2020 Michael Dods Stable Tour featuring Queens Gift, Dakota Gold and Good Vibes

It’s a strange time for everyone but we’re being extra-careful with everyone washing their hands thoroughly all of the time and sanitisers available wherever possible.

We’re following the government guidelines as closely as we can in terms of distancing and disinfecting wheelbarrows and other things we use around the yard twice a day. It’s difficult but it’s the right thing to do.

It’s hard with the horses as well as nobody quite knows when we’ll get started. Particularly with the two-year-olds as for them it’s a growing process and a process of education that they have to go through to help their careers later on. It’s an important stage for them.

As for the older ones, that’s a bit more difficult as they’re fit and well but we have no real idea when racing is likely to start. While we’re locked down and so many people are dying then we simply can’t race, that’s my view.

We need to see some light at the end of the tunnel first.

But the horses are well and until we get some guidance we’ll just have to go a little steady with them for the moment.

We’ve been discussing things with staff and they understand the strict new policies. They’ve been very good and know it’s for their own well-being and keeping them working.

When it comes to owners, we’ve had about five horses leave with owners deciding to take them home for the time being but everyone else is fairly happy to crack on as best we can. It’ll be so much easier when we have a start date on the horizon.

Our Friends in the North – Michael Dods

Stable Star: Dakota Gold

Horse to Follow: Pendleton

Handicapper to Follow: Tombolo

Older horses

Amplification

He missed most of last year with a problem but came back at Newcastle and ran a decent race. He’d be one of those really ready to get racing again as he wouldn’t want the ground too quick. If we ran him on the all-weather or somewhere with a bit of juice in the ground I’m sure he’ll do well.

Billy No Mates

He was probably just a shade too high in the weights last year. He likes a bit of cut in the ground and has dropped down the handicap now so you’d hope he’ll do well. He wasn’t quite strong enough to go the distance last year but a mile and a half or a mile and six furlongs will be fine for him now I’d have thought.

Byron’s Choice

He didn’t really have a lot of racing last year, he had a few issues. But he ran well at Beverley where he was a bit unlucky. He’s cantering away and is still about six weeks from being race-ready which I suppose isn’t such a bad thing for him as things stand. He’ll be one for seven furlongs.

Camacho Chief

He ran well at Ascot in the race Pendleton won and he actually came home from that with a bruised foot so we didn’t get another run into him. But he’s in good order and soft ground over five or six furlongs should see him have a good season again.

Dakota Gold

He’d be one of the flag-bearers. He’s a horse that everybody knows and we’d be hoping can step up into Group company this year if we get chance to do it. He’s in good form and we’re looking forward to him running.

Danielsflyer

He started off last year over six furlongs and did okay before going up in trip but I’m keen to go straight over seven furlongs or a mile when we get going with him now. He’s well and we’re looking forward to running him.

Gale Force Maya

She had a great season last year as we stepped her up in class at Pontefract and then at Newmarket when second on both occasions. She was a bit unlucky at Newmarket as she was collared by Chil Chil who flew late on the stands’ side under Oisin Murphy. She looks very well and is freshened up.

Get Knotted

He’s still in good form and he loves York. It would be nice to go seven furlongs on a track like York and he likes that fast pace early on with horses stopping in front. He’s a law unto himself a bit but when he sees the grandstand and all the people there at York he really gets into gear.

Good Vibes

She’s a lovely filly we’ve got for Qatar Racing from David Evans. She’ll be campaigned in some of the better sprints but it’s hard to make much of a plan yet. We don’t quite know what’s going to be on. I’m not sure whether five or six furlongs will be her best trip but we’re keen to learn a lot about her on the track.

Heath Charnock

He’s had issues and can’t really seem to handle fast ground but ran well down at Chelmsford, and at Newcastle as well. He’s ready to run and five or six furlong races at Newcastle will be his early options.

Jawwaal

He was a horse we bought and ran well on his first couple of starts for us last season but then bled and took a bit of time to come right. He actually looks physically like a horse who will benefit from being campaigned over five furlongs and that’s probably what we’ll be doing on decent ground. I could see him winning a nice sprint.

John Kirkup

He’s the opposite and has to have it bottomless. The twice he got his ground last year he won at Haydock and then at Ayr but unfortunately there were some nice races for him which were abandoned due to waterlogging. He’ll basically always be competitive assuming he has his conditions as he handles cut better than most.

Pendleton

He’s a fine big horse and won over five furlongs at Ascot towards the end of last season. He was a good second at Doncaster after that and given the right conditions and the right track then I think he’ll be a sprinter to follow.

Proud Archi

He ran well when second at York, just getting hampered late on otherwise I think he might have won. And then he threw a splint and which is why he didn’t run towards the back end of last season but he’s fine now and ready to run over seven furlongs when those race are available.

Que Amoro

If you look at her physically she’s improved a lot from last year. She was actually very impressive when she won at York and as you saw there she’s very, very quick and loves top of the ground. I can see her stepping up into Listed class and maybe Group Threes as she’s a lovely horse and has wintered very well.

Queens Gift

She a progressive sprinting filly and is another who likes the ground on the quicker side. She was second in a couple of Listed races and had entries towards the back end but it just got too heavy for her. She’ll hopefully have options in Group Three races over five furlongs.

Troubador

He did really well and it surprised us a bit just how well he did last year. We knew he’d be competitive in the Two Year Old Trophy at Redcar, unfortunately he ran into one (Summer Sands) who was particularly well in at the weights. He’s very genuine and straightforward. He’ll need to step up again but appears to have wintered very well.

Wahoo

He just likes a bit of cut in the ground and he can get away with six furlongs on soft ground. He gets a bit further when it’s slightly quicker but doesn’t want to go as far as a mile as he’s too free.

Three-year-olds

Arch Moon

He’s a nice three-year-old and you wouldn’t have expected him to be much of a two-year-old being by Sea The Moon. But he showed a lot of promise, wintered well and is just about ready to race.

Brunch

He won on his second start at Newcastle following a promising debut and then we put him away for this year. He’d be a really exciting three-year-old to follow.

El Naseri

He’s another nice horse and ran well in defeat at two. He’s done well over the winter and will step up in trip.

Unifier

He ran very well at York when second in September having made his debut at Carlisle last May. He’s a big three-year-old now and he’s done really well. I think he’ll do well this year.

Tombolo

He’s a nice horse. He ran at Haydock last year and was second, after which we put him away. I’m looking forward to seeing him step up this year.

Two-year-olds

We’ve got a bit of everything, we’ve got some sharpish types and some more backward types, but we’re very happy with the way they’re coming along.

We’re educating them without overdoing it. It’s early days obviously but they seem a nice bunch.

More in the 'Our Friends in the North' series

• Richard Fahey Stable Tour
• Mark Johnston Stable Tour
• Jedd O'Keeffe Stable Tour
• Kevin Ryan Stable Tour
• John Quinn Stable Tour
• Karl Burke Stable Tour
• Tim Easterby Stable Tour
• David O’Meara Stable Tour
• Michael Dods Stable Tour
• Brian Ellison Stable Tour
• Ben Haslam Stable Tour
• Phil Makin Stable Tour