Update on our recent runners: Zakatal, Water Rail & Kavanaghs Corner

                I will start the update with Saturday’s runners at Wincanton and Zakatal.  We ran Zak at Huntingdon 9 days earlier where he finished 5^th which was an improvement on his previous run at Exeter back in November.  It was clear at Huntingdon that he was struggling with his breathing late on in the race due to his awkward head carriage.  He was fresh as paint after the race so something was stopping him.  So it was decided that we would run him at Wincanton on Saturday with a tongue strap on but over a trip that was too short for him (2m 6f) as it was the only race close to home and we thought it was worth a try.  The handicapper had also dropped him 5lbs for his Huntingdon run.  He was ridden very well by Alice Mills and he ran on late to finish 3^rd of 17.  A few people backed him each way and gladly they were rewarded.  Zak was so pleased with himself afterwards and let’s hope that this good run gives him some confidence.  It was especially good as both his owners, David Furman & John Sugarman had managed to make the long journey from Yorkshire.  I hope the better run from Zak meant that the journey back home was a little more pleasant! 
                As well as Zakatal running at Wincanton on Saturday we also ran our own homebred, Water Rail, in a novice hurdle over 2m.  He has never been anywhere other than here at home in his life so he coped with the entire preliminaries very well.  He ran very green in the race and for the first few hurdles he was looking at the crowd by the obstacles. He too was given a lovely introduction to racing by Alice Mills who wasn’t hard on him.  He ran on nicely from the back and The Racing Post said “Water Rail got well behind at one stage, and had plenty on after three out, but was noted keeping on from two out”.  Alice mentioned that the more he did the more the penny dropped which is an excellent sign.  This 6 yr old is for sale to stay in the yard and we have given him plenty of time as he is a big, scopey horse.  He should do nothing but improve and if you are interested in learning more then do please contact me.

                It is fantastic having runners locally at Wincanton (where as a child with The Pony Club of the South & West Wilts I used to camp for a week) which is only half an hour away from the yard.  Wincanton is a great West Country course with a very knowledgeable crowd that always has competitive racing.  We were fortunate to have friends and family join us for the day.  It was also great to meet up with some owners that I used to ride for many years ago called James & Olivia Scott.  They used to own a good horse called Judges Fancy that ran in the top staying hurdles.  James & Olivia were taking their grand-daughter racing for the first time; let’s hope she enjoyed it and becomes involved in this wonderful sport in years to come.  She certainly had a good intro from her grandparents. 

                    Next on to Kavanaghs Corner who ran in a 3m novice hurdle at Ffos Las in bottomless ground on 10^th Feb.  Casey was far too keen, for far too long, and half carted Andrew Thornton around.  There was no way in that ground over that trip, that he would have kept on going so we will go back to basics and run him over a shorter trip and teach him to settle before going back up in trip to 3 miles again.  By finishing 4^th however hopefully we just need the one more run to be handicapped.  Whilst frustrating, it was a good learning curve and we know so much more about the horse.

Zakatal & Kavanaghs Corner at the bottom of the grass gallops

Zakatal enjoying a gridwork session with Alice Mills prior to his run

Water Rail in his gridwork session

Video of the first two hurdles Water Rail ever jumped

Waiting nervously as an owner! with Roly Rickcord & Anna Giddings in the paddock at Wincanton