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MARIE'S DIAMOND
05/06/20 - NEWMARKET - Mark Johnston
With the return of racing in its infancy Marie’s Diamond produced one of the performances of his career so far. He had made a promising return in Listed company at Wolverhampton before the racing was postponed and back on his favourite ground at Newmarket, everything was was in place for another bold showing. When you employ front running tactics, there is always the fear that the jockey may get the fractions wrong and leave you there to be shot at. Thankfully we had Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle that judges the fractions to perfection and made every post a winning one. The icing on the cake was when Silvestre asked Marie’s Diamond to stretch out and go win the race, and boy did he respond. Marie’s Diamond quickly put the race to bed kicking 41/4 lengths clear of a promising Godolphin/Gosden horse. The handicapper was just as impressed as everyone else giving our colt a new career-high mark of 113. Marie’s Diamond showed what he was capable of at Newmarket and would be rewarded with a crack at the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on his next start…
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SWEET CELEBRATION
07/06/20 - NEWCASTLE - Marco Botti
Sweet Celebration had finished the year off with two wins before being stepped up in trip and class and finishing a promising fourth on her final start. For her return as a 4-year-old, she was entered in a competitive looking 1m2f race at Newcastle. We managed to secure the services of AW champion jockey, Ben Curtis, who rode her to perfection. It was muddling race with the pace starting very strong before dropping off completely mid-race. Ben manoeuvred Sweet Celebration into a great spot just off the pace. From there, they were able to pick up the leaders that faded and take the race up with 2f to go. She won despite the race not being run to suit and probably over a shorter trip than would be ideal for her, which is very exciting going forward this year.
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HOWZER BLACK
08/06/20 - HAYDOCK - Keith Dalgliesh
Howzer Black had a busy winter continuing to run on the all-weather right up until racing was postponed. He lined up at Haydock on his first start on the turf since November last year. This race was a great example of how competitive racing has been since the resumption just 2lbs on official ratings separated all 11 runners. The race was an excellent display of the talents of Callum Rodriguez who sat way off the early pace in the race at one point being detached from the field. This was all by designs, and Howzer Black (Or Howzer Blue as he was called in commentary!) sauntered past tiring rivals in the closing stages. It wasn’t all plain sailing, he had to fight off the other runner in the field that had been held up, but it was a great return from Howzer Black.
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BATCHELOR BOY
10/06/20 - WOLVERHAMPTON - Marco Botti
Batchelor Boy’s love affair with Wolverhampton continued this month when he managed to make it three wins from three runs at the course. He was favourite off top-weight to complete the hat trick. Over the minimum trip for the first time, Batchelor Boy was a little outpaced after starting well in the hands of Ryan Moore. He was shuffled backwards and had to pull out wide in the home straight to make a challenge. The further he went, the more comfortable he seemed to be and wearing the leaders down and ultimately looking quite comfortable at the line. Batchelor Boy is a horse going after his third win in six starts.
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OLEG
10/06/20 - PONTEFRACT - Paul Nicholls OBE
Oleg was making his second start on the flat at Pontefract. He won his first start very impressively at Southwell and was subsequently given a hefty 12lbs rise for the win. He shouldered that extra weight and under a patient ride from Megan Nicholls pulled well clear of the field with a Mark Johnston runner. At the end of the 2-mile contest, Oleg showed his battling qualities to get up by just a neck to win. The win brought up a double on the day for Middleham park racing and took Oleg's record on the flat to two wins from two starts in the UK. His next engagement is likely to be the Goodwood Handicap during Glorious Goodwood, won last year by our very own Timoshenko.
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EMBRACE THE MOMENT
15/06/20 - PONTEFRACT - Ian Williams
A few days after Oleg’s win at Pontefract we were back in West Yorkshire to pick up another prize. Embrace The Moment, who had been knocking on the door on her last few starts, got her head in front for the first time. She had been running well on the all-weather before racing was postponed and it was fabulous to see her transfer that form to the turf. She was delivered perfectly by Ben Curtis at the furlong pole to win in grand style. The winning margin was three lengths in the end, which is an excellent way to break your maiden. Hopefully, she enjoyed the winning feeling and can continue to progress for her connections.
