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LARKINGLASS RACING RACEHORSE TRAINING - STUD - REST & RECUPERATION TRAINER - NEIL MULHOLLAND
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March 09 News Please note that our Syndicates (Aconitum and Dolly Will Do) and Racing Club are now available for membership - please go to the Syndicates page for more details.... 27th March 09 A DAY OF VERY MIXED FORTUNES AT FONTWELL We took 2 runners to Fontwell today - Tosula and You Know Bridie . Tosula ran in the Birthday Sponsorship At racesponsors.co. uk Handicap Chase Cl5 Partnered by Choc Thornton, Tosula crossed the line in 4th place but because the winner was disqualified, Tosula was awarded 3rd place which was a bonus for her owner Mike Burbidge. We are beginning to think that if Tosula doesn't get her own way in front she spits the dummy and sulks! The only problem was that the lads that were with us who owned You Know Bridie had already thrown away their betting slips thinking she had finished 4th!
Next up was the beautiful You Know Bridie who again partnered by Choc was running in the 3m hurdle. The race started comically with Bridie trying to buck Choc off! Bridie was really enjoying herself and was travelling strongly but tragedy struck three flights from home when Bridie appeared to jump awkwardly and broke her leg. She had to be put down but the vets were there immediately and she did not suffer. Our sincere condolences go to Paddy (Patrick) and Billy and the rest of the the Don't Tell Daddy Partnership. A dreadful loss for the yard and the staff especially Mel who was leading her up today and has been riding her at home.
25th March 09 SULA'S LEGEND 2ND AT TAUNTON AND WINSLEY HILL 3RD AT TAUNTON (BUT ONLY 3 RUNNERS IN EACH RACE!) We arrived at blustery Taunton to find out that there was only going to be 3 runners in each race due to the ground conditions which were officially Firm (GD to Firm in places). The going was very fast. Sula was bidding to follow up his win on
Monday at Plumpton but the going proved too fast for him and he finished 2nd by
5 lengths but he was in no way disgraced and earned his keep for another 2
months! Mike and James were there today to support Sula. The RP said:
Sula's Legend, who won a moderate event with ease at
Plumpton just two days earlier, would not have raced on ground this fast before
and it was clear from four out that the winner was going best. He kept plugging
away, but was always being held. Winsley Hill was up next. This was her first run for a while and she was quite boisterous in the prelims giving Stuart a hard time! She raced keenly, jumping well, but she did hang on the bends a little which lost her a few lengths and she finished 3 of 3 but again she earned her keep! The RP said: Winsley Hill, who had been off since November, has gone well fresh in the past and she could have been expected to fare a little better, being eased from the second-last.
23rd March 09 SULA'S LEGEND WINS AT PLUMPTON Sula's Legend ran last week at Chepstow and
came to grief at the second last fence whilst leading with a great chance of
winning, so it was with great hope for a safe round of jumping ending with a win
that we set off for Plumpton. Sula was entered in the Skybet 1 Account 4
Ways To Bet Novices“ Handicap Chase. Partnered by Felix de
Giles, Sula bounced out in a prominent position and was never worse than fourth
position all the way round. He jumped well today and by the third last fence we
were all holding our breath and willing him over each fence. Today was his day
and he duly completed to win by 6 lengths. This was a great win not only for
Neil, Liz and all the staff at Larkinglass but also for Mike Burbidge who owns
and bred Sula's Legend. Mike also bred the Dam. Mike is a very loyal owner for
Larkinglass and it was lovely to see him have a winner! The RP said:
SULA'S LEGEND, still a maiden coming into this, gained
compensation for a last-fence fall when still in front at Chepstow last week and
opened his account as a chaser at the fourth attempt. He was never far away and
jumped nicely enough in the main. His rider had to get serious with him nearing
the last, but he picked up for pressure and was well on top at the finish.
Providing the handicapper does not put him up too much there should be another
race in him before the season is out. 22nd March 09 Neil sent 4 runners to Wincanton today. First up was Hardly Humble having her 2nd outing on a racecourse. She definitely knew what it was all about today. She was a lot more feisty today and didn't give Stuart Payne much of a chance going down to the first and they parted company there.
