13th August 2022

Mehme had run three times in July and wasted little time when going to Newmarket on August 13^th to take her place in the Class 2 Jennings Fillies Nursery.  This was run over seven furlongs with both her pedigree and her full brother, Mehmas suggesting it might be too far.  Steadied at the start and held up in last place for most of the race she moved from last to first two furlongs out and though the margin kept reducing she fought off all opposition to win by a neck.  After the race her jockey Jamie Spencer suggested that her best distance may be six or six and a half furlongs.  Her full brother had his many group wins over six furlongs and when trying seven finished 2^nd not quite getting the final hundred yards.

With four races and two wins in a forty four day period Mehme will get a break before returning to try her luck in a listed race in September or October.

Great credit is due to her trainer Richard Hannon and his staff for the successful programme marked out and achieved.  We would also like to congratulate Mrs Joan Brosnan and she can undoubtedly look forward to further success.

28th July 2022

Mehme (Acclamation X Lucina) is a full sister to the outstanding sire Mehmas and is the final produce of Lucina.  Having been placed fifth on both occasions earlier in July she was crying out for a step up in trip to six furlongs or even seven furlongs.  Over six furlongs in Salisbury she relished the extra distance.  Held up at the back of the field until the 2f mark she began her challenge to take the lead 1f out and ran on well for a comfortable one length victory.  This was her third run within a four week period but being totally relaxed she takes everything in her stride.  Having now won her maiden she will move to the higher class nurseries.

28th June 2022

Austrian Theory won first time out as a 2YO and was immediately introduced to pattern racing, being placed in both his GR3 and GR2 outings.  He finished his 2YO career with a rating of 104.  Having run four times since April 2022, without getting placed we all wondered what had gone wrong.  However Charlie & Mark Johnston as well as Austrian Theory himself had the last laugh when he turned up at Hamilton on June 28^th for the valuable Almada Mile Handicap.  His followers had deserted him and he went to post at a price of 14/1.  Both he and a short priced favourite battled it out to the final furlong with Austrian Theory leading in the final 100 yds to lead by a length.  The firm ground at Hamilton was obviously to his liking and we can expect further trips to the winning enclosure if he gets the ground to his liking.

We would like to congratulate Charlie &Mark Johnston for getting Austrian Theory back to his winning ways.

18th June 2022

After a 175 days break Broome made his return at the Curragh on May 22^nd finishing 5^th in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (GR1).  His trainer said this was his prep race for the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot on June 18^th.  He did not disappoint his many followers winning by a comfortable three and a half lengths.  His jockey Ryan Moore took Broome into the lead after 2f and for the remainder of the race showed a clean pair of heels to all his challengers.

In his career Broome has run twenty four times with twenty two of those runs in Stakes races.  He has won seven of these races and has been 2^nd on six occasions.   His total winnings are now €1.7 million.  For the remainder of the year he will be aimed at GR1’s on many continents so if he keeps his form and gets firm ground he will add significantly to his winnings.

His trainer says we are next likely see him in the King George GR1 at Ascot.

30th May 2022

Grand Canal was off the track for 363 days when reappearing for two runs within a week for his new trainer Jim Goldie.  He finished in mid field on both occasions but his runs did not go unnoticed when he turned out at Ayr on May 30^th.  Giving weight to the others in a small field he had a ding dong battle with the runner up over the final furlong to lead at the post where it mattered.

 

Grand Canal is a colt out of Loreto, herself being a half sister to Cabaret – the dam of St Mark’s Basilica and Magna Grecia.  Another half sister to Cabaret, Cnoc an Oir has also been retained by Croom House.  Cnoc an Oir’s first foal by Dark Angel will be sold at Tattersalls in October.

6th May 2022

Solid Stone has run twenty four times, has won on eight occasions including four at Group level and has been in the frame for seventeen of his twenty four runs.  He is a credit to his trainer Sir Michael Stoute and to his owner Saeed Suhail.  He has now earned over €300,000 and with his appetite for racing and winning there is lots more to come.

Having last been seen on a UK track when winning the GR3 Arc Trial at Newbury on September 18^th he returned to contest Huxley Stakes (GR2) at Chester on May 6^th.  He finished an easy three lengths winner with a further nine lengths back to the third horse.  Solid Stone’s Showcasing brother was sold at Tattersalls Book One in October last year.  He has also gone into training with Sir Michael Stoute.  Their dam Landmark has a Blue Point colt foal on the ground – he being a three quarters brother to Solid Stone.  Two of the mare’s offspring are back in Croom House to carry on the breeding dynasty – a mare by Montjeu and a mare by Galileo.

24th April 2022

Merweb changed trainers in March and showed promise for his new stable and stepped up to 1m4f on the 9^th of April, where he finished fifth.  At Bath on April 24^th his new trainer again chose that he run over 1m3½f and he made no mistake on this occasion.  Taking the lead at the 2f but kept doing enough in the final two furlongs to stay in front all the way to the line.

This was his third win.  Now that he has mastered a longer distance we can expect a fast reappearance and further prize money.

5th February 2022

Pedestal loves Kempton and having won there on January 12^th he just got touched off finishing a close 2^nd on February 2^nd.  To overcome this disappointment his trainer sent him back there on Feb. 5^th and on this occasion he made no mistake finishing 1^st ahead of a twelve runner field.

As he is now returning to his 2YO form he should win more handicaps whether that be at Kempton or further away.

22nd January 2022

Kodias Sangarius (Kodiac X Oui Say Oui) won a Fillies Novice Stakes on December 18^th and was making her handicap debut at Lingfield on Saturday.  After her maiden win the handicapper gave her an official rating of 77 and with this rating and the weight to match she went to post unfancied at 12/1.  Given a patient ride by her jockey Sean Levey he moved smoothly through the field to go fourth inside the final furlong.  From there she kept on strongly to lead in the final strides.

This filly and How Impressive, a winner two days earlier were purchased and are owned by Middleham Park Racing.  We would like to congratulate them for the astute purchases and they can expect many more wins from these two in the months ahead.

12th January 2022

Pedestal is a full brother to Loch Lein and he himself was sold for Stg. £220,000 as a yearling.  He quickly made his mark as a 2YO winning his maiden in Tipperary followed up by a third place finish, a few weeks later, in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Ascot.  He did not run again as a 2YO and with an official rating of 95 he made one appearance at three in the Copiers Lacken Stakes at Naas, finishing 6^th to Carravagio.  Over the next few years he totally lost his way finishing last in many of his races.

All that has changed in 2022 and with a new owner a new trainer and a new jockey he has fallen in love with Kempton Racecourse recording a fourth, a second and two firsts in the thirty days from the 5^th of January to the 5^th of February.

When finished fourth at Kempton on January 5^th he reappeared quickly on January 12^th and with different tactics staying at the rear for most of the journey he was shaken up approaching the 1f pole and kept on to win by one and a half lengths.