News & Updates
Keep up to date with all the news from McGoldrick Racing!
Blaster Yeats, Excuses for his first run at Wetherby on 30th Oct, where after an extended break, was running well, but got in a tangle with three other horses 3 from home, causing him to lose his promising position, leaving DC no other option than to accept his chance had gone. Shame, because he was going well. Subsequent races at Hexham and again at Wetherby 18th Nov and 5th Dec over 2mls and 3mls respectively, were disappointing. (unsuitable distances) But on Boxing Day, again at Wetherby, when much was in his favour, we saw the REAL Blaster run an excellent race in defeat. After an excellent ride from Ryan Mania, Blaster took the lead on the run in, but was just beaten on the line by a horse that had been backed from 25/1 down to 5/1, and connections, not surprisingly, were hauled in front of the stewards to explain the winners vast improvement in form. No further comment….except to say we look forward to Blasters next race. NORTHERN PHOENIX Our replacement for Becky the Thatcher. Still unraced, and well on the way to race fitness in early December when work riders reported the dreaded “noise” when Phoenix was doing
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I plead guilty as charged mi lud to my dereliction of duty for not keeping my small but loyal band of members / followers up to date with news of our three horses, Blaster Yeats, Romeo Brown and our yet unraced Northern Phoenix. So apologies to all, and here we go with an update. The last 10 months can only be described as horrendous…in fact the worst 12 months since McGoldrick Racing was formed in 2009…no doubt a comment which would also apply to many hundreds of thousands of other businesses. The desperate state of the UK and its impossible problem of how best to manage Coronavirus affected every industry in the Country. However, on June 1st 2020 Racing was reinstated, albeit behind closed doors, and from then onwards, the industry, to its great credit has somehow managed to limp along and help provide a package that has kept ALL concerned happy and in a position to be able to keep going. The situation at that time left us with Romeo Brown and Blaster Yeats turned out for the summer, and on the look out with Micky Hammond for a replacement for our beloved and much missed Becky the Thatcher,
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After a 315 day enforced lay off due to a minor tendon injury, it was great to see Blaster back in action again at Sedgefield in a very competitive 2ml 4f hcp hurdle. Lord knows whose money it was that saw him backed down from 6/1 to 7/2 jt fav at the off, though, as things turned out, the money might well have turned out to be well invested, had it not been for an equine traffic pile up in the back straight, second time around. At this point of the race, DC was going well on Blaster as they moved into 4th place, when, as they approached and jumped the 8th. hurdle, our fella, as he had done at the first hurdle, jumped markedly to the left and into a pack of four other horses. As a consequence of this coming together, Blaster was hampered, DC had to rein him back, and, in the blink of an eye, we went from near the front to nearer the back, and, in my opinion, whatever chance of winning we may have had, disappeared as a result. Lots to like about Blaster though, and whilst we have to be mindful of these
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You will be able to read a more comprehensive history of how we acquired our latest 4yo chestnut gelding NORTHERN PHOENIX, as well as being entertained for over three minutes by a fantastic rendition of Nessun Dorma. Click on horse photo below ..the shows about to start !! Once you have read the story, I can say there are still 30% of shares still available, with a minimum involvement of 10% COSTS A 10% share will cost a one off sum of £800 15% share ” ” ” ” ” ” £1200 Monthly all inclusive training cost…. which means all inclusive will cost £275 pcm per 10% share Any interested party should contact Richard, thats me 0n 07958 551089
Read more →Its been many months of essential hibernation for myself, this website, and literally millions of horseracing lovers throughout the UK and beyond, but, thankfully we are racing again, albeit in a very much diluted form as far as the Industry is concerned. Its a start though, and providing current restrictions achieve their aim, plans are in place, to slowly but surely, get us back to something like normal. With this in mind, every NH Trainer in the UK, especially our trainers, Sue Smith, Micky Hammond and Phil Kirby, are going full steam ahead, in the hope that come the end of September / beginning of October, thousands of horses will be fit and ready to race at the commencement of the 2020 / 2021 season….which I have always believed begins each year at the Chepstow meeting, this year scheduled for Saturday October 10th. So its about time , our small, but select band of followers, should be brought up to date with whats been happening within McGoldrick Racing. I have to begin with the loss of Becky the Thatcher and how difficult it has been to fill the yawning gap she left within the Hammond yard….They all loved her…none more
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So desperately sad to report that our beautiful 7yo mare Becky the Thatcher has been put down as a result of a recurring problem involving displacement of her colon. No need to go into great detail, except to say we all knew Becky had not been performing to her usual high standard this season, and was being treated for colic and colitis. Eventually, after being diagnosed with having a displaced colon, Becky was operated on, but shortly afterwards her colon flipped through 180 degrees again, and we knew we were in trouble. The situation was discussed with Phil Cramp, Chief Vet at Hambleton Equine Clinic, and, because Becky was in constant pain, the advice was either further surgery with major risks, or to have her put to sleep. Becky proved to be the ideal horse for a small syndicate such as McGoldrick Racing. Always did her best as her stats will forever show. Total runs under rules 43 (22 flat..21 hurdles) wins SEVEN, 2nds ELEVEN, 3rds ONE a 44% win and place ratio to runs. Her earnings grossed at £57, 831, to which a further £5,000 can be added for her winning the Pontefract Stayers Championship 0f 2018.
