Monday 12th February, 2024

Picanha ran an excellent race at Newbury on Saturday to finish fourth in a competitive contest.  He was a bit keen early on having been off the track for nearly two years but he jumped well on the whole and travelled into the race strongly in the straight before getting a little tired after the last on the holding ground.

Thanks to a great team effort, he looked in wonderful condition in the preliminaries and it was pleasing for all to reward Lizzie Prowting’s enormous patience since his last run.  We look forward to schooling him over fences and making up for lost time and giving Mrs P some more exciting days to look forward to.

Sun Tracker was not suited by the very slow pace at Wolverhampton on Saturday evening.  Liam Keniry reported that although he ran well at the track on his debut for us, he failed to settle well enough in such conditions and we will look for a more galloping track such as Kempton before a summer turf campaign.  We may well run him in a hood to help him settle and I am sure he will be successful once conditions are in his favour.

The ground at Exeter yesterday was pretty dreadful thanks to heavy overnight rain and I am not the only trainer regretting running our horse in the bumper.  Swift Jet has worked nicely at home on the all-weather and I am sure on better ground and over hurdles and fences he will show his true ability.

There was a great atmosphere at Exeter yesterday and it was splendid to see so many students in attendance in the middle of the course.  All of whom appeared to take a great interest in the racing itself and hopefully the sport will have plenty more future fans thanks to such initiatives.