Full Steam Ahead!

January has seen a few more new additions to the yard with the arrival of a Filly by Motivator and another by Rail Link. Also now on the books is a lovely 3 year old Filly named Abbakova.
So its full steam ahead for the remainder of the month with the majority of the Yearlings starting to canter next week and our older recruits back in and walking.
Plenty to look forward to!

Happy New Yearlings!

Its been a rather wet and windy start to 2014 here at Whatcombe however the sun is now shining and there is plenty to look forward to for this coming season.
We have a really nice bunch of 2 year old's on the yard for next season, all have been backed and are now trotting with most of them cantering before Christmas.
All of our older horses bar a few have been enjoying a well deserved break through the winter and we are all looking forward to their return.
Treasure Cay runs in Deauville on Monday 13th January in a 7.5 furlong Maiden. We think he will run very well.
All in all lots to look forward to. Happy New Year!!

Complicit broke the track record at Lingfield and qualified for the Million Pound Finals day by beating the strongly fancied Sir Robert Cheval trained by Marco Botti by a length. Graham Lee reported it was all over once he got balanced up the straight at Lingfield.

He then travelled to France where he beat the strongly fancied favourite of Jean-Claude Rouget called Zvarov. He will now take a break until the Million Pound race day where he will line up in the 7 furlong conditions race.


Elysian Prince ran a great race at Lingfield coming second he was very unlucky in running on the bend as he tripped up and took a while to get balanced. He will now have a winter break and be back next year.

Berkshire is very well in himself, putting on weight and the plan is probably to have a prep race before the Guineas.

All the yearlings have been sold apart from a Champs Elysees Colt which we bought for 4,000 Guineas. He is half-brother to a Royal Ascot Chesham 4th in Mine Host and a Listed winner ‘Antediluvian’. He moves extremely well and will be ridden in the next couple of days. 

Lisamour put up a nice performance to come second at Kempton she broke very quick and found herself at the front, the instructions were to sit in third or fourth, its not that she would have won. She ran green and its like she had never run before forgetting the last time where she came 9/10 having missed the kick with the hood on and never faced the kickback. She will now head to Newbury for the 1m 1/4 maiden that Pink Symphony won "The Robert Sangster Memorial". The racing post describes her as "a filly that clearly has a future".

Rush will run again this year, as it's good for the pedigree if she is a two-year-old winner. She will probably run again over six furlongs but she will most definitely get 7f. She should win and improve with age.

The enigma Complicit passed his stools test. We are most sure we have the key to him now. He will go in with a hood on. He has been working very well and could be a nice horse for the future he has a lot of talent if he wins he is sure to be packed up until the big meeting at Lingfield next year the million pound day. 

All of our yearlings are sold so we are going to the December yearling sale to buy a couple of more. Berkshire is doing very well and is putting on weight he is still a big baby bouncing and playing at every opportunity, his lad Surrender does very well with him in the box because he will bite at every opportunity "approach with caution".

Black Run racing is a very exciting prospect, shares are available in eighths and quarters of three horses. A Rock Of Gibraltar a Royal Applause and a Aussie Rules with French premiums. These are all very nice looking horses by good stallions with decent pedigrees. 

Please feel free to ring, as they are inexpensive and going!

We have a few runners this week Dutch Art Dealer is going well and also is Treasure Key who didn't like the ground at Newbury its very hard for a two year old to overcome soft ground first time out. Lisamour will probably need the experience but could be a nice future project.

Please look at our site and see if any of the horses for sale could suit you! 

Racing Summary and Sales Season!

Runners and Riders!!

Cafetiere picked up £2,500 for coming fourth in a Deauville claimer. In a maiden today at home at a big track you can pick up £400 for coming fourth, it just shows you the terryfying comparison. She will head there in December now.

Meritocracy ran really nicely to win at Kempton since his gelding he seems to have settled and become a very handy racehorse. Cape Arrow was unlucky not to win under Jimmy Quinn and he will race again on the aw-weather at Wolverhampton. Silverheels did not like the ground at Ascot and he will probably head to Deauville in December.


Sales and Results!!

We went looking high and low at the sales in Newmarket and Deauville and it was very hard work to create value as we got outbid at numerous times anyway with hard work we managed to buy some exceptionally nice horses and came back with ten.

For Sale:
Paco Boy colt (Goffs 122)
Rip Van Winkle colt (Tatts 591)
Shamardal colt (Arquana 39) French premiums
Mount Nelson colt (tatts 1156)
Starspangledbanner colt (Tatts 674)

Black Run Racing:
Royal Applause (Tatts 1131)
Rock Of Gibralter (Tatts 833)
Aussie Rules (Arquana 73) French premiums

(for more information please look go down to black run racing an affordable way to get involved in three horses)

Mrs Fitri Hay
Teofilo colt (Goffs 77)

Richard Green
Dutch Art colt (Tatts 821)
Iffraaj colt (Tatts 1114)

Alan Spence
Iffraaj colt (Tatts 1297)

Colin and Melba Bryce
Dansili Filly (Tatts 1317)

A very big weekend for Whatcombe after a great year!

We have been very lucky to have some good horses this year and that has been show by our percentages, our 2 year old winners to runners is in the top 2 in Britain. Headed by Berkshire and Gifted Girl we have had a great year. We have been supported by some great owners and hopefully it will role on next year. Jim Crowley has also played a big part in the operation and has ridden very consistently for us. Our staff have done a great job and its been a real team effort. We have already bought some nice two year olds from Goff's and touch wood thy turn out to be good.

Berkshire ran a great race to beat Somewhat in a thrilling finish the race was best described as a football match in which "Manchester United play badly but still managed to win". He pulled hard for the first couple of furlongs was on the side where there was no pace, did not like the ground didnt come down the hill straightened out and had to catch the winners, class prevailed. Jim Crowley gave him a great ride and the dream is still alive.

Gifted Girl ran a great race in the Dubai Duty Free at Newbury it was run over 1 mile 3 furlongs and she was last of the bridle and did not get home inside the last furlong her optimum trip is 1 mile 2 furlongs in which the Prix De L'Opera is run over she is in the form of her life, still thriving and should put up a good show on Sunday.

We plan to have some runners in Deauville in October and December and will buy some French breds as the prize money with the premiums is so much bigger in France. We will be happy to assist anyone who would be interested in purchasing a French bred.