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LEXINGTON DASH
20/06/20 - NEWMARKET - Richard Hannon
Lexington Dash has shown a lot of promise on his first few starts but hadn’t managed to convert that promise into a win. The enforced break worked in his favour, and we were able to give him a wind operation which we thought was holding him back. It worked a treat. Over 6f at the famous Newmarket Rowley Mile course, Lexington Dash showed his true colours. It was his first start on the turf, and it took him a little bit of time to find top gear, but once he did, he showed a blistering turn of foot. Lexington Dash pulled 3 1/4 lengths clear of a decent field in the hands of recent Ascot winner Rossa Ryan.
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GOLD ARCH
21/06/20 - WOLVERHAMPTON - William Knight
Our first runner for William Knight was a successful one. Gold Arch was one of the horses that were initially trained by David Lanigan and stayed in situe when William took over at Rathmoy Stables. It hasn’t taken William long to get to know Gold Arch as he delivered him in excellent shape to his favourite racecourse, Wolverhampton. There was an impressive last time out winner that headed the market for this 1m6f event at Dunstall Park. The pace was quite a strong one during the first few furlongs, and as a result, Adam Kirby had Gold Arch well back in the field. He made his move on the final bend, a move we are used to seeing from Kirby. The pair pulled 71/2 lengths clear in the closing stages to win in convincing style on Gold Arch’s first attempt at 1m6f.
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RIGHT ACTION
22/06/20 - THIRSK - Richard Fahey
Right Action loves to start his season with a win, and this year was no different. Unfortunately, he couldn't make his appearance in the 'Right Action' Handicap, as it should be known, at Doncaster that he has won for the last two seasons. He made up for it at Thirsk though, sitting just off the leader and picking up much the best in the final furlong. He is a stalwart for the syndicate who gives his all every time he heads to the racecourse. Tom Palin, Right Action's syndicate manager, calculated he has returned in the winner's enclosure on over 50% of his starts!
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LEXINGTON DASH
28/06/20 - NEWMARKET - Richard Hannon
Fresh from his victory at Newmarket just eight days previous Lexington Dash was storming up the Rowley Mile again. Into handicap company for the first time and with a 10lbs rise to contend with Lexington Dash was faced with a tough assignment on only his 5th start. He showed he was all class again putting a small field of quality runners to the sword winning by an eased down 3 3/4 lengths. We don’t know where Lexington Dash’s ceiling is but one thing is for sure, we haven’t hit it yet!
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VENTURA MUTINY
30/06/20 - MUSSELBURGH - Richard FAHEY
Ventura Mutiny made it third time lucky beating a well-fancied favourite at Musselburgh convincingly. Our son of Showcasing was very much learning on the job, having taken a step forward from run one to two and then showing further improvement again on his third start. Barry McHugh used Ventura Mutinys experience to his advantage leading the field from start to finish. It was the impressive turn of foot in the latter stages that showed the penny was starting to drop with our boy. Not only did he collect the winnings from the race but also a £25,000 bonus as we purchased him from the Tattersalls Book 1 sale. A brilliant day for his owners!
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2nd Places
Yousini - Newcastle
Copper Knight - Newmarket
Ventura Vision - Chelmsford
Elusive Heights - Pontefract
Alex Gracie - Lingfield
Mensen Ernst - Toulouse
Motawaafeq - Newmarket
Cityzen Serg - Kempton
Wedding Date - Windsor
Al Khabeer - Beverley
Alex Gracie - Lingfield
Ventura Ocean - Newmarket
Marie’s Gem - Redcar
Spiritofthenorth - Beverley
Wedding Date - Newmarket
Star Shield - Redcar
Tatsthewaytodoit - Thirsk
Kupa River - Thirsk
Myboymax - Chepstow
Gold Arch - Chepstow
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3rd Places
Red Bond - Newcastle
Right Action - Haydock
Double Martini - Leicester
Marie’s Diamond - Royal Ascot
Mulligatawny - Ripon
Ventura Mutiny - Redcar
Batchelor Boy - Windsor
Ventura Rascal - Doncaster
Mulligatawny - Hamilton
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ITV RACING ZOOM CALL
It’s been tough sitting at home watching our much-loved horses race without us being there to cheer them. ITV Racing recognised that owners were missing out on the big day and have tried to engage owners as much as possible during their coverage. One of the most successful ideas they have come up with is hosting various owners on Zoom calls before their horses run. This was facilitated by the Racehorse Owners Associate (ROA) who got in touch with us before the first meeting scheduled to be on ITV to ask if we would be interested in participating. We had Marie’s Diamond running on the card at Newmarket in a Listed race and so our very own Mike Prince volunteered to appear live from his home. It’s fair to say he was a hit. Helped by the Marie’s Diamond’s superb performance in the Paradise Stakes, Mike got ITV’s feature off to a brilliant start with his celebrations. The ITV team obviously liked it, and if you didn’t know better, you would have thought he was part of the ITV team he has been featured in replays that much since.
