The blog is back and the reason is: I have a new horse to introduce to the Cheltenham Dream! Although, in this case and in the spirit of candor, this horse should probably be on the Sligo or Kilbeggan Dream site. Unfortunately, if I’m going to have two horses in training, the last thing I can afford is a new domain, so we are stuck with this one!
I was recently interviewed by the publisher of this blog who was looking for insight on the new horse; you can be the judge of whether he received any:
Publisher: I understand you were able to spell at Grade 9 level when you were only in Grade 3 – is that correct?
Me : A very strange question but, yes, it is one of my proudest achievements (it’s a very short list)
P: Why then would you own a horse named Suprise Package?
M: Ah, I see what you did there! I actually didn’t realize it was spelt that way until he appeared in the Racing Post. I was going to call and complain and then thought: ‘probably should check first’
P Will you be spending a small fortune to change the name like you did with Freedom to Dream (from Friska de Thaix)?
M No! I will not. I will just depend on people’s deteriorating eyesight
P What made you get another horse?
M I started to get jealous of all these owners having dispersal sales during COVID. That is now my ambition but, logistically, I had to buy another horse first. Now that I have a string of horses I can start making plans
P Hmmm…. What are your plans?
M Well Freedom to Dream is my 3 mile winter horse but he won’t be running until, probably, October. He had a tendon injury but his legs, to quote Peter, are ‘perfect’ and we are excited about him coming back. Suprise Package (how do you turn off autocorrect?) is more a good ground, 2-2.5 mile Summer horse. I figured one would be running while the other would be out at grass so that might allow me to afford to keep them before the big dispersal.
P Was Suprise Package the first horse you looked at?
M Absolutely not. This is a long answer so settle back. We started looking at the end of the summer and one Friday Peter called and said to look at a horse in a race at Dundalk; it was a claimer and we could claim Gee Rex for $15k. He won easily and we put in the claim. All claims go into a hat and it is a random draw. I never win lotteries and, sure enough, Emmet Mullins got this one.
We then turned our attention to the Sales. First of all, we targeted the ex-Godolphin Sendeed at the Goffs September sales. We set a limit of 16k and then went to 20k (good discipline, eh?) but let him go for 21k. At the November sale, we looked at Karbasann, Leylak, Alator and Shedini, all ex-Aga Khan but all too expensive for us. Of them Karbasann (will need good ground) was of most interest to me.
And then came the Point to Point sale in November…
P Tell me about that
M I watched the sale but we hadn’t picked anything out in advance. Peter called me afterwards and said to look at Lot 42; he was unsold at 18000 (pounds) but had finished 2nd in his PTP and the winner had been sold for 40000. The video was on the sales site and, to my ‘trying to be’ unbiased eye he was the horse to take out of the race. He came to win the race three out, pulling a few lengths clear jumping the 2nd last but then was slow at the last and the winner landed running and beat him 2.5 lengths. On breeding 3 miles (even in a point to point and this was a good time) is probably at the end of his stamina so, overall, he ran well. A proper summer horse.
The negotiations began; the horse was based in Wexford and we were now dealing in Euros. Peter went down and saw the horse. He had been told it was quite small but was pleasantly surprised “he’s plenty big enough”. After a bit of haggling, we settled on 18000 Euros and the horse was ours.
P Why didn’t he run at Christmas
M We entered him but it was always a long shot that he would get in. In fact, he was balloted out of three races which was good news on two fronts: he was now pretty much guaranteed a run in his next race and, secondly, he had developed a bit of a runny nose so we would probably have pulled him out anyway.
P Is he recovered?
M Yes – it was really only because he had moved yards and he wasn’t used to the ‘germs’ in the new yard. It’s the same dynamic I experience when I go to the Cheltenham festival every year: I always pick up some bug and return home with my face green and a blinding headache.
P Peter seems to be running the show these days
M I have adopted a new ‘laisser-faire’ Covid-induced relaxed ownership style. This may be a temporary phenomenon but it has lasted throughout January and has allowed Peter to decide on plans for the horse. I am fairly in the “you don’t buy a dog and bark yourself” category so I am keeping quiet. It’s a good job I trust him.
P Thoughts on his chances on Sunday?
M Well, we gave him plenty of time to recover but he is probably not as fit now as he was before Christmas. In Peter’s words “he will come on a lot for the race” . This is classic trainer speak, of course, and sits firmly in the middle of the continuum between, at one end, “ he’s a horse for the future” (and we all know tomorrow never comes) and “he’s as fit as I can get him at home (which, roughly translated means ‘he’s a fat as a pig and I have no idea why’)
The ground is probably going to be too soft as well but it will be good to get him out on the track
P So, not a betting proposition?
M I don’t think so. If you ask me Vintage Prosecco will set off in front and won’t see another horse. We will pick our way through the field and then it all depends on jumping and how tired he gets. Don’t forget “he will need the run”
P What time’s the race?
M Good question. On Tuesday it was 1.30pm and the maximum field was 13. Now, it is at 3.30pm and there are 16 runners. It would appear that Thurles racecourse has stumbled on a patch of grass it never realized was there. The biggest question is if the course will survive the forecast frost. There is an 8am inspection so fingers crossed for that.
P Thank you for your time. Any final thoughts?
M I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I also send my best wishes to that cherubic Kevin Sexton; it’s been 2.5 years since he had the privilege of wearing my colours. His patience has been rewarded!
P Thanks and I look forward to your post-race blog!