Midweek gallops from Dodlands

One of our quieter work days on Tuesday this week, with 4 horses having run at the weekend and Snapping Turtle down to run the next day.

After some glorious weather (for the time of year) over the last week, the morning was misty but mild with no wind.
First lot contained a couple of our youngsters (see next story) plus two of our bumper horses.
Indeed it was Keyboard Gangster who led (albeit, at a fair distance!) his three workmates on a couple of spins on the Up-the-Middle gallop. Keyboard Gangster has been a bit unfortunate with minor and major issues (none were his fault) in the last 18 months, but we've taking things steady with him and he's been sound for a couple of months now.

Big Bad Dream was third in a bumper to the highly rated Sam's Adventure at the end of January, and the form of that race is working out well with both the second and seventh winning since, with a couple of other showing good placed form too. He'd been given a couple of quiet week since, and has improved physically in this spell. He tracked a couple of the youngsters (Eternally Yours and 'Brooke') and worked nicely twice.

Expect both of these horses (that's the geldings) to re-appear in a bumper towards the middle to end of April.

Keyboard Gangster disappears from view of his stable companions

Lot 2 consisted of 5 horses, with all of the Tuesday staff legged up.
Side of the Road (Callum) tracked his work mates first time up, and then did a solo spin. Hartforth and Tomahawk Wood led the string tracked by Paper Roses (Sarah) and Dali Mail (Garry) .

Dali Mail has taken his time in coming back into himself after his initial run in a bumper at Newcastle on heavy ground. Finished fourth and travelled well for a long way but was beaten a fair distance in the end. He's in great form, and we'd like to find another bumper of good to soft or soft ground (but no faster) before he goes off to summer grass.

Hartforth (Lisa) and Tomahawk Wood, with Paper Roses in the background

The remaining lots were a mixture of youngsters on the roads or horses having a stretch on the roads or a gentle canter on the gallops. Those in the latter category included Night Comes In, Baby Ticker, Snapping Turtle and Bolin Julie.

Youngster's progressing 

With the initial racecourse exposure complete, it was decided to move on to the next stage with a couple of our 5 year olds. Both Side of the Road and Night Comes In have been schooled over low poles. Thanks again to the Shirley-Beavan's for making their outdoor arena across the valley at Bonchester available to us for an hour or so last week.
The schooling went well (Callum and Garry), with Side of the Road quite slick, and Night Comes In  a bit more deliberate but making an excellent 'shape' over the barrels and poles. This will continue over the next week or so, probably using our hurdles lane with one of the older horses providing a lead.

A couple of our young fillies have now moved back into full work in the last couple of weeks. Eternally Yours and 'Brooke' were given a winter break after spending the autumn gaining first experiences of morning work-outs. Confident that these two were strong enough to progress, after a few gentle weeks of roadwork plus some cantering, the duo have been impressing in their work and are now doing a couple of spins in the morning.
Of course, both horses come from families that are well known at Dodlands. Eternally Yours is a daughter of 4-time winning hurdler Well Disguised, and 'Brooke' is a full sister to the 112-rated hurdler Paper Roses.
We'll see how it goes but one or other of the pair may see a racecourse debut in a bumper in May.

Two more of our young 4 year olds are in road work, and are expected to be cantering by the start of next week. 'Reeva' and 'Sting' were acquired at the same time as the year older 'Brooke' and are thriving for this work.
At this stage, our thoughts are to work this pair for a couple of months before sending them out to summer grass to strengthen again and mature, before coming back in next autumn for preparation for racecourse debuts next season.

Eternally Yours (Sarah) and 'Brooke' (Garry) lead Big Bad Dream (Callum)

Snapping Turtle unplaced yesterday 

Snapping Turtle seemed to run his race in the staying handicap hurdle, and kept on, but was no danger to the leaders from halfway.