Mike was of course on hand again when Marie’s Diamond ran in the Group 1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. He even managed to dig out the top hat for the occasion! It was another brilliant from Marie’s Diamond to finish 3rd - cue the celebrations from Mike!
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Chatting with owners before and after the races has been well received throughout the industry. This article was taken from the racing post the day after racing at Newmarket.
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Owners Return To The Racecourse
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has announced that they plan to allow owners to begin attending racecourses again from Saturday, July 4th. Since racing has resumed only essential racing personnel have been allowed to attend the racecourse but the new guidelines set out by the BHA mean two owners per horse will be allowed to attend. There are strict protocols in place as there have been for any stable staff attending the races. Owners will have to complete the BHA's COVID-19 online learning module and pass a health and safety assessment before the race day. Owners will also need to complete a health questionnaire and pass a temperature check on the day of the race. Racecourse are setting up dedicated owners zones to isolate owners from racing professionals on the course. These are still very early days and trials will be held today, Wednesday 1st July, at Southwell and Kempton for owners to give their feedback on the experience. We are still a long way from the day at the races we all love but these are the first steps to get us back there.
You can read the BHA's full press release below.
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Royal Ascot
One of the highlights of the flat racing calendar, Royal Ascot, was a little bit different this year. What wasn't different was the presence of our light blue and orange silks at the Royal Meeting. We were represented on every day, which is quite an achievement in itself. We had some super performances during the week including Marie's Diamond 3rd in the Group 1 Queen Anne and Ventura Tormenta running a credible race on debut in the Group 2 Norfolk! While it must have been disappointing for our owners not to be able to attend the Royal Meeting we tried to help them enjoy the experience anyway with a special Royal runner badge and a copy of the official program. |
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RACING WELFARE
In April we brought you the story of how two of our owners Jamie Brownlow and Tony Elvin, had done some fantastic fundraising for our charity partner Racing Welfare. Over £1000 was raised from sales of the MPR Scarves and the Cheltenham Preview evening. With lockdown restriction relaxed, Jamie made the trip to Racing Welfare's headquarters to deliver the money. It was a fabulous gesture on from both Jamie and Tony that has helped push Racing Welfare closer to their COVID 19 Emergency Appeal target.
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The Racing Welfare Covid 19 Emergency Appeal is still live. Visit their JustGiving page, linked below, if you want to find out any more information or contribute to the appeal.
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Middleham Park Owners receive £25 off all Racing Breaks packages for Ascot 2021 with ‘MPR25’
We were delighted that Royal Ascot could go ahead this year albeit behind closed doors. Middleham Park Racing had a fantastic number of runners and we can only hope for a similar if not better turnout in 2021. Although you couldn't be there this year, there is no better time to get booked up for next year!
Guarantee your place in the stands and potentially, the Winner’s Enclosure with £25 off any overnight package for Royal Ascot 2021 with Racing Breaks.
Enhance your Royal Ascot experience and let Racing Breaks take care of everything for you with accommodation, racecourse transfers, a complimentary drink, tickets to the Royal meeting, plus more with just a £25 per person deposit!
Take a look at our most popular packages and redeem your offer of £25 off by clicking here.
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It's time for an update to our 100 Club!
We have compiled a list of our horses that are currently rated 100+ by Timeform.
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RAYMOND TUSK - 119
MARIE'S DIAMOND - 118
COPPER KNIGHT - 114
LEXINGTON DASH - 105
WAARIF - 105
MAGICAL WISH - 104
GLENCADAM GLORY - 102
VENTURA OCEAN - 101
RED BOND - 101
VENTURA LIGHTNING - 100
ADMIRALITY - 100
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With National Hunt racing starting up again today at Southwell here are our top 5 rated jumps horses by Timeform.
