Enemy At The Gate

Enemy At The Gate (IRE) : 2016 bay gelding
Owner : The Adbrokes Partnership

Pedigree

                                                                      Montjeu
                                        Fame and Glory
                                                                      Gryada
Enemy At The Gate (IRE)
2016 bay gelding
                                                                      College Chapel
                                        Biondo
                                                                      Insight

The family

Enemy At The Gate is a son of the fair flat performer/modest hurdler Biondo who won a couple of races over 7f on the level and then added two 2 mile hurdles, all when trained in Ireland. She was a tough race-mare, and ran from the yards of first Ger Lyons and then Paul Nolan

Biondo has bred 11 foals to date, easily the best of whom has been the useful hurdler/chaser Wilton Milan. That Milan gelding won a couple of hurdles and two over fences when trained by Nicholls and then Skelton from 2012 to 2015.

The granddam, Insight was unraced but in addition to Biondo has bred another 2 winners.
The 3rd dam Kristar was a winner on the level in Italy and bred 2 winners the best of which was Impulse a 7f winner for Alan Jarvis.

About the sire

Fame and Glory (bay horse, born 2006) was trained by Aiden O'Brien throughout his race career. A very tough top class horse he raced for 5 seasons and 27 races, being successful 14 times.
Rated at a high of 133 by Timeform as a 3 year old, and described as a rangy, good sort, he possessed a great deal of stamina - influenced by his sire Montjeu - and that blend of toughness from the ever-fashionable German distaff side.

Retired to The Grange Stud in 2013, he was promoted by the Coolmore operation as a National Hunt Sire and covered books in excess of 200 each season until his untimely death in 2017. This was a great loss to NH breeders as this type of pedigree and raceform is as rare as hen's teeth especially as he was available for a fee of €5,000 for his first few years.
With many more horses still to race for Fame and Glory, he has sired several useful types from his crops so far, such as Grade 1 winning hurdlers Home By The Lee, Stage Star and Commander of Fleet

Form Summary

Season 2023-24 outlook

So, following an extended period of box rest, Enemy At The Gate kick started his career with a nice re-introduction in a 2 mile novice hurdle at Ayr in January 2023. He came out of that race sound much to the relief of his patient connections, but perhaps suffered from the dreaded bounce when down the field a month later in a handicap over course and distance.
Upped in distance by ½ mile next time at Newcastle, he jumped the last with a slight lead but despite battling fiercely went down by ¾ length with 14 lengths back to the 3rd horse.
On his final run, he was again placed over the same Newcastle trip but didn't race with his usual zest. Nevertheless we were delighted with his return to racing overall that season after such a long period on the sidelines.

He's been back in the yard since mid August and working steadily each morning on the gallops to build up strength without putting too much stress on his legs. A fair hurdler, keep an eye out for this good looking 7-yr-old Fame and Glory gelding re-appearing in November, with perhaps an outing or two over fences later in the season.

Profile....

Enemy At The Gate had a couple of runs in bumpers in his first season (2020-21) here at Dodlands and showed a fair level of form on each occasion.
After finishing 3rd of 4 on debut at Ayr in March where the ground was bottomless, the 5-year-old's next run was a month later at Hexham on good ground running a nice race to be 5th of 9.
That first run is the race that impressed us. 4th horse Fortescue Wood is a fairly useful dual winning hurdler and is highly regarded at Kinneston Nick's yard while the winner Nell's Son is now a useful Grade 2 winning hurdler.
Even when 5th in his second bumper, 3 of those in front of him have now won over hurdles.

Season 2021-22 started with a nice run in a Carlisle novice hurdle - full of subsequent winners - but unfortunately Enemy At The Gate picked up an injury which meant he missed the rest of the year and the next one too.

Season		win	2nd	3rd	4th	other
2020-21	NH Flat			1		1
2021-22	Hurdles					2
2022-23	Hurdles		1	1		2
2023-24	Hurdles		2	1	1	1

Current Season Form

7 March 24 Carlisle 2m 3f Cond'l Jockeys Hdcp Hurdle (Class 4 0-110) OR101 soft 12 ran (Mr. Ed Vaughn) - 3rd (beaten 3¼l)

Mid-division, took closer order from 3 out, ridden between last 2, ran on

Tongue tie reapplied, found the test barely adequate but continues in good form

13 February 24 Ayr : 3m ½f Handicap Hurdle (Class 4 0-110) OR101 heavy 13 ran (Henry Brooke) - 5th (beaten 2¼l)

Pressed leader, untidy seventh, led approaching straight, shaken up after 3 out, joined next, mistake last, no extra close home

Another fine run from Enemy At The Gate. He wasn't helped by a mistake at the last when he was one of 4 horses vying for the lead but may not quite have had enough left to win in any case.