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After all the disappointments of Romeos last five races 14th of 15…fell…fell…5th of 6….pulled up, it was extremely encouraging to see Romeo running a half decent race on Newcastles last minute arranged Bumper / Jumper card on Friday 21st Feb. I had seen the card, as had our member from Keighley, and both were of the same opinion that it was worth having a look. Great minds thought alike in this case as Phil Kirby had also pencilled in Romeo for one of these Bumper races as an excellent way of beginning the upward curve in Romeos performances members were desperate to see. And it worked out very well, as on a cold, wild and windy afternoon with hardly any racegoers present, and not even the big screen vehicle in attendance, Romeo raced enthusiastically to finish a highly respectable 2nd, beaten one length by an unfancied 16-1 Rebecca Menzies gelding, which, cometh the day, won`t be beating us again. The race I`m sure will have done Romeo a lot of good, and members too. Sean Quinlan was also delighted with the run, as was Phil Kirby who, after watching the race at Huntingdon where he also had runners, phoned to
Read more →Back in October 2019, all members were eagerly looking forward to the season ahead with Romeo Brown and Becky the Thatcher having flown the flag big style for us in the previous season. Add to that the addition of Blaster Yeats, who looked a shrewd purchase, giving us three horses to start the current 2019 / 2020 NH season. Fast forward to today, the 4th Feb 2020, and yours truly plus members are completely shell shocked and left wondering just how much worse can things get. Why ? read on…. Becky started the ball rolling with a nice 5th of 16 opening effort at Wetherby on 16th Oct `19 over a distance (3mls) which we suspected would test her stamina. Next day Romeo Brown ran a blinding first race of the season at Carlisle when a fast finishing second over 2ml 4f which augured well for the season ahead. Three days later, our new kid on the block Blaster Yeats ran his first race under rules at Sedgefield in a 2ml Maiden event at Sedgefield, finishing a very promising 4th of 12. Blaster then went on improving by running an excellent 3rd on 8th Nov at Hexham and an
Read more →CATTERICK THURSDAY 9th JAN 2020 With his latest 3 form figures reading OFF its not surprising the majority of us were just hoping for a clear round from Romeo Brown on his first visit to Catterick. Sean Quinlan was booked to ride. Earlier on in the week, Phil Kirby had said ..(his yard is only 2mls from Catterick Racecourse) that the ground was drying up fast and he would consider not declaring Romeo unless there was rain, Good to Soft would be perfect he said. Well Phil got his rain, a real deluge overnight, which, as a result, caused the Stewards to change the going to Soft. However, jockeys in earlier races were describing the ground as “horrible” and consequently, when the final race on the card was about to be run….Romeos race, with the ground churned up and now worse than horrible, my thoughts went back to the mudbath at Wetherby on the 2nd Nov `19 when a miserable and dejected Romeo trailed in 14th of 15 on ground barely raceable. Not quite as bad at Catterick, but bad enough for members present to have serious doubts about the prospect of a big race from Romeo. True enough, the
Read more →December 2019 is proving to be an extremely frustrating month for myself and members of McGoldrick Racing. During October and November, things had got off to a steady, but promising enough start. Romeo Brown began his season with a very promising 2nd of 8 at Carlisle on the 17th Oct, finishing like a train to get within a length of the winner, only to get bogged down in a mud bath next time out, on the 2nd Nov at Wetherby finishing a very tired 14th of 15. Lesson learnt…we won`t be subjecting Romeo to such testing conditions again…ever !! After a short rest for Romeo to recover, we found a nice opportunity at Haydock on the 4th December. Quite well fancied, and with Thomas Dowson on board for the first time, we were optimistic of success. Our optimism was soon shattered however when Romeo tried to paddle through the 3rd hurdle and fell. It was a soft fall, but nevertheless, the word frustration came into use, and not for the only time either, as events over the days ahead would prove. Becky the Thatchers first two starts of the season were respectable enough, so we went to Carlisle on
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