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TOP 5
RED RISK - 142 - Chase
MARIE'S ROCK - 140 - Hurdles
LEGAL HISTORY - 127 - Hurdles
PAROS - 126 - Hurdles
OLEG - 111 - Chase
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NIGHT OF THUNDER
This month, in Stallion In Focus, we take a look at one of the sires of the moment Night Of Thunder.
Every year you get one first season sire that stands out from the rest, but there aren't many sires that have started their careers at stud as well as Night Of Thunder. He has posted some unbelievable statistic for a first season sire; 63% winners to runner ratio, 54% of his runners rated over 80 and by the end of Royal Ascot 2020 he had amassed a record 12 Stakes winners for his first crop. That's more than any other stallion ever! As you can see from the graphic below he has the highest % of stakes winners to runners in his first season as well. He didn't top the class in his first season for the number of winners, that award went to Gutaifan, but it was the quality of Night Of Thunders runners that stamped him as a stallion to follow. Horses like Under The Stars and Molatham have put Night Of Thunder on the map only one year into his new career.
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Given his connections, it may surprise you to hear that Night Of Thunder was sold at public auction and not a homebred. This son of the mighty Dubawi out of a listed placed Galileo mare only fetched an amazing 32,000gns. It appears that ever since his earliest days, he has been a bit of an underdog. This theme continued throughout his racing career with his accomplishments on the track being somewhat overlooked. He went unbeaten in as a 2-year-old winning a listed event at Doncaster on his second start. As a 3-
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year-old he started on the classic trial in the Greenham finishing 41/2 lengthens behind Kingman. Night Of Thunder would get his revenge on the big stage however handing Kingman his only defeat, in the 2000 Guineas. That win was a quite remarkable achievement with Timeform rating it the best 2000 Guineas since Brigadier Gerrard had his dual with Mill Reef on the Rowley Mile in 1971. The field was packed with the winners of 17 other Group 1s including an Epsom Derby, a QE2, a Prix du Jockey Club and a St Leger. After that brilliant performance Night Of Thunder went on to place in 3 more Group 1s before getting his head in front again in the 2015 Lockinge. He definitely earned his retirement at Darley's Kildangan Stud in 2016.
As throughout his career, Night Of Thunder was underappreciated when he first appeared at stud. His fee dropped from an initial €30,000 to £15,000 in the first couple of years before his runners hit the racecourse. Judging by the number of his offspring that went through the ring in 2019 you would suggest his crop this year is lower than his first season, making quality individuals by this sire hard to come by. We are therefore, incredibly lucky to have secured two quality colts by Night Of Thunder that will be running in our silks this year.
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The first Night Of Thunder we purchased was a bay colt, now named Victorious Night. Victorious Night is out of a mare named Akuna Magic by Whipper. You may not be familiar with Whipper, he was a multiple Group 1 winner in France and has sired the likes of Lord Glitters and Recoletos. Whipper has been very
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popular in France, but his appeal hasn't crossed the Channel. It's surprising considering the top-class horses he has produced as a sire and as a damsire. Group winners Thikriyaat (Azamour), Daban (Acclamation) and Royal Ascot winner Prince Of Lir (Kodiac) are all out of Whipper mares. He's been shown to good effect with Akuna Magic as well, as she has already produced How Far a 90+ rated son of Kodiac. The Racing Post has no record of a Whipper mare having been sent to Night Of Thunder; hopefully, our colt can be a flag bearer for Whipper and Night Of Thunder progeny of the future.
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Our second colt is out of Petit Adagio, a mare by Cape Cross. Unlike Whipper mares, Cape Cross mares have been a common choice to send to Night Of Thunder. Cape Cross Mares have produced more winners than any other mares when paired with Night Of Thunder. The best of their progeny so far
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being Sun Power, trained by Richard Hannon, who has placed in a couple of Black Type races and was rated 102 as a 2-year-old. Cape Cross has been a popular and successful outcross for both Galileo and Dubawi. Given the prominence of the two super sires in Night Of Thunders pedigree, you can see why breeders have been keen to send their Cape Cross mares to Night Of Thunder. This colt has a lot going for him, not least that he has a real look of his sire. Given the way top agent Ross Doyle speaks about this horse, it looks like the Night Of Thunder/Cape Cross combination could have worked it's magic again.
