FEBRUARY 2025
Aviemore jumping ahead to win at Huntingdon 02.03.25
By Harry Herbert
What an exciting month we have had on the track for our National Hunt contingent. Aviemore has proven himself to be useful both on the flat and now as a hurdler, flying home a winner on not one but two of his three runs. This week we of course look forward to Valgrand’s effort in the County Handicap Hurdle on Friday at the Cheltenham Festival, it is so thrilling to have a horse competing with the very best on the world stage at the home of National Hunt racing!
The sun has finally made an appearance and with it the start of the turf season seems to be edging ever closer! Our stable visits are well underway and owners have enjoyed trips to Newmarket, Richard Hannon’s, Andrew Balding’s and Charlie Hills’ to name but a few! The horses are looking fantastic and the team are really pleased with how the two year olds have been progressing. It certainly won’t be long before we see one or two of them on the track. The older horses are thriving and it was fantastic to see Bountiful add some Black Type to her name with an impressive seasonal debut in the Spring Cup (Listed) at Lingfield last week.
A hugely exciting spring awaits with some very important entries, the count down is most certainly on!
With my best wishes,
Harry Herbert, Chairman
HORSE IN FOCUS
VALGRAND
Bathyrhon (GER) ex Valaway (FR)
Valgrand clearly loving his jumping flying to victory in the Grade 2 Novice Hurdle
Valgrand is our Horse In Focus this month, bought by Dan Skelton for £70,000 after a very eye-catching point to point debut in Ireland. He has been a great success from the off, from his eight runs he has won three times and finished runner up on two occasions. In May he won on hurdle debut at Uttoxter and more recently he won in emphatic style, hitting the line seventeen lengths in front in the Grade Two Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham in October. This is a horse that has brought endless enjoyment to his owners and what is more he lines up as one of Dan Skelton’s Cheltenham Festival string as he holds a very exciting entry in the County Hurdle on Gold Cup day (Friday 14th March). Having a runner at the Festival on Gold Cup day - it certainly does not get much better than that! Wishing his share owners the very best of luck!
On the track
By Emily Scott
This month’s plaudits are due in spades to Aviemore who won twice in the space of three weeks. He returned to Warwick in early February having made a pleasing hurdles debut there in January. He was partnered by Alice Stevens, who took a handy 3lbs off, and did well to reverse the form with Midnight Rumble who had finished 4 lengths ahead of him last time. Alice had him buried in the pack and so he will have learned plenty for the experience. He idled a bit when he hit the front but did just enough to deny Ocean Conquest by ½ length.
Harry Derham quite sensibly swerved a competitive looking race on testing ground at Newbury in favour of better ground at Huntingdon for his next start. He did have to contend with Lavender Hill Mob who had beaten him convincingly when they met at Warwick in January and was odds on to do the same again. Both horses carried a 7lb penalty and despite that looked the ones to beat. Paul O’Brien gave Aviemore a very positive ride, pressing on around the home turn to expose any chink in Lavender Hill Mob’s armour and in a matter of strides he had his rival hard at work. Aviemore put the race to bed approaching the second last and only had to be kept up to his work by Paul O’Brien to record a 20-length victory! He has clearly taken a liking for this new code and all roads now lead to Ascot on 30th March where he will contest a valuable juvenile handicap hurdle.
Photos: Aviemore winning at Warwick in February and Huntingdon on the first of March
Elsewhere this month we’ve had jumpers mixing it with some of the best around in valuable handicaps at Newbury and Sandown. Beau Balko, who has been a revelation over fences this season, took his chance in the prestigious Greatwood Gold Cup worth a cool £100,000. He was backed in before the off and duly ran a mighty race to finish fourth, which crucially enabled his loyal and adoring group of owners into the winner’s enclosure to celebrate. Had he not raced quite so enthusiastically early in the race he may have had more answers at the business end, but he put up a fantastic display of jumping and justified Paul’s faith in bringing him to this competitive contest. He could go to Aintree for a similar race in a few weeks’ time or return to Newbury before heading to Scotland’s Grand National meeting at Ayr.
