlongs and with a few front runners tomorrow, he should get the strong pace he needs. Although he stays further, the straight track is ideal for Icebuster as even if he's slow to stride and at the back of the field, without a bend, he shouldn't be too far off the pace. He also likes to have space at the end of his races, which he should be able to get tomorrow and there is certainly plenty in his favour. It doesn't look the most competitive of races for £45,000, with only Danchai, Rye House and Whispering Warrior unexposed enough to be much better than their current mark. The first two are making their seasonal return and probably want further, while the Simcock horse has won some very weak AW races in the context of this handicap and needs to improve. With Icebuster in very good form at the moment, hopefully he can pick up some of the decent prize money that's on offer.

After a slightly disappointing fourth on his return at Doncaster, we felt that a mark of 87 could be on the high side for Shahdaroba but he proved us wrong when winning at Newmarket's Craven meeting. It was a slightly strange sprint in that few got involved and he ended up winning quite comfortably. The handicapper stuck him up seven pounds for his course and distance win and has ended up with top weight tomorrow, giving at least five pounds or more to the rest of the field. The form of his win hasn't worked out great, with the third and sixth well beaten in a similar race at Sandown, although the eighth did win at Wolverhampton. He faces some unexposed sprinters, such as Secretinthepark and Robot Boy, so it's a very tough ask. However, he surprised the yard when winning last time, so let's hope he does it again!

£20,000 Newmarket Success For Shahdaroba

Shahdaroba put up a much improved effort to land a £20,000 handicap at Newmarket's Craven meeting on Wednesday and winning a race like that is a massive boost for the yard. Despite being heavily backed, we felt a mark of 87 could leave him vulnerable to some unexposed sorts, especially after only finishing fourth on his seasonal debut at Doncaster so it was a nice surprise. He will now be campaigned in all the top three-year-old sprints, including the £100,000 Coral Sprint Trophy at York in June.



Meanwhile on Monday, Into The Wind made a very promising seasonal return when third at Windsor. As she normally needs a few runs, its augurs well for the future and she looks to have improved again from five to six.
Two-year-old Blue Anchor Bay was only sixth on his debut but should come on for the experience.