News

Minalisa starts as she means to go on

Chris and Lesley Mills were vindicated in keeping hold of their homebred Oasis Dream filly out of Mina, Minalisa, who made a winning debut under a hands and heels ride from Chris Catlin at Warwick this afternoon.  Rae has always thought she had talent but he also thought that she would be too green to do herself justice first time out.

Happily he was proved wrong and although it was not a strong race she could do no more than win and will certainly improve for the racing experience.  There was also a bit of classic commentary during the race as Minalisa came to beat one of her rivals, the aptly named Missus Mills.  So the second winner this week for the Mills team, after Mirza on Sunday; and long may the hot streak continue.  Well done to Chris and Farman who looks after her.

Mirza scores in Listed race

mirzaChris and Lesley Mills' homebred Mirza proved himself the best offspring of his illustrious dam, the multiple Group winner, Millyant, by winning the Galtee Midsummer Stakes at Cork this afternoon.  There has been so much rain in Ireland that the meeting had to survive an inspection at 1pm yesterday so Chris and Lesley had to make heroic attempts to sort out flights to get them all there.  Thank goodness it was all worth it when Mirza secured this well deserved success in hs favoured very soft ground.  At the age of five he does seem to be improving not unlike his dam who, although winning a Group race at two, was really at her best at six.  Very well done to Chris and Lesley and to their son Robbie who prepared Mirza for training this winter.

That takes the yard to 17 winners for the year and a strike rate of more than 25%.  Rae has run 25 individual horses this year.

Miss Cato is rags to riches story

There is nothing like horses to amaze you when they get on a roll.  Miss Cato has done nothing but improve since beginning her racing career back on 1 January and, but for a bit of pilot error, would probably have been unbeaten until yesterday when she ran in the Listed Ballymacoll Stakes at Newbury.  That first race was a seller and anyone could have bought her at Southwell.  Happily no-one did and Miss Cato's lowly beginnings have allowed her to progress stealthily up the handicap, picking up four wins.

Yesterday, however, the cat was well and truly out of the bag when she ran second to John Gosden's Great Heavens, a regally bred sister to Nathaniel, last year's King George winner, at Newbury.  The slow pace did her no favours and she pulled too hard but she was still the only one to land a blow on the winner and was beaten just 2 1/4 lengths.  As she was sold before this run to Three Chimneys LLC (previously the buyer of Rosa Grace), she is likely to continue her career in the States at some point, but they must surely be pleased with their new acquisition. Likewise Mr Bennett, her breeder and former owner, who has valuable black type for his mare, Regal Fairy, and her offspring.  So well done to everyone concerned.  Of course we will be sorry to lose her, but it is great to be involved with improving horses who try their hardest.

Brilliant day with two winners at Newmarket

poisson_dorAlthough Rae wasn't there to see it (doing Doncaster - Newcastle night meeting) he was thrilled to bits with the ultimately easy wins of both Mirza (Chris and Lesley Mills) and Poisson d'Or (David and Linda - i.e the Family Fish) at Newmarket this afternoon.

It was difficult to know how the ground might turn up at Headquarters after a few days of rain and then a lot of drying wind, but it was soft enough for Mirza (under a great ride from that expert stylist Richard Hughes, who gets on with him so well) and not too soft for the lovely Poisson (pictured right being ridden by Samir), who in all honesty was much more of a steering job.  That said, it is still possible to muck it up so well done to Jame Doyle who gave her a lovely ride.

headline_news_2All in all there wasn't much to be disappointed with out of the day's seven runners.  Kickingthelilly was a close fourth, Headline News second (pic right) and Million Faces was third.  Actually Cufflink ran a good sort of race in defeat at Windsor (had to let the Queen win this week after all).

 

All in all a pretty good day.  I don't think Rae has ever had a Newmarket double yet, much less not been there for one of them!

Miss Cato improves again

Miss_cato_border_abbyGood old Miss Cato.  She is really great.  She has really thrived on her racing, exceeded all expectations and has now won four races in 2012.  To be honest, with a bit of racing luck she would have been unbeaten in her six runs, but today was definitely the day when she proved that she has improved and loves her racing, winning under jockey Chris Catlin at Sandown.

Like Rae, Chris is not big on the small talk, but is completely reliable and doesn't make many mistakes.  We were delighted to provide him with this, his 1,000th winner, well done Chris.  He rode Miss Cato with care and restraint and with great confidence - although in an ideal world she would not have won so far!  So that's now 14 winners for the year, a fantastic start given we are not in June yet.  Miss Cato is pictured above working last Saturday with Border Abby.