Photo taken after recent stable visit, when members from Leeds (me), Easingwold, Newark and Mansfield called for lunch at Dick Hudsons, a pub near Ilkley Moor
Nothing on the table yet though as it had not been decided who`s turn it was to pay. !!
Can you tell from the facial expressions who drew the short straw?
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Its been a long time since we`ve been able to watch both Fill the Power and Delusionofgrandeur in action together on the magnificent Craiglands Farm gallops.
FtP`s last race was way back in May 2015 when, as a 9yo gelding, he won a decent 3ml 2f chase at Carlisle, but in doing so, somehow picked up a tendon injury…something that every owner / trainer dreads !! because tendon injuries don`t clear up overnight.
Head lad Ryan Clavin (left) on Fill the Power, and Robert Hogg on Delusionofgrandeur after a 3ml slow / fast canter on the moors.
The Smiths philosophy on such an injury has always been that time is the great healer, and so we agreed to give our 9yo gelding (at the time of his injury) as much time as necessary to recover, and consequently he missed out on the whole of the 2015 / 2016 season.
But on this beautiful, bright and breezy morning standing on the gallops, some SIXTEEN months on from the injury, our now 10yo…fast approaching 11, was hard at work over a 3ml slow / fast canter discipline, looking better than ever, and clearly proving to all those watching, he retains all his enthusiasm for the job.
As far as ability ??
That remains to be seen, but when I spoke to jockey Sean Quinlan after the 5th string had finished their work, he had no doubts on that score…indeed he was quite keen on the Eider Chase as a long term target for him.
Fill the Power looking good, with apologies from camera man for missing off Ryans helmet
He knows the horse well. He rode him to win the pre mentioned chase at Carlisle back in May 2015, and, given the right conditions, he believes the track and distance would be ideal for him.
Who am I to disagree !!
Thats for next year though. Before that, assuming he continues in fitness and good health, I`m sure Sue will be looking for decent 3ml + hcps at the likes of Carlisle or Haydock, even the many veterans chase options available with excellent prize money on offer, some of which he would be more than capable of winning.
All those gathered to watch FtP working the other day, were all in agreement that he looked in great shape, and are hoping, over the next 3 / 4 weeks he will continue to impress towards race fitness.
Sue, I know, is absolutely delighted with him, commenting he`s still a relatively lightly raced horse for his age, and there will be no one happier than her to see him in the winners enclosure again in the near future.
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DELUSIONOFGRANDEUR`s performances last season were beyond our wildest dreams, and didn`t go unnoticed by many NH racing pundits, many of whom have him in their “horses to follow” notebooks for season 2016 / 2017 as a top class chaser in the making.
With the exception of his last race of the season, his performances were outstanding. So much so, it is no surprise he caught the eye of many pundits.
That last race was not the horses fault. It was simply an error on our part to run him again so soon after his superb performance at Musselburgh when he was beaten by OOseven and Fagan, with jockey Danny Cook losing an iron on the run in, yet he still managed to recover and finish only two lengths behind the winner.
OOseven went on to finish 2nd in the Irish Novices Champion Hdle at Punchestown in April, and Fagan ran a blinder to finish 2nd in the Albert Bartlett 3ml Novice Hdl final at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
His long summer break on the moors has done him no harm at all, thats for sure.
In fact he looked magnificent in his work, and from pleasing comments made by Sue, and his work rider Robert Hogg, given the rub of the green, we`ve got a lot to look forward to this coming season with this fella.
We`re told his first race will be end Oct / early Nov, a novice / beginners chase, maybe Hexham.
In conclusion, as the NH season rapidly approaches, its that time of year again when you begin to feel the the adrenalin rush in anticipation of great things to come,so its best not to get too carried away.
Having said that, I believe there are plenty of small syndicates like ours, whose members would love to be in our shoes…ie owning shares in two potential “Saturday Chasers.”
The honourable member for Easingwold for certain is one.
Pictures will be attached to this post shortly.
