- Monday, 17 March 2025 16:40
- Written by David Pipe
First Lord Du Cuet & Jack Pipe
Winner at Buckfastleigh
(Photo Courtesy of Jill Hurst)
The last week has flown by and just like that, the Cheltenham Festival 2025 is done and dusted. I hope you all enjoyed the week, there were some great winners and emotional stories behind those winners and my initial impression is that in general, it was a good week for our sport. We had just the three runners and sadly were not involved in the finishes but I was there every day and it was lovely to have so many familiar faces in our hospitality marquee. Matt Chapman came in every day before racing to go through the day’s card with me and I think we managed to find a winner or two along the way!
American Sniper led the field a merry dance in the Pertemps final and ran a cracker, holding every chance approaching the last but just fading up the hill. King Turgeon pulled up in the Ultima but ran well for a long way. He has had a terrific first half to the season and that will probably be it for him for now. He will have a long holiday and we hope to be heading back to Aintree in the autumn for another crack over the Grand National fences in the Grand Sefton. Gericault Roque travelled and jumped well before weakening from two out.
Over the weekend, Jilaijone and Phantomofthepoints both ran their races in competitive handicap hurdles at Uttoxeter. Both horses are probably just high enough in the weights at the moment and weren’t beaten that far. With some help from the handicapper, there will be easier opportunities for them.
This Week
With not much recent rain, the ground at Exeter has dried out quite a bit and now contains good to firm in the going description. Our first runner of the week comes from there on Tuesday with Kepagge running in the staying handicap hurdle with Jack Tudor riding. He has had a nice break having been waiting for some drier ground, so conditions will be ideal and he is in good form at home. The handicapper has given him some help and he has won at the track before.
Ocean Heights runs on the all-weather at Southwell on Wednesday evening and Taylor Fisher rides. He has not been in top form of late but is edging down the weights has the ability feature.
Things get a little busier towards the end of the week with entries at Chepstow on Thursday and Sirekoff and Shot Boii are intended runners. On Friday, we have entries at all three jumps meetings and Belfrina is likely to run at Musselburgh on Friday in the final of a juvenile series that she is qualified for. There is good prize money on offer for this race and at Kelso on Saturday where Walkadina has an entry in the Herring Queen Mares novices handicap hurdle. There are now quite a few different series with qualifiers and finals throughout the season at various courses and over hurdles and fences. They are a great initiative as it give horses, who are maybe not quite at the top table, nice targets away from the very big Festivals with some fantastic prize money to be won.
Belfrina is a thoroughly likeable filly who won a listed mares contest a Doncaster last time. She is very lightly races and has just had the three runs over hurdle so far. The ground and track at Musselburgh should suit and this race has been the plan for some time.
Walkadina returned to form last time following wind surgery and ran a good race to be a close second at Ludlow. She will run on Saturday off a mark of 118 and we will try and get as much of the £100,000 added prize money on offer as we can.
On Friday, Lady Balko holds an entry in the West Wales National at Ffos Las while we also have entries at Newbury on the same day as well. On Saturday, we have entries at Bangor and Neon Moon as an entry at Newbury while on Sunday we stay a little more local to home, with entries at Exeter. Keep checking the Daily News section on the website for all the latest news on the stable runners.
Pointing News
On Sunday, we had our fourth winner of the season between the flags, First Lord Du Cuet at Buckfastleigh. He won the novice riders conditions race under Rian Corcoran, in the process providing him with a double on the day. This was Rian’s eighth winner of the season and he currently heads the National novice rider’s title race. It was great to get our eleven year olds head in front, this was his first win for well over three years. My aim was just to give him a few confidence-boosting runs before returning to the track and it was a case of mission accomplished. Horses are a little like humans, they know when they have won, this win will have done our grey the world of good and it is nice to support Rian as well. My wife, Leanne rides him every day, father-in-law Peter is a co-owner and son Jack led him up and so it was a special family win. The aim is to find another similar little race in a few weeks’ time.
On Saturday, we ran African Lady and Royal Defender at Cothelstone point to point. African Lady ran well enough to be fourth under Martin McIntyre while Royal Defender unfortunately fell when going well in his race. Horse and jockey were all fine however which is the main thing and we will try again another day.
This weekend, we could head to Kilworthy, a course in Devon which sits on the edge of Dartmoor. African Lady has an entry in the mares maiden and Sidi Ismael has an entry in the Mixed Open race.
Jack Tudor
I must just say congratulations to our stable jockey Jack Tudor who won the Midlands National on Saturday on Mr Vango. Jack is having a terrific season, his best to date since he started riding and he is on the 61-winner mark for the season. This is the first time he reached 50 winners in a season milestone and I am delighted to have helped him achieve it. He is currently riding at a 25% strike rate and long may this continue. He is a talented young rider who rides with experience beyond his years as it is still hard to believe he is only 22!
Weather Update
March to-date has been a very dry month with no significant rainfall recorded so far. We had 137mm at Pond House in March 2024 so with none this time around, that is quite a difference. There is plenty of good and important racing coming up in the next few weeks so trainers and racecourses will be hoping for some natural watering from above!