20 December 23 Ayr : 2m 5½f Handicap Hurdle (Class 4 0-115) OR98 soft 7 ran (Sean Quinlan) - 2nd (beaten 1¼l)

Close up till led 4th, effort after 3 out, headed and not quicken run-in but clear of rest of field

Mindful of his poor jumping latterly at Kelso last time, Sean was quite forceful with Enemy At The Gate at his hurdles (quite rightly) but this took its toll slightly on his finishing effort. For another time (too many) he was unable to match a winner's pace on the run in. Best run to date, nonetheless.....

29 November 23 Kelso : 2m 6½f Handicap Hurdle (Class 4 0-110) OR96 soft 5 ran (Brian Hughes) - 2nd (beaten 1½l)

Always prominent, not fluent 5 out and next, challenged leader after 3 out, upsides when not fluent 2nd last and last, not quicken run-in

Nearly, very nearly. Enemy At The Gate has run well on his first attempt at this staying trip. His jumping fell a little bit to pieces in the last mile but was that the difference? The leading pair finished well clear of the third horse.

19 October 23 Carlisle 2m 1f Handicap Hurdle (Class 5 0-105) OR98 heavy 12 ran (Henry Brooke) - 4th (beaten 12¼l)

Waited with in rear, good headway after 4 out, tracked leaders going well 3 out, mistake 2 out, not quicken approaching final flight

Looking exceptionally well pre-race, this was a cracking first run of the season from Enemy At The Gate. His jumping could be a bit slicker but under a fine ride from Henry, our gelding looked to be taking a hand in the finish until race sharpness told though he wasn't beaten far in 4th. Will improve.

Previous Season Form

15 April 23 Newcastle 2m 4½f Hdcp Hurdle (Class 5 0-100) OR100 heavy 10 ran (Craig Nichol) - 3rd (beaten 18l))

Mid division, not always fluent, struggling 4 out, effort to chase leader when hampered 3 out, not recover

Up 6lb from last time, but Enemy At The Gate's jumping lacked the fluency of his outing here a month ago and he was struggling to make an impression at the end of the back straight. May just have had enough this season after a long time on the sidelines.

18 March 23 Newcastle 2m 4½f Novices Hdcp Hurdle (Class 5 0-105) OR94 heavy 12 ran (Henry Brooke) - 2nd (beaten ¾l))

Led, jumped well and 2l clear 2 out, joined by winner at the last, stayed on well run-in but no extra near line

Oh, so, so close. Enemy At The Gate appreciated the step up in trip as his previous runs suggested, and came very close to making it 2 on the day for the stable. This was a fine performance which augurs well for the future.

1 February 23 Ayr 2m Novices Hdcp Hurdle (Class 4 0-110) OR98 heavy 9 ran (Henry Brooke) - 8th (beaten 37l)

Mid-division, driven 4 out, made no impression

Enemy At The Gate will be suited by further.

2 January 23 Ayr 2m Maiden Hurdle (Class 4) heavy 9 ran (C Nichol) - 7th (beaten 29¼l)

In rear, some headway after 4 out, never troubled leaders

Enemy At The Gate had been sidelined for over a year with a leg injury, so in the circumstances this was a pleasing return to the track for this good-looking son of Fame and Glory. Should now qualify for a handicap mark and will be suited by a return to further.

31 October 21 Carlisle 2m 4f Novice Hurdle (Class 4) soft 12 ran (Billy Garrity) - 8th (beaten 20l)

Held up, effort and some headway after 3 out, weakened from 2 out, will improve

This was a much improved performance from Enemy At The Gate, jumping well on his seasonal debut. A fairly hot novice event, he shaped nicely from the rear from 4 out without quite having the toe to reach the leading group. He's set for a fun season for his owners.

18 May 21 Hexham : 2m 4f novices hurdle (Class 4) soft 10 ran (Craig Nichol) - 7th (beaten 28l)

In rear, not fluent early, some headway from 2 out.

Hurdling debut for Enemy at the Gate and his jumping tightened up the further he went. Promising sort for next season

19 April Hexham : 2m NH Flat (Class 5) good 9 ran (Craig Nichol) - 5th (beaten 9l)

Pressed leader, lost place when ridden before home turn, kept on again final furlong

13 March 21 Ayr : 2m NH Flat (Class 5) heavy 4 ran (Conor O'Farrell) - 3rd (beaten 9¾l)

Tracked leading pair, not quicken 3f out and dropped to rear, rallied 2f out and moved into 3rd, kept on towards finish

In the extremely testing conditions, this was a fine debut from Enemy At The Gate against 3 opponents with racing experience, two of them previous winners. Taking care not to 'bottom' the horse, Conor rode a very considerate race and our horse will have benefitted enormously from this run.