Monday 2nd March, 2026

A wonderful win for Swift Jet at Doncaster on Friday in the three miles handicap hurdle.  Making all off a slow pace, Harry Bannister sensibly wound it up from the front and kept galloping all the way to the line for a fourteen length victory.  With the short price favourite falling, hopefully the handicapper won’t take too dim a view of this performance.  However we have entered him at Exeter on Friday where he would carry a seven pound penalty and will wait to see what the handicapper does to his mark tomorrow morning.

Swifty’s owners have been very patient with this son of Jet Away who is very much a staying chaser.  Hopefully we can return to chasing soon and iron out his jumping errors, after which I am sure he will benefit from the pace of a chase and a test of stamina.

Agent Argylle ran a pleasing race in a very hot novices hurdle at Newbury on Friday.  The impressive winner looks potentially very good and ‘Archie’ stayed on well up the straight having been outpaced from turning in.  He would benefit from better ground and we look forward to returning to Newbury later this month after which he will have a handicap mark.  We are sure he will improve for a summer break and is again potentially a very nice staying chaser in the making.

Manton Road runs today at Kempton in the mile handicap at 5.40pm.  This is his first run for us and he showed ability on the all-weather last year.  Sean Dylan Bowen takes the ride and hopefully we will find out more about him after today’s run.

Baron Wagstaff is declared in the mile novice stakes at Kempton on Wednesday.  Bred by Bob and Pauline Scott, this son of Ulysses has shown us ability at home although would appreciate a further trip in time.  Hopefully his enthusiastic owner Turrloo Parrett will be rewarded for the patience he has shown and we look forward to him giving us plenty of entertainment this summer.  With Kieran Shoemark stuck in Dubai, Sean Dylan Bowen will take the ride.

Thank you to all who supported our Cheltenham Memories and Fancies evening on Friday.  Our panel of Jim Old, Cornelius Lysaght and Aiden Coleman treated us to a very entertaining evening with lots of Cheltenham related stories and opinions on this year’s Festival.  Around £1000 was raised for the Hunt Family Fund and hopefully a winner or two were selected.