Pant Wilkin Blog

We have had five of our eight runners reach the frame without winning since the scores went back to zero at the beginning of the 2017/2018 National Hunt campaign, so we were delighted to see Monsieur Arkadin get us on the board for the season with a facile success at Carlisle under Alan Johns.

Sent off the 1/6 favourite and facing just one rival, Alan kept things simple and set Monsieur Arkadin out in front, where he jumped fluently and easily drew clear up the home straight without Alan needing to put him under any pressure.  It was the perfect confidence booster for the horse, who had gone close at Stratford on his previous outing, and I am delighted for his owners Derek Passant and Glenn Butt.

(photo courtesy Jackie Kingdom)

Our little sprinter Termsnconditions continues to progress and he made it two from two since switching to handicaps with another narrow success over 6f at Lingfield Park.

Having won by a nose at the track in March, having looked to be beaten in the photo, he once again left things late as, having been in front up the home straight, he was briefly headed near the finish before rallying to get his head in front in the final couple of strides under a good ride from Kieran O’Neill.

He is due to go the sales next week, but I am keen to keep him as he looks capable of winning more races this summer, especially when switched to the turf.

The horses remain in fine form as we approach the end of the 2016/17 National Hunt campaign, and The Mythologist and Always Archie combined yesterday to give us an across-the-card double!

The Mythologist is not the easiest horse to train and he has been limited to just five starts in the past 18 months.  However, the ability is there, as he would have won at Market Rasen in February but for falling at the second-last, and he fully deserved his success at Wincanton yesterday under good waiting ride from George Blackwell.

Held up at the back of the four-runner field, he started to make headway as the runners entered the home straight and, upsides at the second-last, was sent on before the last fence and kept on strongly to score on what was his first start for Jeff and Rachel Frost.

He will be kept on the go this summer and looks capable of adding further successes, both over fences and also over hurdles.

Always Archie had been in fair form in points of late, but nevertheless the manner of his 20-length victory in the hunter chase at Stratford came as something of a surprise!  Given an attacking ride by Evan David, he travelled well and kept finding in what became something of a duel with the eventual runner-up until that one faded up the home straight. A lightly-raced 10 year old, he is capable of adding further successes this summer.

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Honey Pound has been a really fun horse for his owners David and Sue Luke, and he recorded his fourth career success for them with a game, last-gasp win at Towcester under a fine ride from Alan Johns.

Held up in rear, Alan did a great job of getting him settled and he looked to be going very comfortably throughout.  However, the eventual runner-up kicked clear up the straight and it was only after jumping the last that Honey Pound looked likely to reel him in, getting up close home to win by half a length.

He shouldn’t go up much for that win and I am hopeful that he can go on to further success in the months ahead, as he is a real trier and handles any ground.

Debece finished a close third in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle

We sent three up to Aintree last week for the National meeting and I was delighted with all three of them, though the narrow margin of Debece’s defeat in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle did, at least for a moment, make me think of what might have been!

Debece (pictured above) had won his previous start, in a handicap hurdle at Newbury, by 19 lengths and that hugely impressive performance, despite being off a mark of 121, was enough to persuade us he was ready for the step up to Grade 1 company.

He travelled and jumped beautifully throughout the contest and was going strongly towards the turn into the home straight.  He just got caught in some scrimmaging on the bend, but kept on strongly all the way up the straight and, in what was a tremendous finish, he was beaten just a half length and a short-head into third.

It was a fantastic performance and, given we have campaigned him this year with his novice chase campaign in mind, to have gone so close to a top-level success of hurdles is a fine achievement.  He has come out of the race very well and will now be roughed off before a summer at grass, but I already can’t wait to see him over fences next season!

I was interested to see he has already been tipped up for next year’s RSA Chase by Nick Watts in the Racing Post! If you missed the article, you can read it at the bottom of this post.

Paul and Louise Bowtell with Dadsintrouble

Dadsintrouble is another to have made great strides in recent months, his two wins at Haydock Park in January and February coming off marks of 117 and 127, before running a fine race over an inadequate trip in the Martin Pipe at the Cheltenham Festival.  Back over three miles, he ran in a smashing race in defeat in the Grade 3 Handicap Hurdle on Grand National day.

Racing enthusiastically, he jumped as well as he has ever done and, though caught in a bit of traffic in behind the runaway winner, he showed a lovely attitude up the home straight, keeping on really well to finish third in what was a really strong contest.  He has always shown us a great deal of ability at home and it has been such a pleasure to see him fulfil that in the past few months.

His dam won six times over fences, including at Listed and Grade 3 level, and ‘Dads’ is another we are hugely excited about for novice chasing next season.

There was also a very promising performance from Point Of Principle (above, number 19), who finished 7th of 19, beaten just over 5 lengths, in the Grade 2 bumper.  Purchased for just 8,500gns last May, he made a winning debut on Classic Chase day at Warwick and had finished a close second on his next outing under a penalty at Carlisle, before showing further improvement with this latest run.  He looks like he’ll appreciate two and a half miles over hurdles and he looks set for an exciting campaign next season.  We’ll give him his summer break now and maybe look to have one more run in a bumper on his return next season before going hurdling in the autumn.

Racing Post, 12th April 2017

Nick Watts

Another eyecatcher from Aintree to have on your radar for next season is the Tim Vaughan-trained Debece.

Vaughan had a quiet few years after reshaping his training policy, recruiting more longer term and better quality horses.

It’s taken a while to pay off but he’s definitely getting there now, and this half-brother to Don Poli is a good example of that.

Vaughan has very much trained him with the future in mind this season, starting him off over two miles, racing him sparingly, and only putting him up in trip for his last three starts all of which has reaped a rich dividend.

He hosed up at Newbury two outings ago, and then last week, thrown in at the deep end in a three-mile Grade 1, he responded with an outstanding effort to be beaten only half a length into third by a horse, The Worlds End, who may well have had a say in the Albert Bartlett but for coming down two out.

Vaughan has repeatedly said that fences and three miles are what this horse wants, and it’s pretty much certain that is what he will be doing next season.

He is 33-1 with bet365 for the RSA Chase next season, and while all talk of Cheltenham 2018 should now cease for the summer, I’m willing to make an exception for this horse as he could be genuinely exciting.

Debece
2018 RSA Chase
1pt ew at 33-1 (bet365)

I can’t remember ever having trained a sprint winner, so the success of Termsnconditions on his handicap debut in a six furlong contest at Lingfield Park on Saturday will go down as a memorable one – even more so as it as was a first win on the flat in my colours!

Though his form in three maiden runs was uninspiring, he just didn’t stay an extended mile at Wolverhampton in December and had previously run well to finish just three lengths off the winner on his debut over the minimum trip at Lingfield Park, despite running green throughout.

On this occasion, he was actually a little keen through the first couple of furlongs and travelled well into the contest, but was pushed along on the home turn and, still looking inexperienced, he nonetheless showed a fine attitude to get up on the line under a strong ride from Kieran O’Neill.

He won’t go up more than a couple of pounds for that win and, now that he has got his head in front, I hope he can find further success in the coming weeks.