...Ring out the old, ring in the new.... 

....as former Beatle George Harrison once sang....

Happy New Year!
An appropriate time to take stock on the first part of the ever shorter National Hunt season. Climate change and all that jazz.

Statistical Analysis - mid season

National Hunt Seasons Runs & results (Percentage figures in brackets)		win	2nd	3rd	4th	other	Placed
2023-24        National Hunt       from 1st August to 31st December		2 (9.6%)	5 (23.8%)	4 (19%)	4 (19%)	6 (28.6%)	71.4%
2023              AW & Flat            from 1st August to 31st December			2 (20%)		3 (20%)	5 (50%)	50%

*  statistics from 1st August - 31st December
** placed runner covers those of our horses in the first 4 in a race where there is prize money won

A great team effort but frustrating nonetheless.

I mean, 71.4% of our National Hunt horses placed in the first few months of the season reflects upon a fantastic effort by the whole team here at Dodlands.
And the 50% on the Flat shouldn't be ignored either.
A remarkable return.
And we hope our owners enjoyed themselves too, and as always our gratitude goes out to them!

Frustrating though, as we has countless horses challenging over the last but just the two winners.
Ah well, that's racing....as someone once said.

Horses : how did they run?

Handicap hurdlers 

Shoeshine Boy
Mousetrap Racing's gelding started off the season much as he had left the previous season, with a couple of consistently good efforts. Runner up at both Hexham  (not beaten far) and then Kelso in 3 mile Class 3 events.
He was a bit quiet in the yard following these so we gave him time to show he was back to himself before a run at Haydock at the end of the year in a Class 4 Conditional Jockeys' handicap hurdle but he was very much below par. 4th place but beaten quite a long way out. Not at all like Shoeshine Boy.

Bollin Matilda
Not quite sure which type of ground the mare prefers. We trained her dam Bollin Julie (a dual winner) who was an absolute mudlark.
Conditions were very much on the easy side on her seasonal debut at Kelso in November where she made no show but a week or so ago our home-bred mare ran a very fine race to finish a close 3rd at Carlisle. Like her best race last season as a novice hurdler, the going at Carlisle was good to soft and the impression being is that a sounder surface helps this light-framed mare jump with fluency.
Hope that she can continue to give us a thrill in the second half of the season - maybe one for Spring ground.

Handicap hurdlers

Nights In Venice
He's been travelling well in staying hurdles for several races now, including last season when he looked like scoring over the last a couple of times.
He's not got so close at the finish this season though - but still travelling well - so he's had a minor wind operation.
Now back in full training, hope to make a racecourse reappearance mid-end January and if the op is a success, could well be a winner in waiting.

Cowboy Cooper 
A couple of 3rd placings over 3 miles to open this term with the first of these being the better - and more promising run - when leading over the last at Hexham. Probably the lack of a previous outing telling when run out of it and beaten a couple of lengths.
Buoyed by that first run at a staying distance, we ran him in mid December over c&d but this time he faded at the top of the hill into the home straight, and didn't look suited by the trip.
As mentioned in a couple of places in this review, in the latter half of December several of our horses weakened quickly from 2 out so it may be there is something hanging over them just now. A bit like kids at nursery................

Eden Mill
After a fine pipe opener over 2m 5f at Kelso in early November - runner up but beaten less than a length - Eden Mill duly followed up over the c&d in emphatic style a couple of weeks later, winning readily.  Returning to the track at Newcastle just before Christmas, he was again travelling very smoothly but fell away after 2 out to finish 5th. This was on good to soft ground (and the home straight rode much faster) whereas his first couple of runs this season at Kelso were on heavy so it could be that he was unsuited by this type of surface.
That said, yet another of the string who has travelled well but found little from 2 out in mid December, so.......

Enemy At The Gate
A progressive handicap hurdler this season. He found 2 miles at Carlisle in October an inadequate test but we felt he ran well to finish 4th. Reverting to a more suitable 2m 6½f next time at Kelso, he travelled smoothly enough but was let down by jumping mistakes in the last mile when filling second place. Well clear of rest.
Given a more forceful ride (in terms of jumping) at Ayr (2m 5½f) on 20th December, Enemy At The Gate ran an excellent race only to be pipped by a length on the run-in by a handicap debutant, again finishing well clear of the remainder.
As a result, the gelding now finds himself on his highest handicap mark (OR101) without having won a race.
Isn't the British handicap system wonderful?

So Many Roads
The season hasn't gone as well as we'd hoped for So Many Roads.
You may recall, following his win at Ayr in January he suffered a crashing fall next time which delayed his return to the racecourse. So, after a couple of fairly ordinary runs to open the season at Carlisle & Newcastle (travelled well, found little), we ran him in a Class 3 event at Kelso a few days before year end. Though racing keenly, he did travel and jump well (much improved) and looked certain to be in the shake up for the prize but found nil under pressure and weakened quickly approaching the final flight. Finished 5th and literally walked over the line.
He's a good horse but whether this form is a reflection of the general recent stable endeavours or his own issue, we'll find out in the coming weeks.

Novice hurdlers

Both Barrels
The most exciting novice hurdler we've had for a few seasons.
He confirmed the promise of his bumper efforts when 4th on hurdling debut over 2m 4f at Carlisle to Johnnywho. Solid form.
We thought he would go close next time at Newcastle in another novice (2m 6f) but he was maybe unsettled when pushed for room jumping 5 out down the back straight, and after another slight mistake 2 out couldn't find any more on the run in. Finished 3rd beaten 7 lengths.
Still, another fine run and that 5 placed efforts from 5 outings in bumpers and hurdles.
A lot more to come.

Bumper horses

The Hardest Geezer
We do get things right occasionally, lol.

The Hardest Geezer was bought at the Goffs NH Spring Store Sales in May '22 with the intention of preparing him for a bumper run in which the son of Malinas could show ability, catch the eye and then be sold at public auction.
So, he won a newcomers bumper at Ayr in early November in a 15 runner field containing several well-thought-of youngsters.
The Hardest Geezer then realised £90k at Tatts Cheltenham Sale a couple of weeks later to join Phillip Hobbs (we think).

Love it when a plan comes together......as the man said.

...Ding Dong, Ding Dong....