August 6th Update
No runners this week, and none next week as Surrey Charm hasn’t been declared for Windsor tomorrow with the ground being heavy. Charm is our one horse who would actually prefer it firmer than softer, it’s been a strange summer so far!
Surrey Charm will be entered at Windsor next Sunday, the 5.05 race, a class 6 handicap (0-65) over 10 furlongs, or she may head to Ffos Las on the 16th for a class 6 handicap (0-65) for apprentice jockeys only, over a distance of 12 furlongs. On a slightly different note, it was good to see her half brother Stromberg win very impressively at Galway today, Group racing next, possibly the Irish Futurity for him later this month. If Surrey Charm’s dam was to get black type, it would boost Charm’s value as a filly.
After a relatively lean time with winners, it certainly feels as if the tide has turned as our young horses start to mature and others to return to fitness. The recent highlight was obviously Charm’s win at Chepstow and despite only managing third at Sandown, it seems the penny has finally started to drop for Surrey Belle, she is surely knocking on the door of her first win. We all know about the highs and lows of racing, which is why we should always celebrate those highs with gusto! That was certainly the case at Chepstow and it was great to see the owner’s finally being rewarded.
We all want to see our horses run as soon as possible but patience really is the key. We are firm believers in the adage that it is where the horse ends up that matters not where it starts. If a horse is not ready due to a lack of fitness or immaturity it is not in anyone’s interest for the horse to run. Surrey Charm is a great example and after a succession of injuries and illness, Hughie (and what another brilliant win for Quickthorn this week) has taken his time to make sure she was spot on for her return and we can now look forward to her next race with optimism.
The circumstances around Surrey Belle are slightly different but the need for restraint remained the same. She is a big horse and needed time to mature, both physically and mentally. Her physical immaturity has resulted in her tying up if worked too hard, so she needs muscle relaxants and Hughie backing off her faster work. Added to the fact her mental immaturity and strength of character has led to a reluctance to settle. Both have had to be managed but this has meant we had to take a few steps backwards before attempting to move forward. The handicapper put her up two pounds this week to a new rating of 66.
The moral of this is that horses really do benefit from patience. We appreciate training fees are being paid and we all want to see our horse running but there is no fun continually watching your horse underperform. We all want to live the dream but too much too soon and the dreams can come crashing down around you!
We may see two others on the track this month. Surrey Noir’s workload is increasing and Charlie has highlighted Wednesday 23rd for his return to the track, in a 7 furlong class 5 handicap at Kempton, so no ground concerns, and therefore no excuses. Surrey Force had a fast piece of work last week and whilst moving well he did get pretty tired at the end of it. He won’t be making his debut in Deauville as Kevin doesn’t think he’s quite ready for what is an expensive journey, so he’ll hopefully debut at home towards the end of the month. If he performs well on debut then we still retain the option of racing in France at the end of September.
No new updates on the rest but there’s plenty happening as they are all gearing up for their debut’s or a return to racing so certainly more updates likely over the coming weeks plus we’ll keep sending the WhatsApp videos out as always. We also post bit and pieces on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn – we would love to spread the word so please give us a follow !
The first yearling sales book dropped through the letterbox this week so we’ll be canvassing thoughts to see what interest there is in buying into yearlings although we still have 3 shares left in Surrey Shadow who is starting to fill his frame out very nicely. We are also planning on the feasibility of buying a yearling who will be trained and predominantly raced in France.
Good Luck Charms to the owners for next Sunday !
Possible races and events
2023
August
Sunday 13th – Surrey Charm – Windsor
Wednesday 16th – Surrey Charm – Ffos Las
Wednesday 23rd - Surrey Noir – Kempton
Surrey Belle – Leicester
Saturday 26th – Surrey Belle - Windsor
September
Saturday 9th – Billy’s Owners Morning
Thursday 14th Toby Lawes Drinks (as part of National Racehorse Week)
Saturday 30th – Surrey Force – Paris Longchamp