Oli Bell's series of Newmarket Stables Tours continues with Charlie Fellowes who goes through the most exciting horses in his upwardly mobile team for 2020.
Our Friends in Newmarket - Charlie Fellowes
- Stable star: Prince Of Arran
- Horse to follow: King Ottokar
- Handicapper to follow: Lord Halifax
Older Horses
Carnwennan
Won the Northumberland Vase last year impressively and then slightly lost his way after that. I ran him on soft ground at Newbury which he hated and he really got his act together again throughout the early part of this year. He’s an out and out stayer, we’d possibly look at the Ascot Stakes for him if we can, he’ll stay, he likes quick ground and he’s a straightforward horse.
Escalator
Again we haven’t seen him for a while, he also did a tendon after he won impressively at Meydan last year. He was going to be running in a Group Two a few weeks later and he did a tendon in his last piece of work. He’s cantering away, he wouldn’t be as far forward as Jeremiah is but he’s rated 108, we like him, he’s very talented and we’ll be looking at 10 furlongs and soft ground later in the year. Hopefully he can prove to be a Group horse.
Jeremiah
He hasn’t run for a long time, he did a tendon after he won nicely at Thirsk. Previous to that he had some very good form, he’s a massive great big horse with lots of ability. He’s ready to run and he could be a very nice stayer. I’ll probably look at something quite nice for him, although we’d be worried about whether his tendon can hold up and how many runs we’ll get out of him. I’ve always liked him a lot.
King Ottokar
He looked very impressive on his first start last year when beating a very good field. Then a couple of things went against him, we wanted to try and run him in the Derby and he didn’t stay 1m4f in the Chester Vase, then he ran a blinder at Royal Ascot when having a horrible trip wide and out the back. I made a mistake by dropping him back to a mile after that, I think he would’ve won with a clear run but he was just always using a gear too much. I think 10 furlongs is his bag. He’s great, working well and I still think he’s a proper horse. He loves soft ground and we could look at races around Europe.
Lord Halifax
He bolted up at Kempton in December and I ran him under a penalty after that, he just didn’t get a good trip around Lingfield. He’s better than he was at Chelmsford last time out where he was too lit up. I think he’s going to be a nice stayer, we’ve really been patient with him and I think he’ll be good for handicaps this season – perhaps a similar type to Carnwennan last year. I think he’ll stay two miles in time.
Mayfair Spirit
Won five races last year, he’s a funny horse and only ever wins by a head or a neck so the handicapper never put him up much, but I’ve a lot of time for any horse that can win five times in one year. He’s come back looking great, his riders tell me he feels better than ever and hopefully he can continue to improve. We might end up in some nice races at the end of the year over a mile or a mile and a quarter. He goes on any ground, very versatile.
Pirate King
Won his last three on the all-weather. I don’t think he’s just an all-weather horse, his brother Dandino was just as good on turf, but he seems to have really pulled himself together, looks great and I think 1m4f, maybe 1m6f, is his trip. We had the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap pencilled in for him but he’d need to go up a little bit even if it was on. He’s a nice horse and on the upgrade.
Prince Of Arran
Not much needs to be said about him, he’s been a star. Placed in the last two Melbourne Cups, we were planning on going back down again this year but obviously those plans are up in the air. If the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot goes ahead he could go there, he’s got a very good record at Ascot and we feel he might stay 2m4f now, especially if we rode him patiently.
Three-year-olds
Alamora
She ran twice over the winter on the all-weather, running really nicely both times and is a filly I like a lot. The family get better and better with age. She’s on a break just to allow her to fill out, she’s very immature and if she fills her frame she could be a very nice filly at the end of the year and probably even better as a four-year-old. She’s by Gleneagles, she’s got plenty of ability and I’d like to think she won’t be far off black type at some point.
Amarillo Star
He’s very consistent, he was second in a nice race up at Newcastle and then I ran him in the Spring Cup over seven furlongs at Lingfield in February, he just got too far back and the race didn’t go right for him. I think he’ll be a nice sprint handicapper, six furlongs is probably his trip and he’s a lovely, honest son of Society Rock.
