Latest News

John & Zoe Webster's VEEJAY - A winner at Ripon yesterday afternoon

A TUESDAY DOUBLE AT RIPON THANKS TO VEEJAY & FITZWILLY

A two year old on an upward curve and a return to winning ways for an old campaigner yesterday as John & Zoe Webster's VEEJAY and Peter Taplin's FITZWILLY made the long trip north very much worth the effort.

Yesterday was VEEJAY's third victory in only five career starts and the son of Approve remains the most admirable of competitors. Off of top weight under Graham Lee, VEEJAY made all in the Class 4 mile nursery and was pressed all the way up the home straight but kept finding more and more to win by a neck from Poet's Dawn who was the last to throw down a challenge.

The 11/8 favourite has made grinding things out something of a trademark in his short career to date and always hints that there is plenty left to come - a fact not missed by the boss who couldn't be happier with a charge who makes his job a joy.

"There's not a weakness to this lad who just wants to get on with things and has a real desire to compete. He held them all off yesterday and he's shown in all of his runs how game he is. 

"Ripon's undulations can unbalance a two year old but not this one and he's improving all the time. You can forget his previous run at Goodwood, the only time he's been out of the frame because he got stuck, bumped and brushed aside on the rail and had no luck in running so it was good to see him put that right yesterday.

"He's on the up and will go up from his mark of 84 as a result but I can't see that stopping him in the short term because, like I say, there's bags more to come. I wish I had a yard full of horses like him."

On the other side of the coin, Peter Taplin's FITZWILLY has gone almost two years without getting his head in front and at long last the handicapper has relented and the seven year old son of Sixties Icon took the Class 6 stayers handicap under David Egan in fine style.

He produced a sustained run down the centre of the course in the final stages of the two mile contest to emerge a three length victor over Jan Smuts with the rest a long way in arrears to record a sixth career victory.

"We had to up the fuel bill to get his head in front again! Pete loves having runners at his local tracks down south but yesterday was too good an opportunity to pass up and I'm glad that he's come good again.

"It was only a matter of getting some help from the handicapper and it would be good to think he can go in again now because that will do his confidence no harm at all.

"He's a wonderful old boy who always gives his best. He just bumped in to a progressive Mark Prescott horse to finish second last time at Lingfield but although there were better fancied three year olds up against him yesterday, he did that in convincing fashion to confirm that he's in good nick once again so it was a good day all round."

Jon & Sophie Mitchell's TRICKSY SPIRIT and John Egan return to the winner's enclosure after yesterday's success

TRICKSY SPIRIT & MAKSAB MAKE IT A SATURDAY DOUBLE

A pleasing day yesterday saw an across the card juvenile double with TRICKSY SPIRIT impressing at Goodwood and MAKSAB showing immense tenacity to prevail at Newmarket.

First up was Jon & Sophie Mitchell's TRICKSY SPIRIT who had a frustrating introduction to the game. Both her previous starts came at Newmarket and whilst she could be forgiven for greenness getting the better of her on debut, Mick was seething with himself for running her on soft ground second time up.

At Goodwood yesterday though everything fell in place and the daughter of Lethal Force took the six furlong fillies' novice auction stakes under John Egan in fine style. Held up in last she was produced with a run two furlongs from home and extended away in the closing stages on the sounder surface to bring both delight and relief to her trainer.

"That was great and she did it like a filly with a future. I blame myself for last time because she's a lovely type with a great attitude. The ground was dreadful last time we ran her and I shouldn't have disappointed her like I did. That said though we've got something to look forward with her because she's far from the final product at this moment in time. 

"She's got size and scope and plenty of good days ahead."

Less than an hour later over at Newmarket, Mohammed Al-Qatami & Khalid Al-Mudhaf's MAKSAB made it two wins from four starts in his juvenile campaign under an inspired Silvestre de Sousa.

The son of Makfi lined up in the Group 2 Superlative at the July Course on his last outing and yesterday's seven furlong Class 3 nursery was a significant drop in grade that was fought out in thrilling fashion.

Always prominent, MAKSAB, Tadleel & Finsbury Park locked horns well over a furlong out and it went right down to the wire with MAKSAB just edging it by a nose on the line ahead of Makleel with Finsbury Park only a neck further back. It was a nervous wait for the result of the photo but it eventually went the way of a relieved trainer.

"That was a great race and Silvestre was at his very best to get him up because it didn't look like our race in real time. MAKSAB is a smashing individual with a great presence about him and although we over pitched him last time in group company, he's no mug.

"He's won that off top weight and he's probably a little better that his rating of 83. That's for the handicapper to decide but he'll keep improving and keep winning races. He's the type whose mentality will ensure he fulfils his potential and it'll be interesting to see how good he'll become."

MRC's PATTIE (Nearside) - A winner at Chepstow yesterday afternoon

PATTIE RECORDS SECOND CAREER VICTORY UNDER DE SOUSA AT CHEPSTOW

A frustratingly lean time of late and whilst they're not bang out of form in terms of being competitive, the winners are hardly storming in so it was good to see Mick's homebred PATTIE get her head in front yesterday at Chepstow under Champion elect Silvestre de Sousa.

A full sister to Harrison, PATTIE has proven to be more effective over a mile than her sibling who has thrived with a step up to middle distances. SDS was very much at the forefront of that decision and he gave her a superb ride in yesterday's Class 5 fillies' handicap.

