Happy Easter
Happy Easter – a 4 day holiday break with better weather and without the hassle of Christmas!
A fairly quiet week just gone and we thought we may have a runner on Tuesday with Surrey Quest but Nicky didn’t want him to be carrying 12 stone plus for a race that was just shy of 3 miles (even though he would have carried 11st 11lb) so back to scouring the races for the right one.
We are off to Chantilly this week to meet trainers and have a look about to see how viable it is to have a horse in training in France. The prize money is better in France whilst the racing is less competitive, so from an economic stand point it makes sense. Surrey Mist has travelled to France for his last two runs but the costs of those trips have been £6k each time, so having a horse based there cuts out those excessive traveling costs. Do let us know if you would be interested in being part of French syndicate.
Next to race will be Surrey Mist, who has been entered into the Listed Prix Lord Seymour next Sunday at Longchamp over 2400 m. With three Group 3 (classic trials) on the cards we didn’t expect the entry list for the Listed to be quite so hot, 4 Godolphin’s including the St Leger winner Hurricane Lane !! We are hopeful that we can persuade Ryan Moore to ride Mist so fingers crossed that he chooses Mist and Charlie Appleby forgets to take his top horse over!
https://www.france-galop.com/en/racing/detail/2023/P/aTlCeTNSRGpQdExNczRCaytTUGZtQT09
Surrey Charm is coming along nicely and it won’t be long until we see her back on the racetrack. She’s still not the biggest filly but is pretty compact and filling out in all the right areas. Hughie thinks she will stay 10 furlongs so he is looking at races between 8-10 furlongs and, if all goes well over the next 10 days, has identified two races, one at Nottingham on the 22nd, is an evening meeting with the class 6 handicap over 10 furlongs or 2 days later at Windsor over a mile. The target for the first race back, after 2 poor performances which probably knocked Charm’s confidence, it to get her enjoying being back on the racecourse. These races in April are super competitive so we will be looking for a decent performance for Charm and Hughie suggests if she handles the experience then we can pick up a win or two early summer.
Also this month we hope to see Surrey Noir but we’ll leave it with Charlie for another week before sitting down and discussing options. Surrey Knight has one more week before he comes back to Newmarket which is great news. We will organise another owners visit to Newmarket see all the horses there as well as one to Hughie’s in May, possibly Saturday 13th and 20th.
Surrey Belle is back on the gallops after her muscle issue which is now being treated with daily drugs. She’s doing two hack canters a day as Hughie slowly builds her fitness back, taking care not to cause overstraining. She looks absolutely fantastic though, and all being well she be back on a racecourse towards the end of May. The muscle spasms are a sign of physical immaturity usually associated with big horses and if handled well there shouldn’t be any long lasting impact and at some point Belle will be drug free but that’s not likely to be this season. It does mean that she has to be handled a little less rigorously while she develops further. Therefore, we may find it being a bit of a stop/start season, with Hughie eyeing a progressive campaign through lower novices and handicaps with her better performances coming in the softer Autumn ground. What we can save now we will reap next season as there is no doubt that Belle is too good to be pushed too hard too soon.
Surrey Fire and Surrey Force are coming along really well, showing a great attitude and both pleasing their trainers. Hughie thinks that all going well then Fire will debut around September time, and Force probably around the same time, maybe even slightly earlier.
Surrey Fortune seems to have turned a corner and had a pleasing outing at Towcester racecourse this week. He really enjoyed the morning out and took the gallop in his stride. It’s very important for the youngsters to experience different things especially as they are learning all the time. Surrey Lord has been hacking around wide open fields for the same reason. It teaches independence as it gives them something else to think about, and stops them being bored at home. We still hope to see both in a bumper before the season is out but we won’t be pushing, they will come good in their own time.
Good Luck to Mist owners next Sunday, I will try to get next week’s newsletter out a day earlier – Paris here we come!
Possible races and events
April
Sunday 16th – Surrey Mist – Paris Longchamp, Listed Prix Lord Seymour.
Saturday 22nd – Surrey Charm – Nottingham
Saturday 22nd – Surrey Mist – Newbury – Gr 3 John Porter Stakes
Monday 24th – Surrey Charm - Windsor
May
Tuesday 16th – Surrey Racing Golf Day