- Monday, 18 July 2011 19:38
- Written by David Pipe
It was a fantastic weekend for the yard with Qulinton absolutely bolting up in the Listed Summer Plate Chase at Market Rasen on Saturday. The application of a pair of blinkers certainly woke him up and he produced a great performance to demolish his field by 19 lengths.
The form of his previous narrow win at Worcester had received a nice boost when the second home, Sir Ian routed his opposition by 35 lengths last month, so the subsequent rise of 10lbs in the weights did not look out of the way. I have liked the horse for a long time and he has often struck me as the type to win a nice prize - another rise in the handicap is surely on it’s way, taking his rating somewhere into the upper 140’s, however if he can continue to build on this then another decent prize may be within his compass.
- Monday, 11 July 2011 17:43
- Written by David Pipe
The pace is beginning to pick up again around the yard, with plenty of the horses coming back from their summer holidays with their owners or the Pond House paddocks, as well as the arrival of the new recruits from France. With plenty more due to arrive over the coming weeks we look to have a strong squad to look forward to once the 2011/12 jumps season gets into full swing.
- Tuesday, 05 July 2011 08:13
- Written by David Pipe
It’s been a busy week with runners at opposite ends of the
The amazing rise and rise of former winning point-to-pointer Bold Perk continued at Britain’s most northerly racecourse, Perth when he turned out on consecutive days on Wednesday and Thursday. Ridden by Conor O’Farrell, he turned the handicap chase into a procession (winning by fifteen lengths), before following up in even more facile style in the handicap hurdle on the second day (winning by a heavily eased eight lengths).
- Tuesday, 28 June 2011 08:10
- Written by David Pipe
As Chester kindly alluded to earlier in the week, my cricketing skills have not diminished through the years…indeed, for them to have diminished implies that I actually had some skill in the first place! Nonetheless I boldly donned my whites again on Friday night as I participated in Tom Scudamore’s XI in aid of The Children’s Hospice South West.
By way of an incentive my father offered the same bribe that he used to receive from my grandfather during his playing days…a shilling a run! Sadly by the end of my innings he did not have to call his bank manager, but instead owed me the princely sum of 60 pence for my twelve runs! Even so, it was an enjoyable evening (despite the inclement weather) and all in aid of a most worthy cause.
- Monday, 20 June 2011 15:07
- Written by David Pipe
What a wonderful week of racing we enjoyed throughout Royal Ascot. There were some fantastic performances especially from the milers – Canford Cliffs was magnificent while Goldikova was as brave and gutsy as ever and while we may not have seen the best of Frankel, his unbeaten run now stretches to seven. It would be marvellous if we were treated to a showdown between Canford Cliffs and Frankel in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
- Monday, 13 June 2011 13:59
- Written by David Pipe
Following a few enjoyable days away in Cornwall I am fully recharged and looking forward to the week ahead.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) marks the beginning of Ascot’s Royal meeting and we will have a runner in the 5.00pm race, the Ascot Stakes. Junior, runaway winner of the race last year bids to follow-up under top-weight and he will be partnered by former champion jockey Ryan Moore. We have a good record in the race having finished third with Royal Rationale and second with Mamlook, before Junior provided me with my first Royal Ascot success last year under a positive ride from Seb Sanders – fingers crossed that he will be able to follow-up.
- Monday, 06 June 2011 15:47
- Written by David Pipe
I am making the most of there being not much racing this week and having a few days away with my family in Cornwall. It has been a pretty hectic time with work to be done at home and the sales so it will be nice to have a little break. It was great to have a winner over the weekend and Spirit of Barbados won the opening contest on the card at Worcester yesterday under Conor O’Farrell. He ran so well behind a JP McManus handicap good thing at Bangor last time it was nice to see him get his head in front for the first time. He is a lovely young horse who I hope will progress further. It was particularly nice for his owners, the Peterson family, who were celebrating their Ruby Wedding anniversary yesterday. Many Congratulations to them. I was unfortunately not there to celebrate with them as myself and dad flew to Perth to see our runners up there. It worked out very well as we were able to fly up and back to Edinburgh in the day from Exeter Airport, even though there was a slight delay on the way home everything went smoothly!
