Up against the Big Battalions

A fascinating and exciting week's racing, where despite a couple of great runs, I was reminded how hard it is to get winners in this game, when faced with the might of the Big Stables and Big Owners.

MAD MOOSE went to Wincanton to contest the very hot, Gd 1 Rising Stars Novice Chase, won in Previous years by Gold Cup Winner See More Business, Grand National Winners, Bindaree and Comply or Die and RSA Chase winner One Knight and last seasons top Novice and Aintree and Punchestown winner Wishfull Thinking.

                                                                MAD MOOSE

The ground had turned a little softer than Moose likes but he went off 4th Favourite behind Paul Nicholls' strongly fancied favourite Silvianaco Conti. I attended with my two sons and found that I was MPR's sole representative at the races, so had the pleasure of chatting to Mrs T-D and Sam before the race in the parade ring on my own. Mad Moose went off in front and put in a fine round of jumping, getting just outpaced on the slow ground when the favourite went on in the final half a mile. Moose was staying on past the tiring Kilcrea King, when that horse pulled up leaving Sam and Moose to cruise home in second place behind the easy winner. Sam came in beaming as Moose had run a cracking race on conditions that wouldn't have suited him and picked up a very healthy 2nd prize of over £6000. After the race we realised that we shared the remainder of the prize money with the winner making the prize over £9000, not bad for an afternoons work. The winner is clearly held in very high regard by the powerful Ditcheat team and currently sits 5th favourite for the RSA Novice Chase at the Festival in March.

Mad Moose is such a tough battler and absolutely fits the profile of so many of Nigel's top chasers of the past. Not quite championship class as a novice but tough and gutsy and nailed on to run in Top staying chases for a number of years to come. Given his preference for decent ground, I believe that Moose could well pick up a top race at either Punchestown or Liverpool next spring and who knows maybe a Scottish National!!! - As I've titled the Blog - DREAMS and disasters. Fingers Crossed.


That afternoon, GUAVA tried to follow up her good third place in the final day nursery on very soft conditions at Doncaster. The race didn't go her way but again she was staying on over what now looks like an inadequate 6f. It loooks like we will perservere on the AW in order to try and add some value to her but these races are becoming more and more difficult to win.

The GODOLPHIN Team seem to have chosen to clean up these late season and All weather nurseries and maidens, making it increasingly impractical and financially unviable, to run relatively cheap horses through the winter. Guava finished a fine 3rd Place at Brighton in October, picking up just £336, behind 2 horses owned by Godolphin. Given that it costs roughly £2000 per month to keep Guava racing, she needs to win at least 1 race per month to stand still and not lose all her value. The horses that beat her were ABHAATH, a 400,000 usd purchase, trained by Saeed Bin Suroor and a half brother to US Gd 1 winner Hot Dixie Chick and OSCAN, a home bred son of Street Cry and a half brother to St Leger winner Mastery and Gp 1 winner Kirklees. The winner picked up roughly £2000, clearly meaningless to the massive 'Boys in Blue' operation, but the lifeblood of the smaller owner.

To rub it in, NOT BAD FOR A BOY made his comeback on 11 November in a modest 0-75 Nursery at Lingfield, where he ran a much improved race, only to be beaten into 2nd by the Godolphin owned ASIFA, a half brother to Listed placed Maali. Again we would like to keep him on the go over the winter but unless he can win his share, costs will quickly outrun the horse's value.

Like any owner, Godolphin are entitled to run their horses, wherever they chose, my point is, that if they continue to be so active with these very well bred horses, then the decision to sell on or keep our horses, may be very different in seasons to come.


Still waiting for TRUE BLUE and BENEFIT OF YOUTH  to run, waiting for the right opportunity for both, but should be out soon. MY MOMENT will aim for Fakenham after bursting a small blood vessel at Ascot, which might explain his lacklustre run.

On the DREAMS front, this week brings the invitations to the DUBAI CARNIVAL 2012 - Watch this space for news.

Another Busy Weekend

After a quiet few days, horses entered up all over the place this weekend and early next week.


GUAVA goes again under Sean Levey at Doncaster in the 6f (0-75) Nursery on Saturday. This filly has really found her form at this level and has been really consistent since Sean has taken over on her. This is a more competitive race than her previous few, but off the same mark (66) that she was very unlucky at Kempton, must have a great ew chance. She is likely to be kept on the go over the winter unless we get an offer for her.


MY MOMENT is entered at both Sandown and Kelso on Saturday and Carlisle and Bangor next week. Quite simply decent ground and a smallish field will see My Moment at his best. Loves being in front and dictating his races, I'm sure Tim Vaughan will pick the best race for him. Up 4lb for his good win last time out, given optimum conditions, has a great chance of picking up another chase over 2m 4f to 3m.


MAD MOOSE is entered in the Grade 2 Rising Stars Novice Chase over 2m 5f at Wincanton on Saturday. Moose has been on the go since the summer and is a typical Nigel Twiston-Davies tough chaser. He is top rated but is up against a lot of very promising and unexposed Novice Chasers, including Paul Nicholls Silviniaco Conti, who chased home Cue Card, first time out. A lot of the fuss on Saturday will be about Ruby Walsh and the 'Will he or won't he ride' saga and I see that Daryl Jacob is jocked up on Saturday at Wincanton. We will hope that our boy will go out and sneak under the radar and use his experience to put these novices under pressure. The slightly shorter trip should suit better than the extended 3m at Cheltenham. It's a very big prize and well worth a go. Let's hope the weather relents so that the ground doesn't get too testing and spoil an excellent day's racing. I will be going so already getting very excited.

Next week could see two of my nicest prospects reappear, after their summer breaks at Tim Vaughan's Yard in South Wales. 

Benefit of Youth is entered in a Bumper at Carlisle on Monday. We ran him against our better judgement at the end of last season, but the ground was too firm and the horse too weak to do himself justice. Tim is convinced that we will see a different horse this season, so exciting times. Bumpers are getting much more competitive now, so no doubt there will be 3 or 4 strongly fancied. Hopeful of a promising run, whether he runs here or somewhere else in the near future.

True Blue has done well enough to earn a mention in Tim's Stable Stars on Racing UK recently. This chap was bought in Ireland after winning two point to points and finishing as highest rated 4 year old point to point horse in Ireland last year. He ran once in a bumper soon after joining Tim, but hadn't recovered from his move across the Irish Sea and has been given a complete break over the summer and is now working and schooling extremely well. Tim will start him out over 2m 4f over hurdles (entered Tuesday at Sedgefield) and holds him in high esteem amongst his novice hurdlers. Fingers crossed he could take us to Gloucestershire in March!!!!