Dear All,

After three successive record-breaking months that saw us reach a prize-money total of over £400,000 and record 84 winners by the turn of the year, January has been a good deal quieter, however with a few of the horses just a little under the weather we have just backed off them a little with a view to having the team spot on for the key spring months ahead.

Entries for the Grade 1’s and the novice races at the Cheltenham Festival have now closed and I am hugely excited by the strength of the team we have for those contests.  We also have plenty to enter in the handicaps that close in the coming months and I am hopeful that this will be the year we break our Cheltenham Festival duck!

 Shân Cothi goes to Cheltenham!

Langley was our sole winner this month, following up his win at Ffos Las on Boxing Day with a facile success at Folkestone.  He finished second on his latest start but has been given a break since and I feel there is certainly more to come from him over hurdles in the coming months.  Looking ahead, he too will be at the Cheltenham Festival in March as the mount of opera singer and television presenter Shân Cothi in the St Patrick’s Derby on the Thursday of the Festival meeting, run in aid of Cancer Research UK – both the BBC and S4C will be visiting the yard in the next week to film Shân in action, with S4C set to broadcast two half-hour episodes, a week either side of the big day!  To make a donation and support Shân, please visit www.justgiving.com/Shan-Cothi.

Horses For Sale

We have plenty of promising, unexposed horses for sale at present.  All the below are either in training or are ready to come into training.  For further information on any of these horses, please contact either myself or Nat in the office.

Benefit Of Youth             5yo bay gelding                Beneficial – Persian Avenue (Persian Mews)

A five-year-old gelding from the family of Irish National and Arkle winner Colebridge, Benefit Of Youth finished runner-up on just his second start under rules, in a heavy-ground bumper at Ffos Las in December 2011. The well-regarded winner of the Ffos Las contest had been purchased for £70,000 at Cheltenham in October, so the form looks strong and Benefit Of Youth is open to any amount of improvement. A son of leading jumps sire Beneficial, he is a big, old-fashioned chaser in the making and looks the type to progress with time and when sent novice hurdling in the coming months.

Earth Tremor                     6yo bay gelding                Definite Article – Arctic Rose (Jamesmead)

A recent acquisition from Ireland, Earth Tremor already has some very solid maiden and novice hurdle form to his name and, standing at over 17 hands and being  a half-brother to the useful Earth Planet , he is every inch a staying chaser of the future.   He has been given a mark of 112 and I would be very surprised indeed should that prove to be the limit of his ability.   He has enjoyed a short break and is now ready to come into training.

Erdeli                                    8yo bay gelding                Desert Prince – Edabiya (Rainbow Quest)

Very consistent gelding who won twice and finished in the first four on a further four occasions in 2011.  He was probably feeling the effects of a long season when below-par on his final start of 2011, but was as good as he has ever been last year and, rated 110 and after a decent break, I am confident he can return to winning ways this summer.  Please click here for costs.

Explained                            4yo bay gelding                Exit To Nowhere – All Told (Valanjou)

Smartly-bred gelding, being out of a half-sister to Top Kappy, a multiple winner over hurdles in France, as well as French flat winners Safarid and Saint Salvy.  The granddam is a full sister to a Group 2 winner on the flat in France, half-sister to the dam of Cleeve Hurdle winner Mistinguett and to the dam of Derby winner Sinndar.

He was in pre-training with us last year and looks to have really strengthened up over the past 12 months, and now looks an exciting type for bumpers and novice hurdles this season.  He will be ready to make his racecourse debut in the next three weeks.

Investment World          4yo bay colt                        Akbar – Superb Investment (Hatim)

An easy winner of a 1m4f handicap at Wolverhampton a year ago, his form rather tailed off for Mark Johnston last season and consequently he was purchased cheaply at the sales in August.  However, Mark Johnston did suggest he would make up into a nice hurdler and it is well worth noting that several of his siblings went off the boil on the flat, only to do very well when sent hurdling.  He has been given plenty of time off and gelded in the meantime, and I would like to think he will make up into a decent hurdler this summer.  Now ready to return to training and looks particularly good value at £3,500.

Lough Coi                            6yo bay gelding                Insatiable – Roisin Dove (Grand Plaisir)

A big, strong gelding, Lough Coi has shown a good level of form in Irish points (went favourite both starts, form is strong) and more recently in maiden hurdles over a variety of trips this season, showing his best form over 2m to 2m2f.  Promises to stay further in time, will be ready to run in 4-5 weeks and looks a ready-made winner in novice company over hurdles this term before going chasing in the autumn.