Beau Balko at a Paul Nicholls visit
The strikingly handsome Followcato is yet to get his head in front over hurdles but having qualified for the £80,000 EBF Final at Sandown, Ben Pauling was inclined to let him take his chance. This race is rammed full of lovely horses for the future and Followcato fits that description well. He’s a big horse who is still growing into himself and the experience of running in a competitive 18-runner handicap will have been very educational. He isn’t the slickest over a hurdle and so lost vital ground as the pace picked up down the back straight, but he came there full of running at the second last as some of his rivals were fading. He had to avoid a fallen horse at the back of the last hurdle and plugged on honestly for seventh position, beating the favourite Belliano in the process. He may well try to break his maiden over hurdles this spring, but the intention is to go chasing with him next season and that’s when I think he’ll really come into his own.
Followcato Sandown 08.03.25
We had a fabulous visit to Newmarket at the beginning of March where the work is beginning to crank up with the flat horses. Most of them will be prepared for the beginning of the turf season later this month, but for some they are already hitting the track on the all-weather. As you know Cavolo Nero got his career off to a winning start at Southwell in January and he returned to the same course and distance for his second start, where he bid to defy a 7lb penalty. He jumped and travelled like a true professional and had the favourite well covered as he surged into the lead 2f from home. Unfortunately, a filly carrying 12lbs less than him swept by inside the final furlong to win by 2 lengths, but it was still a very strong performance from Cavolo Nero. He will now be freshened up for the turf racing in April and remains an exciting horse for the season ahead.
Cavolo Nero’s owners after a second place run at Southwell 28.02.25
One of last season’s star 2yos, Bountiful, was working hard in February to prepare for some early season stakes races either in France or the UK. She held entries at Chantilly and Lingfield, with George opting to keep her closer to home for the 7f Spring Cup Stakes (Listed) at Lingfield. It was a big ask having had nearly 8 months off the track to come up against some battle-hardened colts with recent course form and so it was pleasing to see her put up a very solid performance to claim third and in doing so earning valuable black type. She is a well-bred filly, being by Zoustar and out of a Group 2 winning 2yo filly, so every piece of black type she can get adds to her value. George will be able to ease off the gas with her now to freshen her up for the start of the turf season.
Down under the Australian horses are gearing up for a busy autumn campaign and over the weekend we saw Redstone Well have his second start of the preparation. He started favourite for the $200,000 Canberra Cup (Listed) and looked to have a fabulous trip, until the top of the straight where he had to be angled out for a run. This slightly interrupted his momentum and even though he ended up hitting the line very strongly, he could only manage third, beaten ¾ length. He looks to be settling better in his races now, so hopefully he can build on this very decent performance through the rest of the season.
DAN SKELTON ‘Festival Fever’
by Frances de Haan
Every publication and media channel seems to be placing Dan Skelton firmly in the spotlight in the lead-up to the Cheltenham Festival and for good reason. Dan has hit the century mark in number of winners in all bar his first two seasons, amassing seven figures in prizemoney in each of those years. Most notably the 2018/2019 season saw unprecedented levels of success with over 200 winners and £2,301,457 in prize money, a feat achieved before only by Martin Pipe during the 1990’s. Last year he trained four Cheltenham Festival winners, a career best. This season he shows no signs of slowing down, he leads the National Hunt Trainer Championship with 152 winners and £2,462,315.03 in prize money, ahead of Paul Nicholls in second with 75 winners and £1,796,820.47 in prizemoney. I caught up with Dan who very kindly spared me some time in one of the busiest periods of the racing calendar!
Harry Skelton (brother), Nick Skelton (father) and Dan Skelton pictured right.
Horses are in your blood, you grew up surrounded by these equine athletes in the form of showjumpers, but when did your passion for horses diverge towards racing?
I veered towards racing when I was about 15 or 16, my friend had some pointers and we used to go and ride them during lunchtime from school because he used to live next to school. Then my dad had point to pointers and he had horses in training with David Nicholson and I just always loved racing. Obviously it is horses as well, but my interest piqued at that point, I got out of showjumping and had a few rides myself point-to-pointing and from there I went on and worked for Paul (Nicholls).
What is your earliest racing memory?
My earliest racing memory was Desert Orchid winning King George in the fog, I think in 1988 or 89, so quite a long time ago!
