July Newsletter
An excellent month...
July has been an excellent month here at Felstead Stables, and it's been fantastic to see the horses running with such consistency. Not only have we enjoyed a number of winners, but almost every horse that has stepped onto the racecourse has been competitive and run with real credit. It's always encouraging to see the team effort paying off, and Nick has been exceptionally pleased with how the horses are performing, crediting the whole team at home for their dedication and hard work every single day.
We've celebrated four winners during the month, each bringing something to smile about. Edgewell notched up his fourth victory for the yard in impressive fashion under Harry Reed, while Raffles Nobu recorded his first win for the stable, expertly partnered by Jack Quinlan. Of course, Racing Club members will know all about Mi Sueño's memorable first victory for the Club under Harry Reed, and Lacrima also got her deserved success early in the month, giving young jockey Jack Stenhouse another winner to celebrate.
Away from the winners' enclosure, there have been plenty of performances that deserve recognition. Morning Mayhem ran a tremendous race to finish fourth in a big Summer Hurdle, undoubtedly a career-best performance in a competitive contest. Meanwhile, horses such as Slaney Opera and Premier Fantasy have continued to knock on the door with placed efforts, giving us plenty of confidence that more winners are just around the corner.
We're now sitting on eight winners for the season, a figure we're extremely pleased with given the size of the yard and the number of horses in training. More importantly, the horses are running consistently well, and that's always a sign that things are heading in the right direction.
Back at home, all of our winter horses have now returned from their summer holidays. We're firm believers in doing things the traditional way, so they're currently enjoying three to four weeks of steady road work, spending around an hour each day trotting to strengthen their legs and build a solid foundation before faster work begins.
It's been a pleasure welcoming back some familiar faces. Bollin' Thou, who won an incredible five races last season, has returned looking magnificent after his break. Queen St Claire, our impressive Kelso handicap winner, is back in full swing, as is St Irene, who gave the yard its first Listed success. Alongside them, horses such as Race To Base and Toby's Hill are settling back into their routines, while we're also looking forward to introducing some exciting new recruits over the coming months.
It's very much all systems go at Felstead Stables. The winter horses are unlikely to make their racecourse returns until October or November, and after such a dry summer they'll certainly appreciate plenty of autumn rain before they're ready to run.
So, if anyone has perfected a rain dance, now would be a very good time to start!
In the meantime, our summer horses will continue to fly the flag for the yard for as long as conditions allow, while the winter team quietly builds towards the new National Hunt season. Several will also begin schooling over fences as they embark on exciting new chapters in their careers.
We're looking forward to what promises to be another exciting few months and, as always, thank you all for your continued support. We can't wait to share the journey with you.
Love the NS team X
