End of August Update
Yet again the firm ground put paid to Surrey Fire’s appearance this week at Thirsk and so we end August without a solitary runner which has been very frustrating for all involved. However, when you see what happened at Thirsk on Thursday, maybe we dodged a bullet, as after the first 4 races the stewards deemed the bend unsafe, and our prospective race was abandoned. It’s poor that racecourses can’t be managed properly these days. It does feel like maybe the settled weather has turned and we should see two horses run this week. Unfortunately for Surrey Fire and owners, there isn’t a suitable turf race so with him ready to run we are going to head to Lingfield on Wednesday for a class 5 (0-75) handicap over 13 furlongs with Kieron Shoemark scheduled to be Fire’s 9th different jockey in his 10th run. Fire will wear blinkers and if we get a good draw, he will go forward aiming to run how he did when he won there last season and then we can plan for races later into September where after a (hopefully) sustained period of unsettled weather, the ground should soften up, which Hughie feels he needs.
Also, this week, Surrey Shadow should return to racing over a mile as he has entry at Salisbury for racing on Thursday and will have an entry at Haydock on Saturday. Salisbury, where the ground is already soft, is a class 3 (0-88) handicap whereas Haydock is a lower rated race, a class 4 (0-85) handicap although for a bigger prize. Tom will look at the competition and choose the race with the best conditions for Shadow to hopefully get his head back in front.
Another event this week is Toby’s Open Day on Friday with a good attendance from the NH owners eager to hear the plans for our three horses. Surrey Quest will have his injection in his neck in the next two weeks as the faster work starts to build. There are only 2 suitable hurdle races for him in October, at Uttoxeter on Sunday 5th, and Cheltenham on Saturday 25th so if he’s well and the ground is softer then he’ll be aimed at the Uttoxeter race. Surrey Lord seems to be maturing, a change of work rider (now Emma) may have helped that, as well as Toby riding him from time to time. There is a suitable race on that same card at Uttoxeter so with a fair wind we could see both horses at the same venue.
Sea Presenting has a noisy larynx and will need that pinning by the form of a Llewellyn Procedure, which is a specific surgical technique used in horses to correct a condition called Dorsal Displacement of the Soft Palate (DDSP), which is a breathing issue that occurs during exercise. The surgery involves performing a combined staphylectomy (removal of tissue) and myotomy (cutting of muscle) at the level of the larynx to improve the horse's ability to breathe. She will have this done midweek, but this less invasive surgery requires her to be galloping again by the following Monday, she won’t miss too much exercise. The initial thought for her would be to qualify for the EBF Mares Final at Newbury, the race she missed through injury last season. There is a qualifier at Chepstow on Sunday 12th which, again, if all goes well, could be the ideal seasonal debut.
As I mentioned last week, Surrey Moon is back light working after having juvenile tendonitis, it’s a common condition for young horses going through growth spurts, unfortunately Tim has had to back off Surrey Etoile as he is now suffering with growing pains. The two of them are unlikely to make a debut before the end of October which perhaps surprisingly leaves Surrey King as the horse to possibly debut earlier than the other two, something that you don’t usually attribute to Hughie!
In other racing news, it was sad to hear of the death of Ruling Court this week, those of us who were in the sales ring in Deauville over a year ago won’t forget seeing the hammer drop for him at €2.4m, you could have dropped a pin it was so quiet. Ryan Moore has broken his leg and will miss the rest of the season, it doesn’t matter what level you are, it’s a tough gig for jockeys, and the Group 3 Solario Stakes, a race that over the years has been won by many class horses (Oh So Sharp, Kingman, Masar, Too Darn Hot, and last year Field of Gold), was won by a son of Palace Pier whose remarkable freshman year continues.
Good Luck to Fire and Shadow owners, we will see those coming racing and looking forward to seeing the NH owners on Friday.
Possible races and events.
September
Wednesday 3rd – Surrey Fire – Lingfield – 2.35
Thursday 4th – Surrey Shadow – Salisbury – 4.48
Friday 5th – Toby Lawes Open Day 12.30
Saturday 6th – Surrey Shadow – Haydock – 4.07
Saturday 20th – Hughie Morrison Open Morning (timings tbc)
October
Sunday 5th – Surrey Quest. Surrey Lord – Uttoxeter
Saturday 12th – Sea Presenting – Chepstow (EBF Mares Qualifier).
Friday 24th – Surrey King – Newbury
Saturday 25th – Surrey Quest – Cheltenham