We are looking forward to Friday and the semi finals of the Gold Cup at Monmore where our remaining pair are drawn in the same race: Vatican Gurkha (T1), Swift Hoffman (T6).
I stood at the traps for the heats and don’t agree with the ‘missed break’ comment. I thought he trapped well but he pecked after about a yard which cost him possibly half a length.
Gurkha was beaten three quarters of a length by a very decent dog in Bog Brae. I thought our dog could possibly have won it had he tried to get past on the inside at the third bend, rather than the outside, but the dog in front was very strong and they both ran on well all the way to the pick-up.
The draw has worked out in Hoffman’s favour with Farloe Nutter in trap five. I thought Nutter ran really well in the heats but I expect he will dive to the rails from the traps and should give the six a clear run.
It is the opposite problem for Gurkha. He is a true railer but breaks better from the middle and will need to stay out of trouble early on.
You are dealing in very fine margins at this level. Hoffman was quite lucky that he didn’t get taken off the track by the four and five in his heat – the same as happened in the English Derby.
You half miss your break against this calibre of opposition and there is no way back.
I doubt we will run him over this type of trip again. It really is a bit on the short side for him now, and there are other competitions over tougher four bend trips still to come in the calendar.
Our other two were not so fortunate. Burgess Oscar came off sore in a hock. It isn’t a bad injury, and he isn’t visibly lame but we will keep him off for a few weeks.
Farran Heaslip also finished a bit sore on a hip. Again, nothing serious, perhaps ten days off and some treatment. But it probably convinces me that we shouldn’t think of taking him beyond four bends until next year.
Last night (Monday) we were at Nottingham for the Caffreys Puppy Classic and I was delighted with Camp Joker.
He won his heat in 29.96 (+30). The time was a bit slower than some of the others but I’m not too worried.
He is only a December pup. It was the fifth race of his life, and his third win. It had been three weeks since his last look at four-bends and I would expect him to come-on in his next race.
As always, the competition always attracts quality pups and Droopys Buick was very impressive.
I have always rated the dog but had some doubts whether he would get the distance. As his time shows, (29.55), that clearly wasn’t an issue.
But if I was picking one to win it, it would probably be Crossfield Cesar. For some reason he glanced inside on the run-up. I don’t know what happened and he certainly didn’t do anything wrong, but he then pulled away to win impressively.
Not only is he a dog with a lot of pace, he is a wide runner and has more chance of getting favourable draws, a little bit like Swift Hoffman.
On Friday we also have Latin Charm running in the Des Loughrey Gold Cup. She won her second race, a Perry Barr 480m open, by ten lengths a week ago Friday.
She has trap one at Monmore in a tough heat but I think an awful lot of her.
Charm is from the same litter as Camp Joker and I mentioned her in the column a few weeks ago before she raced.
The other litter brother, Newyork City Boy ran his first four bend trial at Perry Barr and clocked 28.62, which is very exciting. I remember Take The Crown doing 28.67 at the same stage.
Boy’s 3.44 sectional was probably close to the record. He has two more qualifying trials before he can race and we are obviously excited by his potential.
We have just had our brood Little Flame mated to Crash. Flame is the mother of Take The Crown and it is a similar cross to the one which produced Newinn Yolo. He is a son of Crash out of Flame’s litter sister Little Flutter.
Flame has a six month old repeat litter (to Take The Crown) by Westmead Hawk and a June 14 litter by Droopys Scolari who are schooling in Ireland.
We are very excited about them from what we have seen so far.
Norrie Brennan has done a brilliant job – once again. She rears the pups in Laoise for us, from the time they are around five months old until schooling age. They are whelped down by Michael Gargan in Bolton.
I think we must have somewhere near a 70% strike rate for open racers from the pups Norrie has reared for us.
It is a great relief to have a rearer who takes just as much care of your pups as she does with her own.
Speaking of Newinn Yolo, he is now ten weeks into his convalescence and looking really good.
The first month was complete rest with laser treatment. He has been walked through the second month and still has laser treatment every day.
He won’t be galloped before his twelfth week and we may run out of time to get him ready for the All England Cup.
I checked the race details and it starts very early in October which means we probably wouldn’t get the opportunity to get a four bend trial into him.
We haven’t ruled out going to Newcastle, but we certainly won’t be taking any risks.
