Pedigree

                                                               Night Shift
                                       Midnight Legend
                                                               Myth
Shades of Midnight
2010 bay gelding
                                                               Lycius
                                       Hannah Park
                                                               Wassl This Then

The family

'Shady' is the third produce of the Potassium Partnership-owned broodmare Hannah Park to arrive in training with us at Dodlands, and most definitely this gelding is the most exciting of the lot.

A triple flat winner in Germany, Hannah Park was subsequently trained by the late Peter Monteith to win a couple of hurdles in 2002 & 2003.
As well as Hannah Park, second dam Wassl This Then has produced another 2 winners, the sprinter De Tiger and flat winner and fair handicap hurdler Cat Five. Wassl This Then herself was a dual flat winner over 1m 2f/1m 3f.

'Shady' is the fourth foal out of Hannah Park. His elder siblings have both shown talent - King Kalium (winning hurdler, now retired but trained here) and the two times winning hurdler and bumper placed Ellistrin Belle (who was also trained at Dodlands, and is now a broodmare).
In 2017, Ellistrin Belle gave birth to a filly foal by Passing Glance.

About the sire

Midnight Legend (bay horse, born 1991) is by Night Shift, a son of the legendary, and hugely influential, sire Northern Dancer.
Midnight Legend was trained on the flat at Newmarket by Luca Cumani, and although just below top class, he showed himself as a tough, middle distance performer winning 7 of his 24 races including 3 Listed events.
Unusually for an entire, he raced over hurdles for David Nicholson, winning the Grade 2 Champion Novices Hurdle at Punchestown as a 6yr old.
Midnight Legend is widely recognised as a top class NH sire, with several classy individuals to his credit. Grade 2 winners Midnight Chase, My Petra and Sparky May spring to mind, but with larger crops to come, this sire could well be challenging for the 'champion' title again. Of course, he hit the jackpot in 2017 when his son Sizing John won the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Sadly though that was a posthumous success for in July 2016, Midnight Legend passed away at his home at Pitchall Farm in Warwickshire at the age of 25. He'll be missed by all.

Form Summary

Quite rightly buoyed by the success of their first owner-bred winner King Kalium (trained here at Dodlands Steading), The Potassium Partnership sent a third produce of Hannah Park to us in the Spring of 2013. By the late Midnight Legend, this gelding has a quite different conformation from either of his siblings King Kalium or Ellistrin Belle in that he actually bears a close resemblance to his sire. He is a strong, robust type to look at and yet again has come back in from summer grass, in August 2017, carrying more condition than Vanessa Feltz!
When he first entered into our yard in 2013 as a newly educated 3yr old, Shades of Midnight showed real aptitude for the gallops and was soon working steadily upsides our best gallopers. After a short break, he came back in late Autumn 2013 looking extremely well, leaving us plenty to work with for the forthcoming season. He made his debut in a Kelso bumper in March '14, where despite running green finished a respectable 3rd to Nicky's good sort Sir Vinski. Next month at Hexham, he put that initial experience to good use by running away in fine style with the bumper by 8 lengths.
In season 2014-15, after an initial couple of outings over hurdles, Shady recorded an impressive win in a novice event at Kelso in January. A fine run in 4th next time in the Grade 2 Premier Novice hurdle, again at our local track, was followed up with an impressive win over 2½m at Carlisle in April '15.
But that success was nothing compared to his 2015-16 season. Again after taking a couple of runs to come into himself, he ran a fine race full of promise when 3rd in a Haydock handicap hurdle in January '16 (2m 7f, heavy), and followed that by blowing away the field at Kelso next time, with fresh air in second. The drop back to 2½ miles at Ayr next time posed no problems and he drew out an impressive winner. His final race of the season came at Kelso in April '17, in a Class 2 event (3m 2f, good to soft) off OR 144, finishing a close second (recording an RPR of 148) to Nicholls' class jumper Silsol.
Season 2016-17 saw Shades of Midnight run some very fine races without winning, indeed he ran 3 times to an RPR in the 140's. Bit unlucky when not having a clear run from the final flight when 3rd, beaten under a length at Ayr in February '17, conceding weight all round.
Now rated OR 139 at the start of season 2017-18, Shady will possibly start off in good class handicap hurdles, but the excitement of going novice chasing with this 7 year old gelding still remains. He's well suited by 3 miles, with a bit of give in the ground. A top horse to have in the stable.

Season		win	2nd	3rd	4th	other
2013-14	NH Flat	1		1
2014-15	hurdles	2			1	2
2015-16	hurdles	2	1	2		1
2016-17	hurdles			1	1	4
2017-18	hurdles
2017-18	chases					2

Current Season Form

30 December 17 Haydock : 2m 3f novices' chase (Class 3) heavy 3 ran (H Brooke) - refused last

Not always fluent in rear, lost touch 4th but kept on, closing on leaders but very tired when refused last

Shades of Midnight was unable to replicate the jumping of his debut in the very testing, holding ground conditions. He was well behind at halfway, although did start to close on the leading pair in the home straight. He was very tired when pulling stumps at the last.

13 November 17 Carlisle : 2m 4f novices' chase (Class 3) soft 5 ran (H Brooke) - 5th (beaten 5l)

Tracked leaders, mistake 6 out, soon recovered, effort after 3 out, not quicken after 2 out, will improve.

An excellent debut over fences from Shades of Midnight. A slight mistake apart, he jumped well and ran a fine race all told. His lack of full fitness took effect from 3 out but he kept on in fine style although not looking like winning. He should improve for his next run - possible at Kelso early December.