Owner : Dodds and Robinson
The family
Bred by the late Les Dodds with Andrew Robinson, Wor Lad is the first foal by 11-time winner on the Flat, Wor Lass (also bred by Les) who ran 50 times on the level. She was a remarkably consistent, strong mare especially from late 2015 through to her final runs in 2018, achieving a top Timeform rating of 85+ along the way.The dam of Wor Lass, Patience Please, ran a total of 18 times on the flat for Peter Easterby (father of current trainer Tim) in the early 90s. And that was only over 2 seasons! She began her racing career as a 3yr old in '92, and won twice in that season over 7f. Not quite so good the following season by did mange 3 placed efforts between 7f and 1 mile
Patience Please is a half sister to 3 winners (one over jumps), the best of whom was Pension Fund, winner of 7 races when trained by Peter's brother Mick Easterby.
The winning jumper from the family, Homer City won his sole victory in a firm ground hurdle at Market Rasen as a 4yr old, but he had previously won a juvenile hurdle the previous year only to be retrospectively disqualified when an illegal substance was detected in his urine.
About the sire
The strong, attractive
Harbour Law (b h born 2011) was a smart performer for Roger Charlton
in his two season racing on the flat. Unraced at 2, he won a couple
of races as a 3-yr-old prior to finishing 2nd in the listed Queens
Vase on his first venture into pattern company.
A couple of runs later, Harbour Law won the 2016 St. Leger (TFR 117)
where he impressed with his attitude and staying prowess.
Kept in racing as a 4-yr-old, he raced twice with the best of those
being a 3rd place in the Ascot Gold Cup.
He was retired to stud for the 2019 season at Batsford Stud
as an NH Sire, initially for £4,000.
With his youngest stock being 4 at the start of the 2024-25 season,
it may be a year or so till we start to see winners by Harbour Law.
His current fee in 2023 was £2,000 although he no longer seems to be
standing there.
Season 2024-25 outlook
Being bred by a St. Leger winner out of a staying flat-race mare, it is fair to say that Wor Lad wouldn't be ideally suited to NH bumpers as a 4 year old.
But, in just one of these quandaries that face trainers, Wor Lad
ran in a couple of bumpers in the Spring of 2024. He'd been in
training for some time and, as a backward type, there was little
more that could be achieved by the repetition of morning gallops so
he was given a couple of outings in bumpers for experience and aid
maturity.
You know, it was harking back to the days when bumpers were
introduced into the racing calendar to provide learning experience
for young, stoutly bred chasing types.
Well, let's hope that was the right choice as this season should see "Hector" aimed at more suitable races, probably starting with middle distance novice hurdles at galloping tracks.
Profile
Having trained several horses for the late Les Dodds over the years,
it was a real pleasure to welcome a horse that Les bred into the
yard in early 2023.
And not just any horse, for Wor Lad is
the son of Les' pride and joy, the 11-time winning home-bred mare Wor
Lass.
We actually managed to win a couple of races with Wor Lass too, at
the tail end of her race career. She was a fairly useful flat
handicapper who stayed 2 miles and acted on any ground.
From the first stock by St. Leger winner Harbour Law, the rangy Wor Lad came back into the yard in early Autumn and will follow our normal regime with youngsters mixing spells in full training with period away from the yard to rest and strengthen up.
| Season | win | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | other | |
| 2023-24 | NH Flat | 2 | ||||
| 2024-25 | Hurdles | 2 | ||||
