- Tuesday, 14 April 2020 07:38
- Written by G Edwards
Gaspara
Gaspara will always hold a very special place in David’s heart as she was his first ever Cheltenham Festival winner. He bought he at Thomas Trapenard’s dispersal sale at Deauville in December 2006 for 82,000 Euros. She was only tiny, measuring 15.1hh but she had plenty of ability along with a big heart and a brilliant will to win.
- Monday, 13 April 2020 07:30
- Written by G Edwards
Well Chief (photo courtesy of Bill Selwyn)
Probably my favourite race of all time is the 2004 Tingle Creek at Sandown. Well Chief is one of my all-time favourite horses at Pond House and although he only finished third this day it was a fantastic race where three top class horses fought out a tremendous finish. This was in a Golden Era for two mile chasers with Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop and Well Chief fighting out all the championship two mile races. Watching back these races just sends a shiver through my spine. It is not very often in racing that all the best horses in a division are around at the same time, but this was certainly one of those periods.
- Sunday, 12 April 2020 07:30
- Written by G Edwards
Cyfor Malta
Cyfor Malta was another high class recruit from France that arrived at Pond House in December 1997. He had run four times at Auteuil and had form figures of 3211, the first of these over hurdles and the last three over fences.
- Saturday, 11 April 2020 07:14
- Written by G Edwards
Buena Vista - Dual Festival Winner
Buena Vista was a remarkable horse who ran at an amazing seven consecutive Cheltenham Festivals with form figures of 63652110. He was very special and the fact he could just run at seven Festivals in a row just highlights what a good, brave and sound horse he was. He made is Festival debut in the Champion Bumper in 2005. He had run in three bumpers prior to this have won one at Doncaster. Ridden by flat jockey Jamie Spencer he finished sixth with the Racing Post comments saying “stayed on from over 1F out, never nearer”. A good run but I will leave it at that!
- Friday, 10 April 2020 07:30
- Written by G Edwards
Time for another round up of what has been going on in the racing world in the last few days. This week it was announced that Royal Ascot will not be open to the public even if it is able to go ahead behind closed doors. It has also been confirmed that the first four classic races of the flat season will be delayed and staged later in the season. Both the Qipco 2000 and 1000 Guineas and the Investec Oaks and Derby have been postponed and new dates will be announced once the ban on racing has been lifted by the BHA.
- Thursday, 09 April 2020 07:30
- Written by G Edwards
Gloria Victis
Gloria Victis was a French bred gelding by Shafoun out of a mare called Trieste, born in 1994 and bought by owner Terry Neill as a five year old. He was trained in France by a small trainer called S Hamon and was lightly raced. His first ever run was on the flat at Maisons-Laffitte on 1st March 1998 and he finished a modest tenth of 16. He then had three starts over hurdles where he did okay and finished second once but nothing spectacular and then two starts over fences and he finished third on both occasions. He was bought as he a super looking and moving horse with potential for significant improvement through French agent Hubert Barbe.
- Wednesday, 08 April 2020 07:45
- Written by G Edwards
Our Vic
(Photo courtesy of Bill Selwyn)
While still on the Aintree theme I thought we had to look back at another superstar to have been through Pond House that triumphed at the track, Our Vic. He is a 1998 born son of Old Vic out of a mare called Shabra Princess. He was bought by David Johnson from the Tom Costello dynasty having won an Irish point to point at Oldcastle in March 2002 and he arrived in the yard that summer.