You set up in 2013 and in a relatively short time you have achieved success at the very top. A difficult question, but if you had to choose a ‘pinch me’ moment what would it be?
A pinch me moment was probably last year, having four wins at the Cheltenham Festival, that was quite remarkable really. Obviously you plan for it, hope for it and prepare for it, but actually having it all happen was pretty remarkable. So having four winners there that was pretty much the biggest pinch me moment. Although when I very first started out, just having winners and having runners in big races it did not seem real and it was great, they all felt like pinch me moments really!
(Dan’s four winners last year were: Grey Dawning in the Golden Miller Novices' Chase, Unexpected Party in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase, Protektorat in the Ryanair Chase, Langer Dan in the Coral Cup)
Langer Dan
It is clear you work extremely hard with an exceptionally talented and dedicated team, but do you ever get the chance to stand back and appreciate all your achievements?
Standing back and appreciating it is a very hard thing to do because you are wrapped up in it. Sometimes you do not see it from the outside because when you are racing you are on to the next horse, the next set of owners and you try and do your best for them and you've always got to try and keep moving forward. So it is quite hard to stand back and look, but it's a little bit quieter in the summer and that's probably the best time to do it, but we have got better at appreciating what's going on in the immediate time of it happening, the past festivals is probably a good instance, we made sure we took it all in because they can pass you by pretty quickly.
You have a strong relationship with Harry your brother, you are both Champions in your fields, it must be special working together in a sport that you are both passionate about?
Working with Harry is very important, probably more important now than ever because we have more horses and a bigger team, and his feedback is absolutely first class. He's been Champion Jockey and even being able to work with him is a massive asset and I know he feels the same - we complement each other and feed off each other.
Harry Skelton winning jockey Championship
Your wife Grace is an integral part of training life, she is always so welcoming and generous with her time, as you and Harry are too on race days. How important is it to have that strong family network behind you, particularly during high pressured weeks like Cheltenham?
Working as part of a family is obviously a positive, I feel. Building up to Cheltenham it is a bit more stressful, but people can understand what you are going through and can help you when things do not go well. They are there to pick you up because they understand it and they are invested in it as well, which is obviously very, very helpful. I'm very lucky that I get to work with my family in a positive manner and I wouldn't know what it's like otherwise, to be honest with you, it's our normal, but it's something we very much enjoy and I certainly wouldn't want it any other way.
You had phenomenal success at The Festival last year, a career best of four winners and leading the way as the home team’s top trainer. A high bar to set coming into the 2025 edition. How do you feel this year compared to last year heading into The Festival?
Four winners last year is obviously pretty remarkable. Moving into last year, I thought we had a nice team all set up, ready to go and everything was looking positive, but you cannot legislate for having four winners. You cannot work out where they are going to come from, where you are going to get their luck clean running and all those bits and pieces so going into this year we feel the same. We feel positive, we have a nice team, but you know trying to find four winners is very, very hard to do, so you won't expect that - you'd never expect that - but you've got to stay positive and think it can happen because that's what we're planning to do, right, we're trying to win as many as we can.
Photos: Valgrand heading down to the start at Cheltenham, flying to victory in the Grade 2 Novice Hurdle
You have a battalion of strong contenders with the likes of The New Lion, Protektorat, L’Eau Du Sud, Valgrand to name but a few, if you had to pick one or two who are most excited about running?
Yes the horses you mentioned, they are all good chances. Valgrand from my perspective, and from Highclere's perspective, the horse has just come into really good form, that is really important. I feel very much the same about Protektorat - they train for this time of year. Valgrand had a busy autumn because we had organised it that way, but obviously through the winter he was struggling with top weight in handicaps and slow ground. It is going to be a different matter if that ground dries up at Cheltenham, he will not be having top weight (obviously) in that race and that gives him a right chance. Protektorat he was going right-handed round Huntingdon which does not suit him, so we got him to Windsor left handing and now he is flying. Why he should be at his best at 10 years old I have no idea, but he is - he looks absolutely outstanding.
Protektorat wins the Ryanair Chase 2024
Protektorat returns to Cheltenham for the fifth time, an impressive feat in itself, he is back to defend his 2024 Ryanair title - how has he been at home in the lead up?
