News from the yard
Every week, John writes about his recent runners and future entries along with all the news from his training yard in Hucking, Kent.
One in a Mullion
April 17th, 2008
Mullionmileanhour made a winning debut for John Best’s Kent Bloodstock syndicate tonight when taking the digibet Maiden Auction Stakes over five furlongs at Kempton.
The two-year-old son of Mull of Kintyre chased the leaders early on before taking up the running two furlongs out and soon drawing clear, finishing three lengths ahead of runner up The Dial House.
Mullionmileanhour was the very first runner for his syndicate, and his early success bodes well for the future of the partnership.
Only foals and horses
April 3rd, 2008
More news this week from the stud where our mares and foals are coming along nicely.
Santiburi Girl’s Noverre colt
Santiburi Girl’s Noverre colt was born on 23 March. We are delighted with the foal – he is particularly well grown and mature from a smallish mare, and his weight was way above average. He seems correct and both he and the mare are very well and healthy. A very pleasing foal.
Villarosi - visiting Byron
Villarosi was due to be covered by Byron on 1 April. She and her foal are doing very well.
Epineuse - visiting Byron
Epineuse is proving a little difficult so far, I would expect to have her covered just after the weekend. She is very well and, her foal is very healthy and active. He is quite a favourite!
New foal and yearling photos
March 26th, 2008
We’ve just posted some new photos of our homebred foals and bought-in yearlings over in the Gallery.
There are pictures of proud mums Villarosi and Retainage with their new foals, and also some shots of the herd of youngstock we bought from America last year.
The American babies - now yearlings - have been bought to try to improve stock overall, and we think we’ve probably achieved this! The horses have some pretty good pedigrees, and if anyone’s interested, please contact us. We have several people interested in shares in some of them, so there are opportunities to maybe buy bits of several and spread the risk!
Check out the new photos in the Gallery>
Spring 2008 update
March 11th, 2008
It’s been a good start to the year, with eight flat and one jump winner since 1st January. I was hoping to hit 10 by the end of March - we should manage to do that, which will give us a good start so we can hopefully beat our record of 49 winners in a calendar year.
We have a lot of potentially good three-year-olds to come out that have not been over raced, and of course Kingsgate Native, who will almost certainly not run until Royal Ascot as there are no suitable races for him before then. It is certainly going to be tough for him this year as all his races will be against much older horses. Of the other three-year-olds you need to watch out for Ruff Diamond, Howdigo, Southpaw Lad, and also lightly-raced horses like Halsion Challenge, Impure Thoughts, Hucking Harkness and plenty of others. Halsion Chancer has had a great all-weather season and will now have a bit of a break before we hopefully target some big prize sprint handicaps, the first probably being on Derby Day at Epsom. Hucking Hero is another who has excelled over the winter and looks a progressive type who should also acquit himself well over the summer.
This year, not only do we have our biggest ever crop of two-year-olds, but I’m pretty sure at this stage, probably our best bunch. I just hope we find another superstar or two among them! It looks to me that the American purchases appear to be value for money - they will all certainly look the part in the parade ring when they start running - and the Kent Bloodstock syndicate horses seem to be coming on really well. Unfortunately, at this stage I can’t give too much away as I might upset a few owners who may want to have a bet when their horses come out! The one thing we have done which I think shows how much we feel we got good value in the USA was to go back there and purchase foals (now yearlings). We brought 24 in the USA and one in Ireland, and including the homebreds that gives a total of 28.
Most of the broodmares are off at stud ready to foal and then be covered. At the moment we’ve had just one foal down – Epineuse, who has just produced a colt by Kodiac (a three-parts brother to leading sire Invincible Spirit). Santiburi Girl should be next - she is in foal to Noverre.
Most of our two-year-olds have now been sold, but we do still have a one-sixth share available in a very nice American colt by Trust N Luck. He is going very well and looks likely to make a proper two-year-old. I would expect him to be reasonably early.
New additions to the horses for sale include a very strong, well-bred filly by Successful Appeal, a good American sire who is producing some top class stock. There’s also a three-year-old who was very lightly raced last year, called Impure Thoughts. The syndicate which owns this horse has decided to split up, which is a real shame as the horse has been carefully brought along and looks like he’ll make a much better three-year-old. He’s had a decent break now and is ready to come back into work - he could be alot of fun for someone. Contact us if you’re interested in either horse.
If anyone would like to know any more about any individual horses, please just send us an email - Charlotte is in the office and we’ll reply pretty quickly!
John
Evergreen win for Oasis
February 27th, 2008
Oasis Sun recorded her third career victory today when winning the Evergreen Handicap over 1m 3f at Kempton.
The daughter of Desert Sun had been raised 7lbs since her last victory, but made her move in the final furlong under Jim Crowley to beat runner-up Mixing by a length.
John Best’s five-year-old mare has done all her winning at Kempton and shows an obvious preference for the track which has been the stage for each of her successes.
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