Royal Ascot Memories

      Junior - Royal Ascot Winner 2010

Things remain relatively quiet on the runner’s front but Hammer Dan ran well at Newton Abbot on Friday evening.  He was returning from nearly a year off the track, was looking for back-to-back wins in the race, and nearly did it by finishing a close second.  He was keen enough during the race following his absence and will come on for the run so I hope her can go one better next time as he is lightly raced with more improvement to come.

Ocean Heights was a little disappointing at Windsor last Monday evening and he never looked happy after being slowly out of the stalls.  He is normally electric and the writing was on the wall from an early stage.  The ground was probably a little softer than ideal and nothing has come to light since so we will put it down to an off day!  There is a race coming up for him at Newbury next week.  Old Bridge was are only other runner last week and he ran okay at Worcester but was unplaced.  After an unpleasant experience for when bolting to the start and during the race last time, the hood was reapplied and did the trick on this occasion and this will have done him good mentally.

Our first runner of this week will be Jaipaletemps at Worcester on Wednesday and Jack Tudor rides.  He ran better at Ffos Las last time to be third following wind surgery and if he can build on this, he has a good chance.  Things are quiet later in the week towards the weekend but keep checking the Daily News on the website for all the latest information on the stable runners.

Royal Ascot

This year unfortunately we do not have any runners at the Royal meeting but I shall be at Ascot on the opening day and Leanne and I are going on Saturday as well.  There is a high-class week of racing to look forward to and the Ascot Stakes is a race I look forward to on the first day.  Willie Mullins trains the favourite, Reaching High for the King this year and Ryan Moore rides.   He looks to have a very good chance of having a Royal winner at the Royal meeting. 

Ascot Stakes

The Ascot Stakes is a competitive big field flat handicap run over 2m4f on the first day of the Royal meeting.  It is a race Pond House has done well in over the years but it has become increasing harder to find the good staying flat horses to get into the race, let alone win it!  I won the race in 2010 with Junior, while dad has won it five times so on a quieter week I thought we would have a little trip down memory lane….

Right Regent was the first winner from Pond House of this race in 1983 with Steve Cauthen on board, then came Balasani came ten years later.

Balasani 1993

Balasani is a rare great that can boast a Cheltenham Festival and a Royal Ascot win.  He won at Royal Ascot in 1993 and at the Cheltenham Festival in 1994.

Bred by the Aga Khan he began his career in France trained by A De Royer-Dupre.  He moved to England and was trained by John Jenkins and it is probably fair to say that his career never really took off. He had 15 runs, both on the flat and over hurdles and although he did grab a few third placings, this was as near as he got to troubling the judge.

He arrived at Pond House in January 1991 and after making a disappointing stable debut at Newton Abbot that March he was an easy winner just two weeks later at Worcester with Mark Perrett on board.  He followed up at Hereford next time out and actually went on to win eight races that year, four hurdle races and then three flat handicaps in a row.  He then returned hurdling and won the William Hill handicap hurdle impressively at Sandown in December 1991.

He had an injury absence but then returned to action in February 1993 and was seventh in the Tote Gold Trophy handicap hurdle at Newbury.  He filled the same position in the Coral Cup handicap hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival that year.  It was then back to the flat and he was fourth in the Chester Cup and then won a flat handicap at Warwick in May.

Next stop was the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot.  Mark Perrett was on board once again and after being held up he made headway 4 furlongs out and came with a strong run 2 furlongs out to lead and quicken clear in the final furlong.  He won by three lengths at 8/1 off a mark of 75.  Times have changed a little as he would not even get in the race these days – you need to be rated in the 90’s just to get a run!   However, it was a fantastic achievement after which he went on to finish second in the Nothumberland Plate and midfield in the Cesarewitch.

Balasani was fourth in the Long Walk hurdle at Ascot and then won the Rendlesham hurdle at Kempton in February 1994.  He then was sent off at 9/2 for the Stayers hurdle at the 1994 Cheltenham Festival.  He stayed on strongly up the run in and just failed to win but having been badly hampered by Avro Anson on the run in the placings were reversed and he was promoted as the winner.  Mark Perrett was on board this time as well – there cannot be many jockeys that have ridden a Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot winner – especially on the same horse!