Beauty Choice
Funny horse, you wouldn’t pick him out at home. He never takes your eye, but as soon as you take him to a gallop or a racecourse he lights up, he’s a different animal. His work has got better this spring, I’ve been impressed with him, he was second at Doncaster as a two-year-old behind a nice one of Roger Varian’s and he’s bred to get further. He could be a nice three-year-old handicapper.
Blow Your Horn
He ran a lovely debut at Newcastle and then fluffed his lines on his second start when getting no cover against a big strong headwind. He was just too keen and the race just didn’t go right over a mile. He’s a lot better than that, hopefully he can get back on track. Trip-wise he might get a mile and a quarter, he’s probably a nice handicapper and is one to follow.
Boma Green
Ran once for Jeremy Noseda, finishing third at York in a nice maiden. He’s a really good looking horse by Iffraaj, his work has been good, I think he’s probably a seven-furlong horse, maybe a mile, but I’ve been impressed with his work through the spring. Hopefully he’s going to be a nice type and stakes class.
Jewel In The Sun
He’s unraced by Sea The Stars, a really good looking horse. If you were grading him on looks he’d get 10 out of 10. He thinks he’s quicker than he is at the moment, he’s got some bad habits, he was a breeze-up horse and he wants to go flat out everywhere he goes. He’s starting to learn now and starting to come good, I was pleased with his work on Friday. He’s a project, but if he’s as good as he looks he could be very nice.
King Carney
He won twice last year, he’s got a lovely attitude, he likes to bowl along in front. He won the Silver Tankard at Pontefract on his last start in soft ground over a mile. We think he’s going to be a stayer but we might look at a Derby trial, depending on the picture when the fixtures are released. He might be more of a Queen’s Vase type horse. He’s got a lovely way of going, is very straightforward and if he stays two miles he’ll be very good.
London Arch
He’s a big raw horse. He ran well on debut and then went and won up at Newcastle, I then made a little bit of an error as I wasn’t 100 per cent happy with him and when he was beaten at Lingfield it was my fault completely. He’s rated 82, I think he’ll be a really nice middle-distance horse and his owners can have a lot of fun with him. He could be one for the three-year-old handicap at Royal Ascot. I really like him.
Madame Peltier
She’s probably the lowest-rated horse I’ve given you but I think she’s very well-handicapped. Things didn’t go quite right last year as a two-year-old, a few things went against her, and we decided to put her away after her third start, give her some time. She’s a big filly with a lot of ability and I think she’s probably quite well handicapped off a mark of 67.
Onassis
She’s a beautifully-bred filly by Dubawi out of Jacqueline Quest, who was first past the post in a Guineas before getting demoted. That also makes her a half-sister to Line Of Duty. She took a little bit of time to work out what was going on at the races, but she should’ve won at Kempton where she got no run, and then she bolted up at Newcastle. She’s rated 81, I like her, she shows a lot at home. She’s not the biggest, but I don’t think her dam was. I’d possibly look at something like the Sandringham that I won last year with Thanks Be, I think she’ll get a mile no problem and I think she’ll love Ascot as a track. We’d hope to get some black type at some point.
Two Year Olds
There’s a few nice ones that catch the eye at the moment. A filly by Brazen Beau who looks sharp and will probably be my first two-year-old runner. I’ve trained a few sharp juveniles before but she’s right up there, she’s got a lot of speed. There’s a few colts that stand out at the moment, an unnamed Night Of Thunder colt who is a big scopey chestnut he’d be one for mid-season. I’ve a New Bay colt, again unnamed, he’s one of the more forward and I’ve been impressed with his work at home. I’ve a horse of Highclere’s called Deputy who I bought at Tattersalls Ascot, he didn’t cost a huge amount of money, he’s by Lawman, but his sister ran very well in the Cheveley Park for Ger Lyons at the end of last year and I dare say if he’d gone through after that he might’ve gone for bit more money. He’s showing up nicely at home and I quite like him.
More in the Our Friends in Newmarket series
- George Boughey Stable Tour
- Hugo Palmer Stable Tour
- Ed Dunlop Stable Tour
- Tom Clover Stable Tour
- George Scott Stable Tour
- James Tate Stable Tour
- Richard Spencer Stable Tour
- David Simcock Stable Tour