Next up was Alfatrix partnered by Daryl Jacob in the Angela Crofts Celebration Novices“ Handicap Chase, he jumped around nicely and maybe found the ground a little too fast but finished a very respectable third. The RP said: Alfatrix left his hurdles form behind when finishing
second to Wasntme in a handicap chase over CD earlier in the month, but he was
faced with much faster ground conditions this time and couldn't quicken on with
the front pair. He clearly has a race in him off this sort of mark, but it may
be that he needs a slightly stiffer test/softer ground. Maori Legend, owned by Helen Cross was the next to put in an appearance in the Tony Wareham Birthday Celebration Handicap Chase. This seemed a weird race from the start with Maori Legend not appearing to jump off with the others leaving her about 5 lengths behind at the very beginning and she never seemed to be in a with a chance of making up the lost ground. It was just not her day today and Felix de Giles pulled her up.
Last but not least was You Can Of Course in the Rosemary Boardman 60th Birthday Conditional Jockeys“ Handicap Hurdle, owned by Martin Cahill and Richard Webb. Ridden by Harry Skelton, he seemed to be in with a chance of a place until weakening about 2 from home eventually finishing 5th.
18th March 09 Sula's Legend travelled to Chepstow with Felix de Giles
booked to ride. Hopes were riding high and Sula duly obliged and raced with
verve! However still on the bridle and running really well, things went wrong at
the 2nd last and Sula hit the deck. Horse and Jockey were both fine and Sula is
entered again at Plumpton on Monday so watch this space! The RP said:
Sula's Legend had got away with a couple of earlier errors
and had moved back in front when he got in too close to the second-last and took
a nasty fall. The return to this longer trip appeared to suit but he will need
to put this experience behind him and brush up his jumping. 17th March 09 I'm A Legend owned by Wincanton Race Club ran at Kempton with Timmy Murphy on board but he never really went a yard and Timmy reported that the horse was never travelling. This was disappointing but he probably just needs a little break. He also sustained a cut on the inside of his stifle during the race so this certainly did not help either.
16th March 09 Topless ran really well at Taunton today to finish second with Dougie Costello on board. She jumped impeccably and avoided trouble. The commentator was very cheeky and said that her form was more alphabetical than numerical which was a bit unfair really as Topless has had a rather torrid season with being brought down and unseating riders when she got into trouble through no fault of her own. Topless was up against a hot odds-on favourite of Philip Hobbs today and finishing second was a good result. The RP said: Topless was having her first outing at the track since unseating with the race at her mercy back in January. She had failed to complete the last twice, but this was a lot better and she was the only one to go with the winner on the final lap. She is quirky, but capable of defying her mark of 110 in on her day.
WHAT A FANTASTIC DAY FOR THE YARD! I'MONCLOUDNINE WINS AT FAKENHAM AND MIDNIGHT CHASE 2ND AT THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL!! Oh my word - I still cannot believe what happened today! On the way up to Cheltenham, Liz, Steph and I were discussing how fabulous it would be if Chase finished in the money...the day unfolded as follows: Wally had set off to Fakenham with Cloudy even before I arrived in the yard and Georgie and Tom were just setting off for Lingfield with Wild Lyph who was making his racecourse debut. Liz was sad to miss his run in person as she had bred him and broken him in. Liz, Steph and I duly made our way to Cheltenham where we met up with Neil, Becky and Woody who had travelled by car. Kiera and Amy both over from Ireland were there to support Neil, Lady Clarke and also the fabulous Midnight Chase. We arrived in good time to see Wild Lyph, ridden by Tom Queally, make his debut at Lingfield on the TV - he ran well for most of the way but did not appear to get the trip so he will try again soon probably over a shorter distance. Next up was Cloudy running at Fakenham, ridden by Dougie
Costello. Cloudy ran really well, Dougie gave him a brilliant ride, timing it to
perfection to win the race by 3 3/4 lengths. Fred Matthews who owns Cloudy was
also at Cheltenham so Neil was able to watch it with him. I'moncloudnine has had
