Our columnist reflects on the 2024 Flat season and has an update on preparations for the new campaign.
It's been a frustrating season in a few ways but we are in a period of transition.
The older horses are getting, well, older and weren’t as competitive as they’d been in the past and we’ve set about changing the make-up of the string.
We sold over 20 horses at Tattersalls last month and have retired a few more too.
Now we’re looking to the three and four-year-olds who are staying in training to step up and fill the gaps that have been left while there are definitely reasons for optimism about next season’s three-year-olds.
There are some very nice prospects among them notably Powerful Glory, who Sporting Life have been following since the moment he was bought at the Doncaster breeze-up sales.
He won despite of the ground in the Mill Reef and is a colt I really, really like. He’s one to help the winter nights pass by that little bit faster and might well start out in a Guineas trial in the spring.
There are others among the current two-year-olds who could step forward next season too while the task of buying yearlings is a continuous one.
It’s been very tough to get the lots we want at the sales so far, everyone knows just how much money has been spent at the yearling sales, but we’re pleased with what we have so far and even this week are over at Goffs in Ireland looking to add more.
There are few sales still to come and then the breeze-ups in the spring so it’s an ongoing process.
Spirit Dancer runs in Bahrain next week and we have a team of 15 or so for the winter. I’m not sure how deep into the programme they’ll run but they’ll keep us busy enough for a few months at least.
And then we go again in the spring with all the promise that brings...
I must end my final column of the year by paying tribute to Sir Michael Stoute whose retirement is imminent.
The man is a genius, simple as that, has had a wonderful career and is going out on his own terms. He’s always been wonderful to me over the years, Bobby O’Ryan, father of my assistant and right-hand man Robin, was a big influence on Sir Michael and we’ve all watched on with admiration at what he’s achieved.
I hope he has a very happy retirement.
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