Protektorat in the lead up to Cheltenham has just been remarkable. These horses sometimes it feels like when they get older they get a clock in their head, they know what time of year it is and when the big stuff turns up and you train them for the spring and he's a good horse to do that with. He is a real tough character, he is remarkable really.
Who would be your biggest threat – are there any concerns with runners from across the Irish Sea e.g. with the Mullins contingent?
Our biggest threat for the whole meeting is Willie. Everyone versus Willie really, that is what racing is at the moment. He's obviously got the favourite ahead of us in The Arkle in Majborough, versus L’Eau du Sud, he's got the favourite in The Turners in Final Demand versus The New Lion, he's got the favourite in the Ryanair, Fact To File versus Protektorat , so yeah it's Willie again (laughs). But you have got to admire the man. He has a phenomenal team, a phenomenal bunch of horses, you have just got to bring yourself up and get on and beat the best. That is what it is about - trying to beat the best.
Grey Dawning lands the Golden Miller Novices' Chase 2024
What would be the race you would most like to win?
The race I would most like to win at the festival would be the Gold Cup, for obvious reasons: The Gold Cup is the pinnacle of our sport. Some people get asked 'Gold Cup or Grand National?' I think they are two completely different races but being greedy you would love to win both, but the Gold Cup is the elite race really, it would be great to win it one day!
Paul Nicholls has been fundamental in the infancy of your career, you are often seen congratulating each other in the parade ring. How much do you value that relationship and grounding looking back now?
Me and Paul, we get on very well. He obviously taught me everything at the start of my career in racing. I owe him everything in terms of professionalism of the job and my training methods at the start - it has certainly evolved but he has set me up mentally if you like in how to train and I basically copied his methods to start off with.
What would be a favourite Cheltenham Festival highlight?
Winners are all brilliant. Winning on Ch’tibello was great (Grade 3 County Handicap Hurdle), he was a long-term plan and so it was absolutely fantastic. Getting that buzz again would be something else. Langer Dan winning a second Coral Cup was pretty special too. And there was Protektorat winning a big Grade 1 (the Ryanair Chase 2024), that's special isn't it?! You'd love to do them all again to be honest!
Harry Skelton kisses Ch’tibello after winning the County Handicap Hurdle (Cheltenham 2019)
How do you deal with pressure in the lead up?
Pressure, I think as I have got older and I have experienced it more you can deal with it better. It is not the pressure of the results, it is the expectation to get there and for the owners to have their runners. Strangely I think people can cope with getting beat, it is almost the getting there and the not knowing that destroys morale more than anything and that is the pressure that I feel is the pressure to get them there. Once they are out there then what more can you do? But as you get older, you deal with that better, so I do not really feel that pressure of results now because I know that we have done our best and what will be will be at that point. Preparation is key so as long as you are prepared, I think that whilst there's always that little bit of pressure and also the pressure of expectation to get to the races, but as long as you know that you have done your best, that is what matters.
Do you have any lucky rituals or beliefs, lucky tie etc?
Not really too many lucky things, but sometimes I will look at a tie and think 'have I ever had a winner whilst wearing that tie?' (laughs) so no other than that not massively.
Your Cheltenham nap of the week from the Skelton team?
As we get closer, I've sort of tipped up Be Aware quite a lot in the Coral Cup and I still very much fancy him to be settled in the race, but as we get closer to the day, Protektorat is just flying into form, looks absolutely brilliant and looks like he's at the peak of his powers.
Wishing Dan and his team the very best of luck at Cheltenham this week!
OWNER EXPERIENCE
by Jennifer Ham
My first introduction to racing was the local Mendip Farmers Hunt Point to Point, coming from a farming background, having worked, and ridden second horses for a season. The hunt race was an interesting one, with farmers and members of the hunt who had qualified their horses, racing against each other.
Horses have always been a passion, I have had a career in the equine industry however, with no involvement in racing. Going to various race meetings has always been treated as a social day out with friends. I have been to many Point to Point’s, been a member of Cheltenham for many years, and attended the Festival on many occasions, with the odd day at Bath during the summer. I was also a member of a National Hunt syndicate, SCR – Strictly Come Racing with local friends for around ten years which sadly came to an end.