a wonderful season so far. The RP said: The top-weight was 6lb below the
race ceiling and the gallop was sound. The next race of the day for us was the Martin Pipe Conditionals Race that Midnight Chase was entered in. Midnight Chase was impeccable in the preliminaries. As the race unfolded, Liz was giving commentary to Georgie over the phone as she was at Lingfield. Chase was well placed throughout the race by his rider Matt O'Connor, he was never worse than sixth place during the race. I could hear Liz telling Georgie that Chase had moved up into 4th and then into 3rd and her voice was rising in crescendo with each place he made up! Coming over the final flight there was a moment when it looked like he might even win. We could not believe what we were seeing! Midnight Chase stayed on to come second. Neil's first ever runner at the festival in his first season as a Trainer and he gets a second at the Festival. How great is that!! Lady Clarke was in the paddock to greet Chase coming in and she was ecstatic! It was so great for Neil to be able to reward Lady Clarke's loyalty to the yard in this way. Lady Clarke is a fabulous loyal and generous Owner for the yard. On the way home in the lorry we just could not stop talking about the race - it was unbelievable! The RP said: The inaugural running of this event,
brought in to give conditional riders their chance to shine at the Festival. An
incredible 215 entries were received, a record for the meeting, and no fewer
than 110 runners were declared at the overnight stage. Unsurprisingly the Pipe
yard was well represented with seven runners, including the top four in the
weights. There was only 12lb separating the top and bottom weights, and the
lowest official rating needed to get in the race was 128, compared with 127 for
the County Hurdle. The pace was solid and there were wide margins between the
principals at the finish. This form should certainly hold up in similar events.
11th March 09 Liz drove the lorry to Kempton with Clovis on board - missing her beloved Cheltenham to do so! It was hoped that Clovis would run well at big price but he ran into traffic problems and finished 5th. The RP said: Clovis, who finished fast off this mark at Lingfield nine days previously, had won a course-and-distance maiden on his last visit to the track. He was again ridden patiently, but had to wait an age for his challenge on the home turn and simply had too much ground to make up on the winner. 9th March 09 We took Hardly Humble and You Can Of Course to Taunton. It was Hardly Humble's debut on a racecourse and she was entered in the novice hurdle. She ran well for most of the way but after hitting a hurdle quite hard and finding the going not to her liking, Paul Moloney decided to call it a day and pulled her up. The going at Taunton was officially described as Good to Soft but it was horrible dead ground and quite boggy in places. When both horses came back in they had mud all up their legs. You Can Of Course also did not enjoy the ground which was a shame as if it had been the going that was described he would have ran much better. He eventually finished 10th. 6th March 09 WHAT A FANTASTIC HORSE - IMONCLOUDNINE WINS AGAIN AT WINCANTON! ALFATRIX - A VERY COMMENDABLE 2ND ON HIS CHASING DEBUT! Timmy Murphy gave Cloudy a blinding ride around Wincanton in the 2.35pm Handicap Chase and won easily by 1.5 lengths! What a lovely horse this is! He is a credit to Neil and all the staff at Larkinglass and also to Fred and Steve Matthews who own him. The RP said: I'MONCLOUDNINE made a successful return to chasing and did the job in determined mood under top weight. He was 10lb higher than when getting off the markat Hereford in December and does not have too many miles on the clock so could have a little more to offer yet, but this does look as far as he wants to go. Alfatrix ran a cracker of a race in
his debut over fences to finish 2nd. His time to win surely cannot be far away!
4th March 09 TOSULA - 3RD AT FONTWELL!
Tosula ran at Fontwell today in the: Choc gave Tosula a very good ride and she ran very well and finished 3rd. The
RP said: Tosula was not disgraced back in third, but
remains 15lb higher than when last winning and gives the impression he is going
to remain vulnerable to better-weighted rivals. |
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Sula's
Legend
Winsley Hill
Naughty
Hardly Humble
Alfatrix
Maori
Legend
Timmy and Wincanton
Race Club
I'moncloudnine
The wonderful Midnight Chase