Fine third place for Dali Mail today at Kelso

In a slowly run bumper - sensibly paced though for young NH horses in heavy ground - our Dali Mail finished a close 3rd under a fine, considered ride from Callum.

As we previewed, the race contained three previous winners (2 Point winners, and a bumper winner) plus a bumper runner-up and that's pretty much how the race panned out. Fairly expensive purchases from the Irish Point field are becoming more regular for Northern based trainers and both GNWTLR's winner Highland Hunter (£150k) and Rose's head runner up Hitman Fred (£90k) were prominent in the betting market beforehand.
It's great to see investments of this nature in horses to be trained in the North and each of these stables have several more in the ranks to come through, and when you add into the mix similar acquisitions in the hands of Nicky Richards, Donald McCain, Scobie Jardine, Brian Ellison, Keith Dalgleish, Malcolm Jefferson, Kinneston Nick et al, the future in these parts is looking a lot brighter than in recent seasons.

Whilst Dodlands Steading can't compete with the outlay of these larger yards, we do put a lot of consideration into selecting youngsters at the sales or bringing through home-breds, and we're delighted with the performances and promise from such horses this season. Handicap hurdlers Paper Roses and Baby Ticker fall into this category, as do the bumper runs of Paper Promise, Eternally Yours and Rob Bewley's Bluefortytwo.

Today's run from Dali Mail, an £11k Goffs UK 'store' purchase, was another that brought delight to his owners and all at the yard. Sometimes it takes a look at a horse in the paddock up against (fine-looking) horses from other yards to better see what greets us each morning, afternoon and evening. Our French-bred 5 year old stood tall at 16.3hh in the paddock and has furnished and strengthened into a stunning looking horse.
That was matched by his performance in the race itself for if not quite getting into the first two, he travelled very well off a pace that was a touch slow for him, but picked up with the the first two in the final three furlongs, keeping on nicely all the way to the line.

Dali Mail was beaten just over 3 lengths at the finish, with a clear 9 lengths back to the 4th horse, Ewart's previous bumper winner Strike the Pose. Back along the road to his own stable just over an hour later and he was straight to his feed box - we thought he looked unperturbed in the unsaddling enclosure post race too!

With a horse of his conformation, we don't want to rush Dali Mail into another race without making sure he has recovered fully, regained strength and is happy in his work.
As you can tell, we're thrilled with the gelding, very much another one with a bright future.

Dali Mail

Sedgefield on Sunday

Plans are not fully finalised but in case we miss an update, Side of the Road will probably run in the 2m 1f mares' handicap hurdle that closes Sedgefield's card on Sunday.

She'll be set to shoulder 11st 12lb (OR 95) but Side of the Road is a nicely sized mare, and the ground is probably going to be no worse than soft. She's been travelling well in recent races over 2½ miles, so we thought we'd drop her back in trip a touch and see how she goes. It may be that a flatter track like Ayr (she holds an entry next Wednesday) would suit her better, so it's a little bit of a dip into the unknown.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say......... 

Side of the Road on the left