Introduction......published beginning of October 2023 

Summer.... How was it for you, dear?
It wasn't the sunniest, or warmest, ever experienced was it? Thank God for September. Guess that's Scotland for you, we blame Nicola......

Still, October welcomes the start of the 'real' National Hunt season across the UK & Ireland.
Well, it does for Dodlands Steading but clearly across The Irish Sea, WP has not received the email for, as this is written (12th October), the master of Closutton has racked up 35 bumper winners alone.

 Anyway, hot off the press, here's the Dodlands' Jumps Season Preview.
As usual  mistakes, omissions, false accusations etc. are entirely the fault of our Website Team who'll be so happy to hear from you..............

Lies, Damned Lies & Statistics - last season

Along with 2024 BHA fixture organisational changes, there have been whispers of a formal break in the Jumps Programme, so in the Statistics table below the 12 month data has continued to be accumulated from 1st August to 31st July. True traditionalists, a much preferable term than luddites.
And just to be as contrary as possible, Flat Statistics (included for the first time) use the same period.
The BHA are sure to catch up at some point soon.

So, maybe not the best season we've had but......'ang on a minute!
Look at those runners on the Flat & AW during the same period. 61.9% placed. See My Baby Jive and Pallas Lord - our September!!

National Hunt Seasons Runs & results (Percentage figures in brackets)		win	2nd	3rd	4th	other	Placed
2022-23		4 (6.8%)	7 (11.9%)	7 (11.9%)	6 (10.1%)	35 (59.3%)	40.7%
2021-22		8 (14.5%)	9 (16.4%)	3 (5.5%)	6 (10.9%)	29 (52.7%)	47.3%
2020-21		3 (5%)	8 (13%)	7 (12%)	10 (16%)	33 (54%)	46%
2019-20		4 (9%)	9 (20%)	7 (15%)	6 (13%)	20 (43%)	57%
2018-19		6 (14%)	9 (21%)	4 (9%)	4 (9%)	20 (47%)	53%
2017-18		8 (17%)	6 (13%)	5 (10%)	4 (8%)	25 (52%)	48%
2016-17		4 (7.6%)	5 (9.6%)	5 (9.6%)	3 (5.8)	35 (67.3)	32.7
2015-16		5 (11.4%)	4 (9%)	7 (15.9%)	5 (11.4%)	23 (52.3%)	47.7%

Flat & All Weather Runs & results (Percentage figures in brackets)		win	2nd	3rd	4th	other	Placed
2022-23		3 (14.3%)	3 (14.3%)	3 (14.3%)	4 (19%)	8 (38.1%)	61.9%

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

Horses and hopes for NH Season 2022-23.

Maybe not as many young, unraced horses as in previous years but The Trainer is in an ebullient mood as the stable is full of horses in excellent health plus  Helen is still reeling from that 3 weeks in July at Ayr when her own See My Baby Jive racked up a hat-trick.

Full details of the Stable Staff can be found on the dedicated page. Callum, Garry, Laura are joined by Rhae while Pinky & Shay pop in for high days (aka weekends) and holidays. 

Again, invaluable experience provided by jump jockey Craig Nichol who although having commitments to other yards, does manage to pop down once a week or so to ride out and assist with schooling.
Jockey profiles can be found here.

Now, here are the equine inhabitants at Dodlands Steading ahead of the 2023-24 National Hunt Season.

Handicap hurdlers 

Shoeshine Boy
Quietly progressive.
Shoeshine Boy enters the 2023-24 season (his 4th) as an established fair handicap hurdler. From a lean, unfurnished sort, "Theo" now holds onto his condition and shows muscles in all the right places. A sturdy, compact frame - a pocket battleship.
A winner at Ayr on his final run in 2021-22, Shoeshine Boy ran several fine races last season around the 3 mile mark winning at Carlisle at the start of April before improving again to chase home the formerly useful Burbank (who'd since tumbled down the handicap weights) in a Class 3 event at Perth a few weeks later (clear of the 3rd horse).

Probably acts on any type of jumping ground, this Valirann gelding did take a couple of runs to find his form last season, but he could be one of the first of the winter string to hit the racecourse in October. He'll stick to 3 mile handicap hurdles with maybe an eye on qualifying for one of those Northern series finals. Shoeshine Boy seems ideally suited by 3 miles and cut in the ground, and starts the season on a mark of OR103.
The lads of Mousetrap Racing will have another exciting season in staying handicap hurdles with this lad.