He returned to Royal Ascot in June 1994 to run in the Queen Alexandra stakes this time and he finished a good third.  After an enforced extended break, he returned in December 1995 in a novice chase in which he pulled up.  He won cheekily over hurdles after this but his form tailed off a little.  He then returned home to his owner and did have four more runs for a new trainer the following year but his form suggested he did not want to race anymore and was retired.

Balasani was the winner of 13 races from 52 career starts and he was also placed 16 times.  He was admirably tough and consistent and joins a very elite band of horses to have done the Royal Ascot, Cheltenham Festival double. Rated 151 at best over hurdles and 91 on the flat he won over £165,000 in prize money.  I don’t think there are many horses that can boast such good careers on the flat and over hurdles alongside each other.  Had he not picked up a few injuries along the way there is a good chance he could have had an event better roll of honour.

Sweet Glow made it back-to-back victories for the stable in the Ascot Stakes in 1994 and Cash Asmussen was on board.  Riyadh, ridden by Kieron Fallon came next in 2002 and then Sindapour followed up in 2003 with Martin Dwyer riding. 

Junior 2010

Junior was an absolute star for Pond House and like Balasani, did the rare double of winning at Royal Ascot and at the Cheltenham Festival.  He joined the Pond House team as a seven year old after I bought him from Doncaster’s spring sales in May 2010 for £35,000.  He won his first start for the yard – the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot the following month!  

He began his career on the flat for Brian Meehan where he won and he made his hurdling debut at Sandown in January 2007, finishing second behind our winner, Pauillac.  He finished sixth in the 2007 Fred Winter juvenile handicap hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival behind our very own Gaspara.  He then returned to the flat and won before moving to trainer Alan King where he finished third in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in 2008 off a mark of 133.

He won a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Sandown in December 2008 before his finished midfield in the Ballymore novices hurdle at the 2009 Cheltenham Festival.  He was sent chasing the following season and got his first win over fences on his third start at Doncaster.  He was placed after this before winning at Taunton on his final start for Alan King and heading to the sales in May 2010.

As I mentioned earlier he made his first start for Pond House in the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot with Seb Sanders on board.  He made all, making it a true test of stamina and quickening the pace from five furlongs out.  It was a great ride and he won unchallenged off a mark of 85.  His second start for the yard was in the Stayers race at Glorious Goodwood in July.  He posted another brave effort under top weight to finish a close second off 93.

After a summer holiday, he returned to action over fences at Cheltenham in November.  He finished third this day before finishing runner up to our very own Ashkazar at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day over hurdles, forming part of a 1-2-3 in the race for Pond House.  It was then straight to the Cheltenham Festival in March for the Kim Muir amateur riders handicap chase with Jamie Codd booked to ride.  He put in an emphatic display to win the race in style beating stablemate Faasel into a 24 length second place.  He was well fancied and sent off the 100/30 favourite.  He tried to defend his Royal Ascot crown in June but off a ten-pound higher mark, he finished ninth with Ryan Moore on board.

The following season all preparations were geared for a crack at the Grand National.   We actually had James May and the Top Gear team hear filming him in the lead up to the race – they were doing a show on real horse power! Unfortunately, our dreams of a big win in the great race were short lived as he was a faller at the second fence!

He returned in the autumn with a win in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle in December 2010.  After this, he was highly tried but could not reach the heights of old and even though he was placed in races, it was decided to let him have a go at point to pointing. He won a point to point in January 2015, was placed in a hunter chase and then ran in the Cheltenham Foxhunters where he signed off a wonderful career with a respectable tenth of 24 runners.  He retired and went on to enjoy a lovely active retirement.

He was a wonderful horse with a Royal Ascot and Cheltenham Festival win on his CV, something a very elite band of horses can proudly boast.  He was a handsome individual who had great presence and I am sure he knew how good he was!  He won nine races from 53 career starts under rules and he was placed a further 22 times.  Rated 158 at best over fences and 95 on the flat he was high class under all codes winning just over £200,000 in prize money.

Watch his 2010 Royal Ascot win here: https://www.racingtv.com/racecards/ascot/122728-ascot-stakes-handicap?show_all=true&non-runner_display=false

Watch his 2011 Cheltenham festival win here: https://www.racingtv.com/racecards/cheltenham/104178-fulke-walwyn-kim-muir-challenge-cup-handicap-chase-amateur-riders?show_all=true&non-runner_display=false