Interested in owning another share I attended Highclere yearling sales in October 2023. Having been to Ireland on several study days with colleagues. Seeing both Galileo and Ghaiyyath at their respective studs, I was drawn to the Teal Syndicate – Respond, who has both stallions and Dubawi in his pedigree
I have shares in Respond and Antipodes. Following a visit to Andrew Baldings and to Roger Varian’s in Newmarket, I understand both are needing time to mature, and both are unraced to date. Angel Gabriel is a two-year-old I purchased off the back of the yearling sales in 2024, he certainly looks a precocious two year old and Ralph does not think it will be long before we see him on the track which is exciting!
As lacking in knowledge regarding flat racing, with L plates on, I am very much looking forward to the coming season. All three horses hopefully will perform well; however, Angel Gabriel I feel has special qualities. Time will tell.
As a member of Highclere Thoroughbred racing, for me it is all about days out whether at the races or events. During this last year I have enjoyed a visit to Newmarket with dinner at the Jockey Club, which was extremely interesting, followed by a morning on Warren Hill, lunch, and a visit to Dalham Hall Stud. Stable visits to various trainer’s yards, the Newbury Box on both the National Hunt and the Flat days with an excellent view of the course along with hospitality. Ascot and Goodwood race days with picnics, as well as following the other Highclere horses. Harry and the team are always informative regarding horses, racing and very welcoming.
National Hunt shares in Valgrand 6-year-old, Aviemore 4-year-old and more recently Carlenrig,4-year-old, the latter yet to race.
Having an owners share in Valgrand has given me so much pleasure. This season winning at Bangor-On-Dee and then winning the Sky Bet Novices Hurdle (Grade 2) at Cheltenham by 17 lengths. My first time in the paddock at Cheltenham. I remember punching the air with pure excitement as Valgrand passed the winning post! A truly wonderful day, a winning horse, trainer Dan Skelton, and jockey Harry Skelton along with other share owners. A most memorable racing moment. A month later Valgrand ran very well at Cheltenham and came 2nd.
Aviemore, turning from the flat to National Hunt, which seems the way forward with the larger/stronger flat horses. Knowing a colleague’s son has a top-level show jumper sired by Kodiac, I quickly emailed for a share. In January Aviemore (trained by Harry Derham) made his debut over hurdles coming 3rd, with further fittening work and schooling next time out he won. Huntington most recently was a phenomenal day where Aviemore won again this time in emphatic style, denying the favourite Lavender Hill Mob and hitting the line going away 20 lengths ahead of second placed Across Earth. Harry Derham made all the right decisions bypassing Newbury and heading for the better ground at Huntingdon!
The 14th of March is going to be exciting. Valgrand has an entry in the County Hurdle on Gold Cup Day. With the sun shinning and the ground drying out, it looks hopefully that the going will be Good to Soft, possibly towards Good. On a recent yard visit to see Carlenrig. Valgrand looked really well in his coat and moved so swiftly up the hill gallop, effortlessly. Counting the days ……!
Rolf’s Ramblings
by Rolf Johnson
The Battle of Waterloo was won, according to the Duke of Wellington, on the playing fields of Eton. He didn’t add that it was by a short head – thought he did say it was a damn close run thing.
Yes, well, Cheltenham isn’t won on the sand at Kempton. But after Constitution Hill’s ‘terrifying’ annihilation of two galloping companions twice round Kempton Park last week, nothing less than a smashing victory in the Champion Hurdle, to match the one of 2023, is anticipated.
Constitution Hill is currently ‘carrying’ jump racing, much like Desert Orchid, Best Mate, Istabraq, Arkle - apologies to others who have inspired similar devotion – did. How can I leave out Dawn Run, ‘84 Champion Hurdle, ‘86 Gold Cup?
“Galopin des Champs is the best chaser since Arkle” – the words of Ruby Walsh no less. He’s won three Irish Gold Cups and is up for his third Cheltenham Gold Cup. Some horses win over their public for losing – winning is no guarantee that the affinity humans have with horses will translate into idolatry. Galopin des Champs, a name that hardly trips off the tongue, has shown vulnerability in the past – he was beaten at 100-1 on his third outing; he’s lost four times at Punchestown, including to Gold Cup second favourite Fact Or File. But he comes alive at Cheltenham.