Bollin Matilda
A fairly low key introduction to racing for Bollin Matilda in 2023.
Our home-bred Yorgunnabelucky mare started off in a bumper at Ayr in January on heavy ground. For a fairly light-framed type she found this a real test but she wasn't knocked about by Craig. Still, it was good to see her on the racecourse.
February through April, Bollin Matilda had three runs in novice hurdles over distances from 2 to 2½ miles, with her best run coming on debut at Ayr on good to soft in February. Although she has yet to make much impression over hurdles, for an immature and slightly weak mare she was handled with considerate care in those races, so hopefully the experience will not be lost on her.

Now handicapped (OR86) for the start of the 2023-24 season, Bollin Matilda will be aimed at small handicap hurdles in the North probably over 2½ miles initially. We'd imagine that like her dam she could prove best at 3 miles with ease in the ground.

Handicap hurdlers & probable novice chasers

Nights In Venice
Just how did you fail to win with Nights In Venice in 2022-23, I hear you ask? Well, it wasn't easy but we managed it.........6 runs, 4 places.
At Ayr in February over 3 miles, we decided taking on Lucinda's Apple Away (who won off OR113 that day but ended the season on OR141) and Todhunter's Jet Legs (off OR102, ended on OR112) presented a good opportunity. However chasing that pair took its toll and Nights In Venice was beaten a length for 2nd place by Jet Legs. The first two then went 4 wins from 4 till the end of the season......
Predictably enough in each his next couple of runs, Nights In Venice could be spotted travelling ominously well. But each time was headed heartbreakingly  on the run-in.
A tall, lengthy gelding, he possesses a good deal of scope and we still think there is improvement to come in staying distances over hurdles and most definitely over fences this season.

Cowboy Cooper 
Cowboy Cooper is a strong gelding, coming in at 16.1hh.
After 3 runs in novice hurdles to qualify for a handicap mark, in 2023-24 Cowboy Copper reached a place in a handicap hurdle at Hexham in late March. This was at a fairly modest level but gave the yard a little bit of promise to hang onto with him, and he was probably over-the-top when 6th at Perth at the end of April next time.
His best form (bumpers & hurdling) has come in less testing conditions - indeed, his younger full brother has won on good to firm - so we'll be looking at small handicap hurdles this season with the going in his favour.
And later in the season we may well go chasing with this gelding who now races in Bill Aitchison's colours.

Eden Mill
After an initial run last season to gain a handicap mark, Eden Mill provided several thrills for TD9 Racing on the racecourse in 2022-23, albeit at a modest level.
He reached the frame twice, and indeed at Carlisle on his penultimate race of the season, he looked the likely winner. Leading over the last with Craig Nichol driving hard, Eden Mill was just headed in the final 100 yds. agonisingly losing out  by less than ½ length in 3rd.
He probably had enough for the season when pulled up at Perth at the end of April.

His (start of the season) handicap mark of OR77 certainly gives him opportunities to shine in small handicap hurdles should he be able to replicate his best form of 2022-23. Probably best suited by 2½ miles, he has shown he acts with plenty of ease in the ground.
Another who, dependant on progress during the season, will have a tilt at the (slightly) larger obstacles later on.

Enemy At The Gate
So, following an extended period of box rest, Enemy At The Gate kick started his career with a nice re-introduction in a 2 mile novice hurdle at Ayr in January 2023. He came out of that race sound much to the relief of his patient connections, but perhaps suffered from the dreaded bounce when down the field a month later in a handicap over course and distance.
Upped in distance by ½ mile next time at Newcastle, he jumped the last with a slight lead but despite battling fiercely went down by ¾ length with 14 lengths back to the 3rd horse.
On his final run, he was again placed over the same Newcastle trip but didn't race with his usual zest. Nevertheless we were delighted with his return to racing overall that season after such a long period on the sidelines.

He's been back in the yard since mid August and working steadily each morning on the gallops to build up strength without putting too much stress on his legs. A fair hurdler, keep an eye out for this good looking 7-yr-old Fame and Glory gelding re-appearing in November, with perhaps an outing or two over fences later in the season.