Taking their time in behind, PATTIE was produced with a run two furlongs from home and extended away from them inside the distance to record a three parts of a length victory over Here's Two with Mia Cara a further half length in arrears.

This was a decent top weight performance against some elders and Mick is looking forward to embellishing her record in the weeks to come.

"This season has been something of a learning curve for us because we spent the first half thinking she'd be a middle distance horse. She'll certainly get further than a mile but for now, as long as there's a decent pace on, a mile fits the bill.

"She's mine and will make a lovely broodmare so I'm very much looking to add to her win tally. I'll probably keep her in training at four because, like HARRISON, she'll get better at four and we'll see where we go from here."

Delight for Theresa Burns's SANTORINI SUN at Sandown this evening

SANTORINI SUN MAKES A WINNING DEBUT AND WHITELEY DOUBLES HER CAREER TALLY

We're having a decent time of things at present and the two year olds are really starting to thrive. After TRUMPS UP, JAZEEL and HELVETIAN in the past few days, Thursday saw SANTORI SUN make a winning debut on debut at Sandown in the hands of Charlie Bishop and in the colours of Theresa Burns.

SARTORINI SUN has always been a filly with real scope and a great attitude and it was with trepidation that Mick made her first entry one over Sandaown's sprint track. 

'She was ready to go, that's all I'll say and whilst there were races coming up over further, she's very much a filly who I knew would come on for the run. I hate to have them all fired up to have a sole day in the sun on debut and want them to progress but when the rain fell, I just thought she'd go well and not be too outpaced and learn a lot for it.

"Hey, I always want to win but these babies hopefully stand the test of time and whilst I'd be lying if I said I thought she'd win, we also know she's not uselass. They went a good gallop early on and although she was caught on heels for the first half of the race Charlie gave her time to feel her way in to things and we've just scraped home in a photo with David Evans's more experienced horse.

"That's decent enough form for one of ours on debut and we'll take it. She's alright this filly."

Yesterday, Peter Taplin' and Sue Bunney's WHITELEY stormed home at Brighton to record a thrilling win under the in form Silvestre de Sousa in the extended Class 6 six furlong handicap. 

This was just reward for an ever willing three year old who, whilst not quite having the same dash as her full sister Divine, has exactly the same attitude to both application and sheer effort - traits in evidence as SDS rousted her home to hold on in the closing stages ahead of De Vegas Kid and Limerick Lord.

Mick was delighted that WHITELEY and Pete & Sue are yet again enjoying success.

"That was great and Silvestre is flying at the minute. That said, so are Pete and Sue because I've hardly delivered what they've deserved until recent months. Jersey Breeze, Koeman and Whiteley have got me out the shit lately though and I couldn't be happier for them because, as I say, they've put in a lot to their racing and only now are they getting their rewards.

David Fitzgerald's TRUMPS UP - A winner at Leicester yesterday afternoon

TRUMPS UP MAKES WINNING START TO HIS CAREER AT LEICESTER

A very pleasing debut from David Fitzgerald's TRUMPS UP who took the Class 5 seven furlong novice auction event under John Egan at Leicester yesterday afternoon.

The juvenile son of Cape Blanco seemed to relish the ease in the ground and yesterday's victory had all the hallmarks of a horse with plenty ahead of him. He was a little slowly away and had to be asked to get involved from some way out but once he got to grips with things, despite obvious greenness in the closing stages, he won in a very impressive fashion by almost a length ahead of the more expperienced Never Been To Paris.

Mick was delighted.

"He's done that well and this is a very willing lad who David bought himself. He didn't arrive until the spring but he's always had a great attitude and this was the right time to send him racing.

"I wasn't confident because I knew he'd be much better for yesterday's experience but I'm obviously chuffed that he one first time out. He'll only get better and will get further in time."

Other recent juvenile winners have included Abdullatif M Al-Abdulrazzaq's JAZEEL and Box 41's HELVETIAN.

JAZEEL ran a race full of promise at Ascot three weeks ago and ran on strongly to finish third, outlining him very much as a winner in waiting.

Indeed, he went of as a strong even money favourite on Saturday at Lingfield and duly obliged under Charlie Bishop over the extended seven furlongs. This is a very straight forward individual who Mick has an awful lot of time for and who, like TRUMP's UP will get better with time and a little further.

"There's not much I can say about this lad other than what you see is what you get. Greenness did for him at Ascot but he put that right at Lingfield. He made all and although it was by no means easy, he's a colt who I know will fulfil his potential because he's that sort of willing and honest competitor - very straightforward.

HELVETIAN disappointed on debut at Newbury a fortnight ago but put things right at Bath last week under David Egan in a Class five extended five furlong maiden auction.

The son of Swiss Spirit was never going on debut, much to the boss's pain as his friends in the Box 41 syndicate were all on hand to watch it in Box 41. As Mick says, there were no hiding places that day but it all went right at Bath.

"I was mortified at Newbury because he fell out the back of the telly and was never going. That had to be wrong and when the race at Bath came up it was just a matter of putting his first run out of my mind because he goes very nicely at home so it was just a case of a first time two year old running like it was his first time.

"Luckily the Box 41 team have seen it all before and HELVETIAN has some smart entries but we won't get ahead of ourselves and take it frome here."