It’s hardly the fault of Galopin des Champs that the competition isn’t as strong as in the Gold Cup heydays. Arkle was Mill House’s nemesis and the latter would have been considered ‘great’ had he not had ‘himself’ as contemporary. Best Mate, 2002-04, might have won four Gold Cups but for his premature death at Exeter; who knows how many Arkle ’64-66 would have won but for career ending injury; and if David Elsworth had got to Cheltenham in 1989 in good time he might have withdrawn Desert Orchid from the quagmire. It was the only time Dessie conquered the course. That vulnerability, overcome, was what brought the crowd ecstasy.
I must get owner Simon Burridge’s biography of Desert Orchid – I’ve given so many copies away – with the page marked where he says “Rolfe (sic) was the only one who believed Dessie would get three miles”. Some of us at Whitsbury thought his half-brother Ragged Robin, as black as Dessie was white, would turn out to be even better but he was killed before he had chance to prove it. Dessie’s own early career death defying fall says it all – reminders of racing’s fine lines.
A gang of us, superannuated professionals, have annual tipping larks at Royal Ascot and Cheltenham – for 10lb of Newmarket sausages. I’ve still got a freezer full…from the last two Cheltenham Festivals. (Ascot? We don’t do wooden spoons. Soprano? Don’t ask). Winning three years running – unlike the great equine names achievements, is unknown.
It won’t be fear of putting the mockers on Valgrand that I hesitate to tip him in the County Hurdle. Last year I gave the winner, Absurde, because I couldn’t see how a Willie Mullins-trained Ebor winner could get beat in a handicap hurdle. Absurde is in a again, higher in the handicap of course but the Mullins ‘mugger’ this time seems to be Kargese whose grand claim to fame was to run second at Aintree to the much lamented Festival absentee Sir Gino.
Paul Nicholls alerted the world (and then me) about his County Hurdle runner Kabral du Mathan, indulged by the handicapper when he came from France and with whom the official may not have caught up with. And Paul came up with one for the Triumph Hurdle - trained by his arch rival and former assistant Dan Skelton. The horse, Live Conti, won on his debut after doing many things wrong round Auteuil. The ground was heavy of course but Live Conti’s gallop appeared suited to better ground.
The ground at Kempton on Henderson ‘gallops day’ was slow standard. It’s hard to choose between his unbeaten Triumph possibles Lulamba and Palladium. If they finished first and second nobody at Seven Barrows would be amazed.
Bankers (how much faith have you in their human counterparts?) apart from Galopin des Champs, appear to be: Jonbon in the Two-Mile Champion Chase though he has been second twice in five visits to Cheltenham; and Teahupoo to repeat last year’s Stayers’ Hurdle triumph. Il Est Francais has won a King George around Kempton’s comfortable three mile but he races over shorter distance in France so the Ryanair Chase over two and a half miles looks a good fit. It’s comforting if you share the opinion of the most astute jumping man J P McManus that The New Lion is the season’s most impressive novice for he bought this one after the Challow Hurdle added a couple of noughts to his value. Whichever race is chosen for The New Lion it will be a shock if he loses his unbeaten record.
There’ll be other standouts when the final fields are condensed – and last minute catastrophes interfere (they always do).You don’t win tipping competitions by pinpointing horses everybody will be backing and prices on the ‘good things’ at Cheltenham can get very restrictive. But who do you listen to? I once sat on a tipping panel and contradicted the jockey sat next to me. His tip was Rock On Ruby and since he, Noel Fehilly, was riding it, I should have had more sense. Hurricane Fly was odds on. Rock On Ruby was the one.
But for every famous winning gamble there are half a dozen others that leave their backers destitute. So you might baulk at the odds on Willie Mullins’s first arrow, unbeaten Kopek des Bordes (also in Coral Cup) in the opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, but I can’t see what might beat him. And a winner in the first always boosts confidence so if you can follow up in the Arkle then you’ll have the bit between your teeth. Majborough (W Mullins) last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner (from Kargese) looks good enough to be true.
