Royal Windsor takes a well earned break from it's summertime employment, with September being a chance for the Royal Counties turf take a take a few weeks off. Eight races see's the start of the autumn campaign at the figure of eight track.
And what an eight races to delight the Monday afternoon crowd that ventures out before the school term resumes.
The ground having undertaken just over 11 inches of rain on it's sod's overnight, the ground classed as good to soft saw the start of it's meeting with two humdinger two year old races with horses that i'm sure we will see more of in he future.
The six furlong novices stakes saw Jeremy Noseda send his Scat daddy filly
Take me with you to post the 4/11 favorite.
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| ,'the ground would not have been to her liking today, but she has let down well and i was very confident in her'. |
The filly with only three runs under her belt, one of them a creditable three lengths third to Different League in the Group 3 Albany Stakes, looked not only a different class on the racetrack beating the rest of the field impressively by 9 lengths, but also looked in the paddock the stand out horse in a strong seven runner race.
Jamie Spenser on board with a start to a good afternoons work mentioned,'the ground would not have been to her liking today, but she has let down well and i was very confident in her.'
the trainer mentioned he though the distance ran over the 6 furlongs would be her limit, 'She dos'nt really take to the hilly ups and downs of a Rowely mile track where they have a good few good 6 furlong fillies top class races, she has few entries in good company and could possibly go over to the states during the winter, but it was good to get her out for a good bit of work today after the Albany run were she came back a little sore.'
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| Take me with you |
This filly is certainly one to note as a three year old to pick a nice type of race next summer, one certainly to note.
Not content with one good two year old to ride for the day Jamie Spenser bough home the Ed Walker's
Simpson by a length from the well backed Mark Johnson colt Go Know Go in the 1 mile three furlong Nursery.
The two year old gelding by Dragon Pulse smoothly took up the running in the final furlong to stay on well the jockey mentioning ' he really liked the ground today and stayed the trip well.'praise indeed for the gelding on his fourth outing the only unplaced race being in a close run contest at Newbury.
It will be interesting where the trainer takes this horse next, but with a show around his Kingsdown yard next week in Lambourn we may well find out. A future blog to watch out for.
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Jamie Spenser bough home the Ed Walker's Simpson by a length from the well backed Mark Johnson colt Go Know Go and thrid placed Shazzab |
An impressive double for Spencer, and not finished for the afternoon, nor that of trainer Ed Walker.
Romanor took the three year old 1 mile three furlong handicap by a neck from Richard Hannon's Lester Kris with an impressive piece of riding from the man from County Tipperary.
The Holy Roman Emperor gelding out of a Rainbow Quest mare, finished 5th from 5 runners a month back at Epsom, looked by all sorts to do the same coming around the final bend of the figure of eight, Spencer hard at work at his charge making headway from 2 furlongs out to stay on and lead inside of the final furlong.
' I didn't think he would of won until the final 100 yrs, he was a little keen in the early stages, the pace picking up at the mile pole, the ground was to his liking but he wasted so much energy in the first part of the race getting to settle, without that we may have won with a little more to spare.'
The geldings first win from eight starts may see this gelding try under rules over the winter, and again with the Ed Walker trip prominent even more detective work for yours truly to under take.
A good strong treble non the less for the jockey and a positive double for the Walker yard.
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| ' I didn't think he would of won until the final 100 yrs, ' |
Three races down in the eight race card and favorite followers saw another bookmakers shaker at 5/4 go in with
Vimy Ridge from the Alan Bailey yard making smooth progress in the final furlong to take the 5 furlong three year old Handicap by a length from Monumental Man.
The gelding by American post named after the famous world war one campaign in 1917 made it 5 wins from 54 starts under the guidance of 5 lbs claimer Josh Bryan.
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| Vimy Ridge |
'The race suited him here today, he has probably made the horses behind him look better than they are, i knew when one come to challenge we had plenty of running and was close enough to the line, but i see no reason why he can't go on from that to take another.'
The gelding now rated in the seventies was off the mark in the eighties a while back, having run and won in a few ladies amateur races. Bryan in positive form at present with 24 wins under his belt with plenty of race riding experience, the 18 year old mentioned he has had five winners now out of the Bailey yard, 'He's a pleasure to ride for and have to thank him for putting me up.'
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| 'The race suited him here today, he has probably made the horse behind him look better than they are.' |
History being made at the Royal course in the next event the three year old maiden race over the maximum distance at the course 1 mile 3 furlongs.