So Many Roads
Last season So Many Roads ran a nice race on reappearance when 5th in a hot novice at Carlisle (2½ miles) before his final novice over 2 miles at Kelso which gave him his opening handicap mark (OR94). The latent potential of his outings came to the surface on his handicap debut over 2½ miles at Ayr's New Year meeting where, under a fine Craig Nichol ride, he stayed on strongly to beat a field of 17.
A bit unlucky next time over course and distance, he mistimed a hurdle early on and came to grief.
That was a hefty fall and he was shaken for quite some weeks afterwards but he was back in full training at the back-end although it was never intended to run again that season.

"Andy" has again been working well in the early few weeks of the season, and we'd be looking for this 16.2hh sturdy, chasing type to be making his seasonal debut over hurdles when the ground is soft, before moving onto chasing around year end.

Novice hurdlers

Both Barrels
Three placed efforts from just three runs was a very promising return in season 2022-23 for Both Barrels.
He looked quite green on racecourse debut at Ayr in November when 3rd to Largy Valley & Ewan's Kingston Bridge (a previous winner who has won over hurdles since). He still looked in need of experience on his next run at the beginning of February when 4th over the same course & distance. The winner and third horse that day have won over hurdles since.
Both Barrels saved his best for his final run at Kelso in March, a £30,000 added event with 9 previous winners lining up. After leading briefly turning for home, he kept on well to the line finishing in 3rd, beaten 3 lengths.

Both Barrels will be aimed at novice hurdles this season, and is one we're looking forward to.

Houxty Reiver
Houxty Reiver was well held in each of her 2 runs last season in bumpers. She took a fairly strong hold on the first of these on the turf track at Newcastle in December and was struggling entering the home straight a month later on the AW at the same track.
So, a bit to prove but the mare will be schooled over hurdles with a view to making a hurdling debut towards the middle of the season.
Houxty Reiver could be well suited by a trip over hurdles like her sisters Bonny Houxty and Maid Of Houxty.

Bumper horses

Houxty Belle
Houxty Belle is gorgeous young filly bred by Bill Aitchison who arrived in the yard at the back end of the Summer of '22.  
This athletic type was noted working nicely upsides her stable companions each morning early in the 2022-23 season but ran very green on her racecourse debut in the middle of May at Hexham, whereupon she was roughed off for a spell at grass.
So, on the face of it, she does have a wee bit to prove but she''ll be trained for another appearance around the turn of the year..                         

The Hardest Geezer
This well-bred Malinas gelding was an acquisition at the Spring NH Goffs UK Store sale in May 2022, as an unbroken 3 year old.
He was sent along to Nick Orpwood shortly afterwards and during the 2022-23 campaign spent a few weeks in and out of training to aid the furnishing of his frame and mental strength..
We decided not to rush him into a late season bumper but will be looking to kick start this 4-yr-old's career with a bumper appearance in the Autumn.

He is a lovely, athletic gelding standing at over 16.1hh. All in all, a super exciting horse.

An early season gallop - towards the top

The string is completed by a small number of unraced youngsters who will be developed as the season progresses. Each may be forward enough to make a racecourse appearance at the back-end of the season, but if not will spend time in and out of the yard as nature takes its course in terms of strengthening and maturing.

Ellistrin Bay
The dam of 'Ellis' - the late Ellistrin Belle -  was owned by Ron & Eileen Smith having been bred by The Potassium Partnership.
Ellistrin Belle was actually leased for racing to The Potassium Partnership for a couple of seasons, before we trained the mare for her owners Ron & Eileen Smith from the start of the 2014-15 season. And we were delighted to win a Sedgefield handicap hurdle in November 2015 and follow up with a win in the same race a year later.
The Smith's had kept Ellistrin Belle as a broodmare in their own paddocks on the outskirts of Hawick.
In 2018, she was sent to Clovis du Berlais and 'Ellis' is the resultant foal.

Ellistrin Bay was in training here at Dodlands for a few months in the Spring of the 2022-23 season. He also had a spell in the yard the previous year so was well acquainted with the yard set up and morning routing.
A bumper debut had been expected around about the turn of the year but unfortunately Ellistrin Bay picked up an injury which requires some attention and box rest, so may miss this season.

Wor Lad
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 the Spring of 2023. And not just any horse, for Wor Lad is the son of Les' pride and joy, the 11-time winning 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.