The early signs suggest that Night Of Thunder is on course to be one of the top stallions of his generation. Thankfully we secured our two colts before Molatham's impressive display in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot. At the recent Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale Night Of Thunder sired the sales topper who fetched 575,000gns. We are delighted to have two smashing colts by him, and we hope they can help propel the rocket ship that is Night Of Thunders career to new heights.
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With the Breeze-up sales finally taking place this month it has been another busy month for the MPR Bloodstock team with six new additions. We've managed to secure some very exciting horses for both codes, thanks to the support from our owners. Here are the new faces for you to look out for.
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THANK YOU NEXT
No Nay Never ex Two Pass
Filly - Trained by Richard Hannon
Here’s a filly, who has it all. She is by THE sire of the moment, in NO NAY NEVER, out of a mare who has produced a black type performer already, by Zoffany. We are fans of Zoffany (the sire of our Group 1 winner VENTURA STORM) but he wouldn’t hold a candle to No Nay Never in the Stallion Stakes!
She’s from a serious family of Champions, including her grand dam, no less. This filly has the potential to be a valuable commodity to race on and/or for the paddocks, if she’s anything like she’s bred to be, once on the track.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a stronger pedigree than this No Nay Never filly’s, and she looks just the ticket for Richard Hannon to train – He has of course trained of some very talented fillies in Billesdon Brook, Sky Lantern & Tiggy Wiggy. She has a 'prowly' walk like many top-class horses do, and she even resembles a colt, on looks, given she has such strength and depth to her. She’s a fabulous mover and threatens to be top-class.
She’ll retain plenty of residual value, given her fantastic and fashionable pedigree, regardless of her performance on the track. She's a top filly with a top trainer, and she has the world at her feet.
*SOLD OUT*
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DEWEY ROAD
No Nay Never ex Celestial Dream
Colt - Trained by Richard Hannon
It's not very often, at our level, we get the opportunity to purchase a colt like this. By the superstar that is No Nay Never and from the family of two Group 1 sprinters, in Lochsong and Lochangel, this colts pedigree is out of this world. His looks match his pedigree, all speed. We have had a lot of luck with this colts consignors, Mocklershill, before having purchased our Group 1 winner Ventura Storm from them. All the stars are aligning for this colt to have a big future on the racecourse.
*SOLD OUT*
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Night Of Thunder ex Petit Adagio
Colt - Trained by Richard Hannon
This NIGHT OF THUNDER colt, has been sourced for us by the legendary bloodstock agents, Peter and Ross Doyle, who say: “This colt is in the nicest 5 or 6 colts I’ve been to view this Breeze Ups’ Season and I have seen hundreds. The ones I’d compare him with, have been price tagged at hundreds of thousands of euros.”
You can see from his breeze how fluent and fluid his movements are, in both his slower and his faster paces. He’s just the sort of individual whose genes and physique will be seen to thrive at Richard Hannon’s Herridge base. He looks like developing into a very classy miler, in time, starting off over 6f in the middle of July.
We can’t wait to crack on with him, and we’d love to believe we can be cheering him home, and into the winners’ enclosure, in a matter of weeks. In the USA, Breeze Up sales are called “ready to run sales” and that’s precisely what this fabulous, and we think, value colt, represents.
You can find more details about this colt on his page on our website link below.
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PAROS
Masterstroke ex Soft Blue
Gelding - Trained by Nicky Henderson OBE
Bloodstock agents, Peter and Toby Jones, who are based in the South West of France, have found what they believe is a TOP-CLASS, French 3yo hurdler for us, whose price tag represents outstanding value compared with normal market prices, and affords MPR the opportunity to access a totally different league of horse than they’ve previously been able to offer us. In any normal year, he would have been snapped up by GB agents, for €400,000 or €500,000; that’s generally what top-class French horses sell for, as a private sale.
The horse they have sourced for us, here, represents a quite exceptional opportunity, wildly beyond anything we’ve been able to offer before at Middleham Park. The horse in question is the once raced, winning, hurdling debutant PAROS.
He sauntered home in his only race to date at Dieppe by a comfortable 2 lengths, jumping for fun and sprinting clear in the straight to win his 3yo hurdle. His current connections have been telling Peter and Toby since January, that he is a future Champion Hurdle horse, well before the horse even set foot on a racecourse. With the jumps season just around the corner we are delighted to have him in our silks!
You can find more details about Paros on his page on our website link below.
