Pant Wilkin Blog

The team have been in outstanding form in recent weeks and a double at Newton Abbot yesterday saw our jumps tally for the month reach seven winners from 16 runners, at a strike-rate of 44%!

The first of them, Master Dancer, has been in the form of his life this summer, winning readily on the flat at Salisbury in August and following up in great style at Chepstow earlier this month.  Returning to hurdling for the first time since making his debut over timber at Taunton in February 2015, he continued his recent revival with an impressive display, recovering from being badly hampered at the second flight and from thereon by the loose horse, to hit the front and draw clear from the last, winning by eight lengths.

We will look for another novice for him under a penalty in three weeks or so and will take it from there, but he will certainly stay further than yesterday’s 2m1f trip and looks to have plenty more to offer.  Congratulations to his owners, Select Racing Club and Colin Davies!

Connections of Master Dancer in the winners' enclosure

Connection of Master Dancer on the winners' podium

Winter Walk jumping to victory

Alan Johns and Winter Walk

Connections of Winter Walk in the winners' enclosure

Winter Walk (L) and Master Dancer (R) with Jess and Chloe

Winter Walk had recently returned from a long spell on the sidelines with a promising sixth at Uttoxeter in July, and he improved markedly on that when winning yesterday, showing a tremendously game attitude under pressure once sent on at the second-last to hold off several challengers.

A point winner in Ireland in his youth, he shouldn’t go up too much for that win and, with the likelihood of further improvement forthcoming, I hope he can make a very bold bid to follow up next time.  We may look to send him chasing in the New Year, but for the time being he will stay over hurdles.  Congratulations to his owners Diamond Racing!

A five year old son of Martaline, Theligny is bred to be useful and I was delighted to see him get off the mark in great style at Kelso yesterday under Richard Johnson.

A half-brother to two very smart Graded performers in France, Theligny was purchased as an unbroken two year old in France, and showed a good level of form on his two starts over hurdles last term.  He has really developed physically over the past 12 months and we were optimistic of a very bold showing yesterday in what looked a winnable novice hurdle, but nevertheless it was a taking performance on his first run for 10 months and his first start beyond two miles.

Taken wide by Richard Johnson and tracking the leader throughout, he was brought through to challenge at the second last and kept on really strongly to come clear, eventually winning by 14 lengths.  There is improvement to be made in the jumping department and he remains a work in progress, but he is an exciting novice for the season ahead for his owners Dave and Jodie Pearn.

Smiles all round after Theligny's win

In the winners' enclosure

Our summer team have been in cracking form in recent weeks and further success followed at Worcester yesterday, with Caspian Piper and Mad Money combining in the two divisions of the 2m7f handicap chase to give us a double on the day, taking us to 19 winners for the National Hunt season to date.

Caspian Piper had looked unlucky not to win at Market Rasen on his previous start, getting chinned right on the line after leading throughout, but under a well-judged front-running ride from Alan Johns yesterday, he jumped beautifully in front and, though he idled on the long run-in from the last, he always looked to have enough in reserve to repel any challenges.

Caspian Piper

Mad Money winning for the first time under rules

In the winners' enclosure

Double up!

It was a fine and well-deserved win, and hopefully he can go in again in the coming weeks, before the ground starts to go against him. Congratulations to his owners Oceans Racing.

We didn’t have to wait long for our second winner of the day, Mad Money producing a similar front-running display in the second division, jumping out to the right under Richard Johnson but always travelling strongly and he stayed on really well all the way to the line, winning by 10 lengths.  It was a first win under rules for this ex-pointer on just his third start for us, and though he is now in the veteran stage, he hasn’t had too much racing and hopefully there is more to come.

It was a pleasure to be joined by Paul and Louise Bowtell and their daughter Rebecca at the weekend.  Paul and Louise have an exciting string of horses with us that includes recent winners Nathans Pride and Satellite, as well as exciting young prospects such as Dadsintrouble.  Team picture below!

Having sustained a career-threatening injury at Taunton in February 2015, it has been quite a long road back for Master Dancer, but he is still only a five year old and it has been a pleasure to see the son of Mastercraftsman really find his form of late, following up his Salisbury win in August with a wide-margin success at Chepstow yesterday.

Ridden by Mitch Godwin, who is excellent value for his 5lbs claim, he raced exuberantly throughout, as had been the case at Salisbury, but nevertheless had plenty left when produced to lead a quarter of a mile from home and kept on strongly to win by four lengths.

I am hopeful that there is plenty more to come from him on the flat and he may try and record the hat-trick on the level next time, but we will also consider sending him back over hurdles, as he has plenty of potential as a novice hurdler this term.  Congratulations to his owners, Select Racing Club & Colin Davies!

Dovils Date has been an absolute star for us over the years, and the Itsfuninit-owned seven year old appears to be better than ever this term at the age of seven, winning his second race within the space of seven days with another wide-margin success at Uttoxeter yesterday.

Once again ridden by our promising conditional jockey George Blackwell, who is excellent value for his 10lbs claim, Dovils Date was settled in the rear of the six-strong field, but made good headway on the home bend and, once sent on into the lead before the second last, quickly bounded clear to win in great style!

That was his sixth win since joining us as a three year old off the flat back in 2012, and he really does appear to be in the form of his life at present, clearly appreciating the step up to 2m4f on his last two starts, and off his highest-winning mark yesterday.

The handicapper has already put him up to a mark of 125, so we may now look to revert to the flat, as in his current vein of form I am confident we can find a race for him off his mark of 70.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual Owners Day at what was a very wet Pant Wilkin Stables on Saturday!

Despite the rain arriving in the early morning and persisting through until the late afternoon, it was an enjoyable occasion and, as always, it was a pleasure to see so many familiar faces at the yard.

Lunch was preceded by a parade of horses and then one lot on the circular canter, and was followed by an enjoyable afternoon in the marquee.

A selection of photos can be seen below.

Having won impressively on his fourth and final outing in bumpers on what was his seasonal reappearance at Newton Abbot last month, Canton Prince continued his improvement to make a winning hurdling debut at Fontwell Park yesterday under Richard Johnson.

In the first pair throughout, he was a little sticky over his hurdles on the far side, but put in plenty of good jumps too and, having been ridden to go two lengths clear at the last, he produced a real surge up the run-in to pull clear, eventually winning by nine lengths, with previous winners back in second and third.

It was a very taking success and Richard was very complimentary about him afterwards, so there looks to be plenty to look forward to from the son of Shantou, who is just a five year old and remains open to a good deal of improvement this season and beyond.  Congratulations to his owners Tertia Racing!