HWR WEEKLY NEWS RUNNERS REPORTS & A VERY MERRY XMAS‏

26-12-2015

It was a very busy week at HWR last week sending out the 6 runners!! Fortunately the run of good results continued with 2 wins and 3 places. So hopefully we can take continue the run of form into the festive period where we are due to send out 6 runners. Wetherby & Chepstow have been abandoned due to water logging, therefore Fourovakinds Welsh National run is rescheduled for the 9th January and Bigmartre is now left with the one entry at Haydock on Wednesday. TOMORROWS RUNNERS: DUKEOFMEDINA will get the ball rolling returning to the track in the Juvenile Hurdle tomorrow at - 12.50 . He won very easily at Market Rasen the last day under Richard Johnson, who was very impressed with the way he went about it. He steps up in class here but he deserves his place in a race like this. Duke just keeps improving at home, we are hopeful he can produce a run that will see him competitive amongst these decent juveniles. The next runner will be ARZAL who steps up in class to run in the Grade 2 Wayward Lad chase over 2m in the following race - 13.25 . He burst into the Arkle picture with his win at Newbury on Hennessey Day and has been a star since joining the yard. He is running against Ar Mad and Vaniteux which is his biggest test yet and he may just be the forgotten horse in the race. He is in excellent form and we can’t wait for the run!!! The 3rd and final runner on the Kempton card is yard debutant AFFAIRED'HONNEUR who runs in the 2 mile handicap hurdle - 3.40 . He was bought from Arqana sales in November after showing very good placed form on his 2 hurdles starts in France. He is a well bred son of Shirocco being a half brother to French Oaks 2nd - PHYSIOCRATE so is a massively exciting recruit for the yard!!! OTHER RUNNERS: BIGMARTRE was meant to make the trip to Wetherby tomorrow, so it is very frustrating the meeting has been abandoned as he had a very good chance. He has an entry at Haydock on Wednesday in the 1.25 where we will need to discuss about him running. He is in terrific form at home!! Our final runner of the festive period will be BIGSOCIETY , who will run in the Mandarin Chase at Newbury on Tuesday. He was given an excellent ride at Chepstow the last day by Gavin Sheehan and now steps back up in Class here. He is 8lb higher which will make things tougher in a better race, but he’s come out of Chepstow in excellent form and the step up in trip should really suit him. It is also nice for him to run locally for the Hill Barn Racing Club so it will be enormous fun. REPORTS: On the 12th QASSER made the trip to Doncaster. He went down by 6 lengths to the hugely progressive Holly Bush Henry but finished 16 lengths clear of the 3rd. Himself and the eventual winner travelled eye-catchingly well, leaving the rest of the field for dead as they cruised down the home straight. They jumped the last upsides, but Holly Bush Henry out stayed Qasser by 6 lengths in the run in. It was a career best performance however, we are delighted with run and it is just a shame he ran into another progressive horse. The handicapper has reacted by raising him 8lb which seems a little harsh. We will look for another race for him early in the New Year. PINKPLAY got off the mark under rules with an assertive 3 ¾ L victory at Southwell on Sunday. Heavy overnight rain eased the ground significantly – we were slightly concerned about this, as she had never encountered conditions like it before.  Fortunately she took to it nicely travelling strongly and jumping accurately throughout. Pink Play always held a prominent position and when Gavin increased the pace turning for home she moved stylishly away from the rest of the field. She was eased at the line and the eventual winning distance did not reflect how good a performance she produced. She has had 3 runs in fairly quick succession, therefore she will be out again towards the end of January. EMERGINGFORCE  finished a well-held 3rd on his second run for the yard at Newbury on Wednesday. After speaking to the clerk of the course we were expecting wet ground that we hoped he would handle, but as it materialised the ground had dried out and become very holding which didn’t suit at all. Force showed a gutsy performance however racing prominently alongside the eventual winner Charmix. They went a good gallop and Force was briefly bumped along down the back straight by Gavin but he responded to hold his position. The 3 market principles turned into the straight with every chance, the 3rd of these being the Alan King trained Big Chief Benny. Force was slow at the second last and became detached from the leading pair, eventually finishing a very tired 3rd. Charmix won in good fashion and looks a very smart horse that loved conditions, we were also giving 7lbs to Big Chief Benny. Emerging Force hated the ground and we will avoid running him on it in the future, we will step him up in trip for his next run and look for some better ground. He is a very exciting horse for the Spring in a potentially decent 3 mile handicap. Our other runner on the card that day was the un raced 3yo Authorized filly - WOOLSTONEONE . We were worried beforehand about the testing ground for her, but as it turned out she couldn’t have won the bumper in better fashion. They went a decent gallop throughout the race and Wooly switched off nicely in midfield under jockey Gavin Sheehan. The pace increased as the field turned into the straight and as soon as Gavin showed Woolstone One some daylight she cruised to the front in eye-catching style. She found herself in front 3 furlongs out but that wasn’t an issue to her as she showed a very willing attitude. The well-backed market leader Little Miss Poet emerged as the only danger in the closing stages, but Wooly quickened again to win by a heavily-eased 3 ¼ lengths. The pair finished 30 lengths clear of the rest – it was an excellent debut. She is a very exciting prospect and only being 3 years old there is a huge amount to come from her. ZEPHYROSBLEU finished an encouraging 3rd on his second hurdles start at Towcester on Thursday. It was a more competitive field than Uttoxeter and a contested lead meant they went a very strong gallop from the outset. The leaders got racing along way from home where Zephyr was outpaced and found himself detached from the leaders. The further he went however the better he was staying on! He jumped his last 3 obstacles particularly well and really stuck his head down up the stiff finish, picking off rivals impressively to finish 3rd. This was a nice step forward from his debut and he showed a very willing attitude sticking his head down all the way to the line. He is a big chasing type who will progress with each race, clearly the further he goes the better he goes, therefore he is an exciting staying prospect!! The final runner of the week having his first run for the yard was FATCATINTHEHAT  , at Haydock Park last Saturday. He made the running under Gavin and having been a touch keen over the first hurdle, he switched off nicely in front. Having had quite a heavy fall back in March it was key to get him jumping well and accurately. His jumping was slick and as they turned for home he seemed to have the entire field under pressure. He was swallowed up by the field as they came to the second last hurdle but he rallied and stuck on well for 5th. Gavin reported that he felt turning in he'd win and when the field came to his girths he was holding on to his wind. It was gutsy performance therefore and we plan to have him looked at before he runs again. Until next time....