From the gallops

Dodlands gallops - Morning Has Broken

With our web team off colour and confined to box rest for a few days, it was left to one of our owners Ian Aitken to provide some photos and updates from the Saturday morning gallops. As the above photo shows, Ian was up with the larks and on the gallops as dawn broke to welcome the quartet of horses for Lot 1. Rumours, to the effect that this was Ian calling in to Dodlands on the way home after an eventful Friday night out which took in a selection of Borders' night clubs, remain unfounded.

The photos from the gallops this week are certainly more artistic than of late which can only up the quality of our weekly reports. Several local work riders dropped in during the morning so again we were blessed with a high quality group. Ryan, Garry, Pinky and Murray joined Callum and Sarah in morning exercise.

Lot 1 had Big Bad Dream, Baby Ticker, 'Reeva' and Side of the Road in a couple of spins Up-the-Middle

Baby Ticker and Side of the Road tracked by Big Bad Dream and 'Reeva'

Lots 2 and 3 were viewed by TSMGW regulars Nick, Colin, The Smiths and Ian who were joined by Rob Bewley and friends.
A quintet of the string made up Lot 2 - Dali Mail, Shades of Midnight, Paper Roses, 'Sting' and Eternally Yours each doing two gallops at a nice pace.

The grey gelding Dali Mail working with 'Sting'

The third lot had another 5 horses working twice up the gallop - 'Dessie', Hartforth, Paper Promise, Tomahawk Wood and Night Comes In.
Hartforth, Paper Promise and Tomahawk Wood did an extra gallop as well.

Snippets

It was like old times as The Trainer, The Jockey and Les Dodds made their way down to Doncaster Sales on Tuesday, and came home with a couple of yearlings to be trained for the 2018 Flat Season. And the trio were delighted with the purchases, a Pastoral Pursuits colt, who'll probably need a wee bit time to strengthen and a lovely Coach House filly that has been sent down to Gary Rutherford to complete her education.

But that's next year.......

As was previewed last week, Scobie's Nakeeta ran a tremendous race to finish 5th Down Under in the Melbourne Cup, picking up over £100,000 in the process. As feared, drawn 19 of 24 was too much of an disadvantage, the first 4 horses were drawn 4,3,2,5 respectively.
Not bad for a man from Hawick..................!

We're always keen at this stage of the season to see announcements of new National Hunt sires to be standing in the UK for the first time in 2018.
Jack Hobbs is a top class racehorse, a strong well-bred sort and he is now based at Overbury Stud, alongside Kayf Tara. Sure to be popular at a fee of £4,000.
Dartmouth. who carried the silks of The Queen to victory in two Group 2s, has been retired from racing and will take up covering duty at Shade Oak Stud in 2018 at a fee of £3,000. He will stand alongside Scorpion, Black Sam Bellamy and Telescope amongst others.
But the one that caught our eye was Batsford Stud's acquisition of a son of Deep Impact - Danon Ballade. The 9 year old raced 26 times, 25 in Pattern company, winning a Grade 2 over 11 furlongs, and has stood in Japan and Italy. His first yearlings are in 2017. With the relocation of Gentlewave from Yorton Stud to France for 2018, we reckon that Danon Ballade is the only NH/dual purpose stallion in the UK free of Northern Dancer blood - an attractive trait touched on in a recent musing.

Back to National Hunt racing, we'll probably have one or two runners during the course of next week - Carlisle and Ayr being the venues.
Look out for more details the evening before.