Betty Back With A Bang!!

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It’s been a hugely exciting last 10 days for the team as we sent out our first runners from our new base at Higher Crockermoor. It goes without saying I was hugely nervous but also excited to get our campaign underway.

We so nearly started with a winner at Stratford, Game Colours just getting collared with 100 yards to go in the 2 mile 6f mares maiden hurdle. Finishing a close 2nd is always irritating however it instilled plenty of confidence with more runners to come shortly.

Endless Escape ran a very solid race on her seasonal reappearance finishing 5th in a high quality £60k handicap against the boys. On decent ground back over 2 miles and a step up in grade it all happened marginally too fast for her. Back in mares company slightly up in trip she’ll be bang there. She’ll head to Sandown or Cheltenham next month.

Ri Na Cuirte with Katie leading him back into the winners enclosure at Fontwell

Ooh Betty was a star for us last season, winning 3 and being placed in graded and listed company. Life was always going to get tougher for her this season stepping back into handicap company at a decent level. Her record on seasonal reappearance the last 2 years has been poor so there’s been an awful lot of work to try and get her into decent shape to put in a solid performance and she certainly delivered. A drop back to 2 miles at Sandown was sure to suit and we felt she was on a workable mark. Apart from 2 fiddly jumping errors down the back straight, everything went very smoothly in the hands of Ben Jones. She travelled supremely well, drew upsides the leaders 2 out and quickened away smartly once shaken up over the last to score by 3 1/2 lengths. To step out of mares company and to score in a competitive Sandown handicap off a mark of 123 in the manner in which she did gave us all a real buzz!! The Gerry Feilden intermediate handicap hurdle at Newbury at the end of the month has always been my target and I’m delighted she goes there off the back of a taking performance.

Ooh Betty charging past the winning post to victory at Sandown Park

I must just thank all of my owners who have been so supportive with the move to Higher Crockermoor. The team at home are doing a fantastic job and these results are a fitting reward for everyone’s hard work. 

We are developing somewhat of a queue of horses waiting to run, however we are in desperate need of rain. When it arrives we’ll certainly be busy with plenty of runners.