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Mehmas ex Walaaa
Colt - Trained by Richard Hannon
As with yearling sales, at the breeze-ups, you are looking for a horse with a good attitude, good conformation and size with the bonus of seeing them breeze. When a horse gets a tick in all of those boxes, and they post one of the fastest breezes of the day you know you're on to one. In this colts case, he didn't post one of the fastest breezes...he ran THE FASTEST breeze, and we are lead to believe his numbers we're some of the best ever seen at the Tattersalls Craven Sale!
He is by the sire tipped to be leading first-season sire at the end of the year and although his pedigree is not that deep (it's never stopped us before) he has the scope to improve his pedigree. His time and attitude suggest he is ready to roll as soon as he has a name (Naming Rights Available). This colt could easily be top draw material!
You can find more details about this colt on his page on our website link below.
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Noble Mission ex Poster Girl
Filly - Trained by Marco Botti
Not every Breezer is bred to post record times at the sales, and unearthing a good horse requires all the pieces to align. In the case of this filly, we think we've cracked the breeze-up puzzle. She's by Noble Mission, who like his brother Frankel, has been passing on plenty of stamina to his progeny. With that in mind, you wouldn't expect a particularly quick breeze, but this filly posted a very respectable time. If you watch her breeze back, she doesn't appear to have her full attention on the job in hand as her big gorgeous ears are everywhere but pinned back.
We think there is plenty more ability to unearth with this filly, and there are few better trainers for a filly of this profile than Marco Botti. She is definitely a filly to watch out for later in the season and into her 3-year-old career.
You can find more details about this filly on her page on our website link below.
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We are at the joint Goffs and Arqana Breeze Up sales this week, keep an eye on our social media and website for any new exciting purchases!
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One of our owners, Keith Osborne, has been working behind the scenes at Newbury Racecourse during this period of 'Behind Closed Doors' racing. Keith has very kindly written this article to give us all an insight into the new protocols and racing without spectators.
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So, racing is back with us, albeit behind closed doors. However, it is the first step to us, eventually returning to normality. My role at Newbury prior to lockdown involved working in the Weighing Room, so I had an inkling that maybe I would be one of a small team required to help with the resumption at the three-day event 11th-13th June at Newbury.
I am delighted to say that proved to be the case and then of course, began the process of procedures that needed to be followed before attending the event. The first thing was to complete an on-line Covid-19 awareness course with Racing to Learn, then we were required to do health questionnaires and personal details forms. We were also sent a detailed briefing pack, containing all the information about changes and procedures to be followed on the day.
On arrival each day we had to have a temperature test, (a high reading would mean being sent away), plus answer the questions around symptoms and exposure to Covid-19 and produce ID. Again, this was a full pass required to gain entry.
Thankfully, I passed all requirements and made my way to the Weighing Room to be fully briefed on my role and the wearing of appropriate PPE, where necessary. My first impressions were of the attention to detail and the hard work Newbury had put in to make it a safe place. Some of the changes as follows:
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- Social Distance Markers
- One-way entrance and exit
- Extra Changing Rooms
- Drop of points for colour bags to valets and collection after the race
- Pick up points for Saddles/number cloths prior to the race
- Declarations already done on line
- Hand Sanitiser stations
- PPE Equipment
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My role remained much the same as normal, in that I still had to manage the system of getting jockeys out on time and liaising with Clerk of the Scales on the Weighing-in requirements, ensuring that jockeys were made aware of who would be required to weigh when they returned.
Due to the changes I no longer had to physically take colour bags into the Valets, or collect them afterwards. However, an extra duty was collecting the number cloths from jockeys as they returned after each race, so lots of hand-washing for me after each race.
It was certainly different and was eerily quiet with attendance strictly limited and it took some getting used to, however over the three days it generally went well.
It was great to be back on the racecourse and there were some wonderful races and a few surprises, such as the 200-1 winner, equalling the longest odds winner in the history of racing, (surely a future MPR quiz question in the future)
I am back for two meetings in July and one in August and expect the procedures to be similar, although there may be a few tweaks from the learning following this first event.
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Thank you to Keith for writing this very interesting article.
Keith has been volunteering his time during the lockdown, providing mental health support for our NHS staff. A big thank you must go to Keith and all of our owners, who are key workers, who have kept the country going during this challenging period and continue to do so.
