BRAVE EMPEROR’S Listed win in France in February was Archie’s ninth French stakes race success. He won the Prix de la Californie in Cagnes-Sur-Mer in the colours of Middleham Park Racing.
The three-year-old’s fourth win from five starts in the mile feature, orchestrated by the ever-reliable Luke Morris, is detailed in a separate article on this web site.
In an otherwise quiet month at Saxon Gate, Abbey’s Dream supplemented her January maiden success at Newcastle by following up over the same seven furlongs on 9th February.
Ridden by promising northern based 5lb claimer Mark Winn, Ontoawinner’s daughter of Tasleet kept on well to beat the in-form Comedian Leader by a length. Better positioned than the favourite in a steadily run race, she built of her previous victory at the North East track which has so far brought the best out of her.
Newcastle was also the destination for Onight’s breakthrough win in a seven-furlong novice on 22nd February. Ecurie Ama.Zingteam’s Oasis Dream colt made all the running to justify joint favouritism under Kieran Shoemark.
Meanwhile, crack miler Tempus flew out to Qatar to contest the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup over a mile in Doha on 18th February. He didn’t enjoy the best of runs, getting caught wider than ideal in the Group 2, but was beaten little more than three lengths in sixth.
Another Hambleton Racing star Grove Road continued his preparations for the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle over three miles at the Cheltenham Festival.
And there was encouraging news about our stable jockey Hollie Doyle who set her sights on a return to action on 1st April following an operation on her elbow, injured in a fall at Wolverhampton early in the new year.
By Simon Mapletoft