Perfect Buttons                5yo bay gelding                Trans Island – Buttons Galore (Bigstone)

Placed on six of 12 starts over hurdles to date and plenty of that form suggests he could be a very well-handicapped horse when he makes his debut over here.  Also looks a well-handicapped horse on the flat (placed off a mark of 60 in the past and now down to an Irish mark of 47) and is just the type to rack up a sequence on a sound surface next Spring/Summer. 

Swift Escape                      4yo bay gelding                Exit To Nowhere – Vivre Aimer Rire (Cyborg)

First foal of a full sister to the smart hurdler and winning chaser Manx Royal, herself out of a half-sister to Champion Hurdle winner Hors La Loi III and Stayers’ Hurdle winner Cyborgo.  Very well-bred and looks the part, he made an encouraging debut in a bumper at Ffos Las on Sunday, travelling well and just tiring in the heavy ground up the home straight.  I am sure he will come on for that and he looks more than capable of winning a bumper this spring/summer before going novice hurdling. 

Unnamed                            4yo bay gelding                Jimble – Paraja (Doyoun)

A half-brother to a 2m3f hurdles winner, this unraced gelding is out of a mare who placed over 11f on the flat in France and is a full sister to the useful multiple winner (over hurdles and fences) Kilbeggan Lad.  His sire Jimble has produced plenty of winners over jumps, including last year’s useful bumper winner/hurdler Carpincho.  Will start off in a bumper in the spring and could be anything. 

Unnamed                            3yo bay filly                       Revoque – Jessie May (Supreme Leader)

Bought privately, this strong, good-looking filly is out of a mare who placed in a bumper, herself out of a half-sister to the dual Grade 1-winning chaser Strong Platinum, from the family of Champion Hurdle winner Gaye Brief.   I have had plenty of success with Revoque’s progeny, including Rev It Up (also out of a Supreme Leader mare) and Saved By John.  She is likely to start off in a bumper in the spring before going novice hurdling and looks sure to make her mark in mares’ company in the season ahead.

New Horses

It has been a pleasure to welcome some new owners and some potentially very exciting horses to the yard this month.

David Fox, who already has Saint Are, Our Island and Gallox Bridge with us, has very kindly sent us Tartak.  Winner of the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase at Newbury in 2010 and of a Grade 3 handicap chase at Cheltenham last January, he has plenty of form at the highest level and though he has not been at his best this season, he is tremendous addition to the yard and would be a very exciting proposition if we can get him to rediscover his form.  He has been given an entry in the Grand National and will also receive entries at the Cheltenham Festival.

Pearn’s Pharmacies have added Quadrato to their string with us.  A striking five year old gelding by Sholokov, a young sire whose progeny are doing particularly well over jumps, he finished third in a soft-ground Irish point on New Year’s day and came very highly recommended by bloodstock agent Tom Malone.

Carl Hinchy, who had Rayavadee in training with us earlier this year, has purchased Ivan Vasilevich, a very talented recruit from the flat who was rated 87 in that sphere at the end of what was a very successful 2011 season during which he recorded four victories.   He looks to have an excellent attitude and I am really looking forward to him making his hurdling debut next month.

I was delighted to welcome George Moore as a new owner to the yard and he has sent us Thelobstercatcher and Tout Regulier.  Both were useful multiple winners over hurdles and are really promising types to go novice chasing with this season.

Another new owner to the yard in January was William Thomas, who has purchased Whatshallwedo, who has already won twice for us in recent months and still looks to be on a very fair mark off which I am confident he can win in the coming weeks.

Staff

We welcomed two new members of staff to the team this month, with Chloe Ingram and Gareth Ball (who is returning to Pant Wilkin, having been with us early in 2011) both joining us from Newmarket.

Robert Kirk rode another winner this month and is now on course for his best seasonal tally, while Bradley Gibbs gained his first win of the point-to-point season when winning at Tiverton.  Matthew Barber has also been in action between the flags.

We have started the New Year with a very strong team of horses and everyone at the yard is really looking forward to the next few months – a Cheltenham success would certainly help!

 Kind regards

Tim Vaughan