At this stage (the week before, going unknown) the majority are hedging their bets on where to turn up. Personally I’m lamenting one player who won’t be turning up - champion jockey elect, Sean Bowen sitting out with a whip ban. The antis are after us and every so often racing throws them bait - which only gives them encouragement to have another go.
Shearer (Nicholls – may have a more profitable Festival than the pundits prophecy) definitely goes for the St James Hunter Chase on the final day; One Big Bang’s (James Owen) victory in the Haydock qualifier for the Pertemps on Thursday saw him raised to a mark that should get him into the Final of this staying hurdle.
Dan Skelton has caught the handicapper napping with Langer Dan’s victories at the last two Festival’s. Unexpected Party in the Grand Annual likewise hasn’t won since 2024’s Grand Annual. The handicappers have trained their cross hairs on Langer Dan Mark 2 but Unexpected Party, who has been running against the likes of Jonbon, might just embarrass them again.
There are some right old ‘lags’ involved in our competition but I ‘should know better’, so to speak, than most because none of the others were at my first Cheltenham, Arkle’s first. Absconding from lectures at Liverpool, I hitched to Cheltenham and stood in what is now called the Best Mate Enclosure in the centre of the course. It was thick with the Irish so self-preservation won out and I cheered Arkle home – and crept away to hide my misery over Mill House’s eclipse. Cheltenham can still tap into the emotions and this year’s will be no different – it has to be to keep National Hunt racing alive. The racing media overload us with mounds of supposition and acres of conjecture which, if followed too blindly, can make the trek to the car park on Friday’s final day (hoping one’s vehicle isn’t sunk in the mud - £30 for extraction last year; teeth can be cheaper) akin to Napoleon’s wintry retreat from Moscow.
My freezer has room for another 10lb of sausages - but the wife has begun defrosting.
Where Are They Now?
by Frances de Haan
On the track Lime Avenue was a multiple winner and runner up on three of her seven starts. Trained by Paul Nicholls the daughter of Walk In The Park finally retired in 2023 after failing to bounce back from her windsurgery. Carrigeen Bloodstock who are based at Rathkenty Stud near Fethard, County Tipperary purchased her, which is lovely as they also bred her, so she has gone full circle.
Now in her new career as a brood mare Lime Avenue has recently become a mother and produced a gorgeous filly by Jeu St Eloi born in early February. She is due to be covered by Harzand next time around. It is wonderful to see her doing so well and we look forward to following her foals in the future!
Clodagh’s recipe
by Clodagh McKenna Herbert
NOURISHING CAULIFLOWER AND CHICKPEA SALAD
METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C (fan).
2. Place the cauliflower and chickpeas on a roasting tray. Add the olive oil and spies and toss to coat. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.
3. Place all the tzatziki ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Put in a fridge until you are ready to use.
4. For the salsa, again place all the ingredients in a bowl, toss to combine.
5. Once you are ready to east, spoon the tzatziki on the base of a plate, top with the salsa, and roasted cauliflower and chickpeas.
6. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and chopped parsley to finish.
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
200g chickpeas, cooked
2 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chilli flakes
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toasted sesame seeds, to serve
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped, to serve
For the salsa
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped (roughly 2-3 cups chopped)
1 cucumber, finely diced
1 medium tomato, finely diced
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp olive oil
Pinch of sea salt
For the Tzatziki
200ml natural yogurt
½ cucumber, grated
Juice from 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Taittinger Moment
BILLY LOUGHNANE
With the turf season rapidly approaching we wanted to take this month to congratulate Billy Loughnane aka ‘Billy the Kid’ for his fantastic horsemanship and riding skills last season. He worked hard with Soprano and perserverance paid off with her when she put in a thrilling performance won the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot, Billy’s second ever winner at the prestigeous festival. Billy also secured his first ever Black Type success when landing the spoils in the Listed Prix la Camargo in Saint Cloud aboard Chic Colombine. Who knows hopefully this season we can secure his first ever Group One victory!
Billy’s hard work and dedication alongside George Boughey will without a doubt continue to grow from strength to strength this year, particularly with George Boughey’s exciting move to the state of the art Craven House and Shadowfax Stables.
We look forward to an exciting 2025 season ahead - best of luck Billy!
Soprano under Billy Loughnane winning the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot, June 2024
Out and about with the Highclere camera