Royal Line trained by John Gosden and owned by HH Sheikha Al Jalila racing who has taken over more recently the famous colours for her father Sheikh Mohammed the maroon and white seen on so many legends of the game, Pebbles and Oh so Sharp to name but a few.Saw her first winner in the silks, the first time for over a decade the colours have seen a winner enclosure.
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| Royal Line |
Ridden by James Doyle who mentioned how proud he was to pull on the silks, colours he grew up watching big races said,' This horse was hard work early, he seemed to switch off, but pushing him on a few furlongs out he has gone about his work well and saw the trip out and went through the ground well enough.'
Off at 4/6,the favorite backer would not have been certain of picking up on the well bred colt by Dubawi out of a Lammtara mare, looking outpaced four out, the field coming back in the final stages saw the resilience of the colt in his inaugural running.
'He;s a nice type,' mentioned the Doyler, ' we have have to see what the handicapper gives him , i hope he is kind to us so we can have a little bit of a handicap campaign with him, but the distance suits and he would possibly want a little more zip in the ground in the future.'
Again one to watch i feel, this early Autumn meeting certainly dishing up some quality for those hardened punters out on a later summer excursion.
With still three races to come, again followers of the favorite priced horse were rewarded wih yet another winner.
5 lbs claimer Georgia Cox steered home the William Haggas 3 year old
Crushed in the 1 mile 2 furlong handicap.
The young claimer the top female in the standings at present made most of the running on the strong pulling gelding.
'The plan was to front run him, but while he was there he seemed lazy and not really wanting to go forward, it wasn't until others came to him and challenge him he decided to get down to some work.
We knew what to do with him, the boss has trained the whole family but he seemed to like this type of track.
The jockey who mentioned Windsor felt like it was going to be a bit of a voodoo racecourse for not not having rode a winner on the track said.' I can cross this one off my map i have set up with winners ridden know. Finally i can put this one to bed.'
Owned by the trainers father the gelding on his 6th outing finally gets his reward with a second victory, an unusual trip for the three year old down south, most of his placed runs throughout his career being plied to the Northern courses. The jockeys top quality 5 lb allowance helping.
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| Crushed |
The penultimate race a 3 year old one mile two furlong handicap fell into the path of the Chris wall trained
Oh It's Saucepot and ridden by the 3 lbs claimer George Wood with a good four length victory who is by one of the leading 2 year olds of 2005, Sir Percy made it three in a row for the Newmarket trainer.
The last two wins coming from headquarters and Yarmouth the trainer mentioning,' This horse is my only three timer in the yard at present, she is not the easiest to train but certainly shows her worth on the racecourse, she would not want the ground any firmer than this for sure.'
' She is the type that is learning all the time, the family is renowned for slow progression, but Mr Wall has been really patient with her and it is hoped with a break now on the cards she can come back next season as a good 4 year old.' mentioned Wood
The jockey having a good season with 30 winners looks the part and picking up the winning baton from Ted Durcan one of the seasoned jockies in the weighing room cannot be a bad thing.
Both horse and rider should be taken note of for the future and be watched with a keen eye.
Chris wall trained Oh It's Saucepot, ridden by the 3 lbs claimer George Wood.
The eight race of the afternoon went to the ever popular yard of the Hannon's as the grey three year old by Zebedee aptly called
Zebulon ran on strongly to take a 6 furlong three year old handicap.
Off know to the sales this nice type, battler of a horse with two wins from eleven starts would make a positive addition to anyone's string.
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| 'unlucky to miss out by a nose at Newmarket he is a nice sort.' mention trainer Richard Hannon |
Ridden by Sean Levey who mentioned,'He's hard work, we probably got his distance wrong in his early runs, the ground here helped but he won a firmer ground at Bath in May, but he is a tough sort for sure.'
The trainer confident he is an improving sort said,' Julie Wood bough him from myself and he was a nice foal. But he deserved that win and would be a nice buy for someone, unlucky to miss out by a nose at Newmarket he is a nice sort.'
If you like your handsome grey horses and fancy some fun at the races, this colt maybe is for you. He should progress i feel and pot a few more races in the pocket, cheque books at the ready i say.
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| Zebulon |
Fontwell over the jumps next, before we end the 2017 at Windsor when it continues with a few meetings in October.
Then not long before the pointing season starts.
All can he read and heard from MJAYPHTOGRAPHY &MEDIA
