Monday’s biggest story was a statement from Gordon Elliot saying one of his stable stars Gerri Colombe has been ruled out for the season. He disappointed on his seasonal debut back in November at Down Royal behind Envoi Allen. Elliot said he hoped the horse would be back in the Autumn. Lets hope so! Newmarket trainer Amy Murphy also announced she was leaving Newmarket completely and relocating to France to train, where she has had a satelite yard previously. Not surprisingly she blames prize money as the reason. On the track it was a very low key start to the week. Punchestown saw Vanillier land a punt for Gavin Cromwell in the Cross Country race under Keith Donoghue. Returning the 9/4 favourite, having been as big as 8/1, he came home 18 lengths clear and is now 12/1 best priced for the Cross Country race at Cheltenham. Also on Monday I noticed that the long standing owner under both codes, Eric Brook, had the last winner at Southwell to compliment the last winner at Musselburgh the previous day. Harper Valley and Edgewell, both trained by Rebecca Menzies, were great results for the owner who also has horses in training with Mick Easterby and BIll Turner among others. Owners like this are the backbone of racing. Congratulations from the Major.
Ben Jones brought up 50 winners for the season on Hardy Fella in the staying handicap hurdle for Emma Lavelle at Market Rasen. Irish trainer Mick Halford announced his retirement on Tuesday after 41 years in the job. His record includes Group 1 wins and Royal Ascot winners along the way. The ex amateur jockey was most recently training in partnership with Tracey Collins and over the years his patrons included HH Aga Khan and Sheik Mohammed. The Major wishes him well in retirement.
On Wednesday morning we woke up to the sad news of the passing of one of the most influential owner-breeders ever. HH Aga Khan died aged 88. There will be many tributes paid and quite rightly, he was a giant of the game. He will always be most associated with his first Epsom Derby winner Shergar in 1981, who later went off to stud in Ireland and mysteriously dissapeared. Lots of views as to what happened to the horse but not many people will know the truth for sure. His other Derby winners in England were Shahrastani, Kahyasi, Sinndar and Harzand as recently as 2016. His first trainers in England were Michael Stoute and Fulke Johnson Houghton. In 1989 his Oaks winner Aliysa was disqualified for testing positive for a banned substance post race and the Epsom classic was awarded to the Henry Cecil trained Snow Bride ridden by Steve Cauthen. The Aga Khan never forgave this decision and eventually removed all his horses trained in the UK. Stoute and Cumani lost out the most in the numbers game at the time. In 1995 he returned some horses to the UK to be trained, but lightening struck twice when in 2000 two Cumani inmates owned by HH again tested positive in similar fashion as before, and all 30 horses trained by Cumani were removed. He remained loyal to Stoute but his horses were now predominantly based in France and Ireland.
Over the years he achieved widespread success with 8 French Derbys, 6 Irish Derbys, 4 Arcs, 3 King Georges and 3 Breeders Cup winners. In total he owned 161 Group 1 winners. In 2013 over in Ireland John Oxx was told he would not recieve any yearlings for the following year and this left Dermot Weld as the main trainer outside of France. It is perhaps fitting that Weld trained the Aga Khan’s last British classic winner, when just last June at Epsom Ezeliya took the Oaks under Chris Hayes. RIP.
Thursday saw more bad news; Michael O’Sullivan was airlifted to hospital in Cork after a bad fall at Thurles in the second race. The remainder of the card was abandoned. Doncaster fell to the weather unfortunately. Roll on Spring. On the track at Huntingdon the Listed Sydney Banks Memorial Novice Hurdle went to Califet En Vol for the Sevenbarrows team of Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville. The following race was a Listed Mares Chase and this went to the Lucy Wadham trained Telepathique, who saw off Irish raider and favourite Brides Hill, under Tom Cannon.
On Friday there were three winners at Southwell for Rossa Ryan and Tony Carroll, including Init Together, who chalked up his fourth success on the bounce in 2025. Humam looks an improver for Andrew Balding, who took the six furlong handicap under Hayley Turner. Lingfield saw the Listed Tandridge Stakes go to Tyrrhenian Sea for Roger Varian and Jack Mitchell. They saw off the 4/9 favourite, Maljoom, by over two lengths.
Kempton’s jumps card included two winners for Chris Gordon’s yard with Andashan taking the 2 mile maiden hurdle by 18 lengths. He was also successful in the second division of the bumper with debutant Bold Action, who made all under Freddie Gordon. Venetia Williams won the first race on the Kempton card and also had a double at Bangor on Dee, including Laskalin, who took the North Wales National under Lucy Turner.
There was an abundance of good racing on Saturday. At Newbury the Grade Two Game Spirit Chase threw up a surprise when Master Chewy reversed the form with the second Liberty Hunter from December at Cheltenham. Trained by Nigel and ridden by his son, Sam Twiston-Davies, the yard also provided the favourite Matata, who finished back in third. The other Grade Two Denman Chase 35 minutes earlier was taken easily by Djelo for Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch. The 6/4 favourite saw off two Nicholls’ trained horses, Hitman and Bravemansgame. The William Hill Hurdle, known to many of a similar age to myself as the Schweppes, is always a difficult handicap to win. This year’s race rather reversed the trend when Joyeuse for Henderson and de Boinville bolted up by 8 lengths, with its head in its chest.
Over at Warwick the Listed Hurdle threw up another surprise as Royale Margaux, trained by Tom Symonds, took the honours. It was hard on Jamie Snowden and Johnny Burke, as their runner You Wear It Well was a length clear when falling at the last flight. The Kingmaker Grade Two Novice Chase was a match according to the betting, and the 1/5 favourite L’eau Du Sud obliged poignantly in the colours of John Hales, who had passed away the previous week. The Skeltons are heading for the Arkle with the winner.
The lesser lights of Uttoxeter’s card saw Danny McMenamin and Nick Scholfield ride two winners each. On the all-weather up at Newcastle, Jason Watson rode the first two winners, both trained by Andrew Balding. Over the water the first foal of Apples Jade hit the racecourse for Gordon Elliot. Named Apples Jane, she was beaten by stablemate Eternal Echo in the bumper.
Staying in Ireland with Navan on Sunday we had two Grade 2 races and a Listed Novice Hurdle. The Listed Mares Novice Hurdle named after Apples Jade was won by Tareze, trained by Henry De Bromhead and ridden by Darragh O’Keefe. She led going to the last and won an easy 8 lengths from the Noel Meade trained Blue Mosque. The Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle was taken bravely by the Gordon Elliot trained and Danny Gilligan ridden Maxxum. He looked beat when the favourite, Thedevilscoachman loomed up to challenge but to his credit he stuck it out well for a brave victory. The Grade 2 Novice Chase went to another Elliot inmate Better Days Ahead ridden by Sam Ewing.
The Listed Novice Hurdle on the card at Exeter went to the Olly Murphy trained Fingle Bridge. Sean Bowen, his pilot, made this a true test pressing on two out and staying on strongly to defy the jolly old favourite Regent’s Stroll by two lengths. In the previous heat on the card a Listed Mares Novice Chase over 2 miles we saw Only By Night claim the prize. This Irish raider trained by Gavin Cromwell and ridden by Keith Donoghue looks an improver.
It’s been a funny week with some good racing but some sad stories to share too. The Major hopes for positive news about Mikey O’Sullivan.