Dance Bids For National Hunt Success

Our only hurdler in training Dance goes to Newton Abbot, her fifth consecutive run at one of our local tracks and she has her usual solid each-way chance in the 2m6f handicap hurdle. Unfortunately the handicapper gave her a rather harsh opening mark of 90 and although she ran a cracker to finish third on handicap debut, it was a very weak ladies race and she then got put up 3lbs to 93. She always tries hard, placed on eight of her sixteen starts under both codes but the handicapper has her stuck. Hopefully the step up to 2m6f will suit and it does not look the strongest of races, perhaps today is the day she gets off the mark.

We also have a couple of runners at Kempton (Dylan Centenary is a non-runner). Triple Chief paid for running above himself when second at Warwick on his second run which meant he got a very high handicap mark and has not found life easy. A good effort when third stepped up to ten furlongs last time suggests he is going in the right direction. Hopefully he settles in this small field today and he should not be too far away if he does.

Galatian was very disappointing back on turf last time, but it is likely that he just will not let himself down on the turf anymore. He is back at Kempton, a repeat of his second over a mile there a month ago should see him go close, if he is on a going day!

Run Of Thirds

We have enjoyed a slightly frustrating run of thirds recently. Stable amateur Ryan Timby had an enjoyable first ride, finishing third on yard veteran Masai Moon at Salisbury. Triple Chief ran a little bit free on his first start over ten furlongs when third at Windsor on rain-softened ground.

While Taws was unlucky to finish third at Sandown on Wednesday evening, staying on nicely when badly hampered by the winner, she certainly would have finished second and with space would not have been far off the winner. Biotic found the step up to Class 3 company beyond him but was not disgraced back in fourth on the same evening.

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.