Thank You, from all of us at Team MPR
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New names for our horses are coming through all the time. Here is a list of the latest fabulous names to be registered.
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THE ROSSTAFARIAN
Starspangledbanner ex Via Lattea colt - Hugo Palmer
The Rosstaffarian was named by Daniel Bedson in loving memory of his friend Ross.
DEWEY ROAD
No Nay Never ex Celestial Dream colt - Richard Hannon
Dewey Road was named by Peter Cooper after where he lives.
KAYFAST WARRIOR
No Nay Never ex Stranded colt - Tom Dascombe
Kayfast Warrior (pictured) was named by Andrea Hartley after her hardware business Kayfast.
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THANK YOU NEXT
No Nay Never ex Two Pass filly - Richard Hannon
Thank You Next was named by Steven Rocco after the popular Ariana Grande song of the same name.
VENTURA DIAMOND
Dandy Man ex Shehila filly - Richard Fahey
Ventura Diamond was named by Keith Denham.
VICTORIOUS NIGHT
Night Of Thunder ex Akuna Magic colt - Richard Hannon
Victorious Night (Pictured) was named by Matt Paine after his son, Kyle, whose name in Gaelic means Victorious.
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Under The Radar
Sweet Celebration - Marco Botti
She made a winning return over an inadequate trip at Newcastle. She is more effective over further and back up in distance she could be a horse to follow.
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1. Email Charlotte with the name of your friend, their email address and telephone number and the share that they would like to purchase.*
2. We will take care of the paperwork with your friend.
3. Once the signed paperwork is received, your owner's account will be credited with £100!
*The share purchase must be for a minimum of 2.5% in any horse currently available on our website and the person must be new to MPR.
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The new normal - A masked Callum Rodriguez celebrates a win on Howzer Black.
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MEET MPR OWNER
RUSSELL DIX
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Hi There, my name is Russell Dix and my wife is Marie, we have 2 grown up daughters and 2 granddaughters, the youngest we have yet to meet as she was born during lockdown. We have lived in Wells, Somerset for the last 4 years (15mins from Paul Nicholls Ditcheat yard) having returned from Asia in 2016 (Malaysia/Philippines) where I worked for HSBC.
Outside of Racing, my main hobbies are the family and our Retriever/Labrador cross Vinnie who was bred by Guide Dogs For The Blind and who we re-homed having previously puppy walked for the organisation.
My father was an electrician by trade and I was brought up in a small village in South Wales midway between Cardiff and Newport and it was very much my father who introduced me as a teenager to the delights of NH Racing (Point To Pointing), with most Saturdays and Sundays during the season travelling all over South Wales and the West Country – I loved it and my passion for all things horse racing has never left me.
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My first venture into share ownership was with William Muir in Lambourn, with a horse called Siouxperhero (out of a stallion called Sleeping Indian), he won a few times up to 6f and really whetted my appetite for ownership which led to me to all things MPR and a share in Heros Creek with Ben Pauling back in 2017.
Whilst my main passion is still very much NH as I currently have horses in training with Nicky Henderson (El Kaldoun &
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Father John), Paul Nicholls (Dogon, Get The Appeal, Oleg, Red Risk & Glajou) and David Pipe (Legal History & Crossing Lines), I have expanded my portfolio to include flat horses with Richard Hannon (Ventura Tormenta) and Richard Fahey (Ventura Diamond) and to be honest I would have a lot more with the MPR family if finances allowed!
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My most memorable racing day’s to date would have to be Legal History’s victory at Ascot back in March 2019, when he “hosed” up in the Class 2 Colts & Fillies Juvenile Handicap Hurdle with Tom Scudamore on board, he just cruised into contention coming round the home bend and won with his head in the chest! I would also have to include Ventura Tomenta’s debut at Royal Ascot this year; finishing 6th on his debut in the Norfolk Stakes!
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To have a runner at the meeting is stuff dreams are made off and whilst unable to attend, there is always next year to look forward to!
My racing dream would have to be the Cheltenham Festival, to have a winner at the spiritual home of NH would mean everything, as this is something my father often talked about when I was growing up, ownership and what it would mean to be standing alongside your horse in the winner's enclosure!
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Thank you for sharing your story with us Russell, best of luck with all of your horses you look like you are going to be very busy when the National Hunt Season starts up again!
Stay safe everyone
and best wishes from the MPR team.
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