Richard Fahey stable tour

AIRMAN

One I really like. Some of his work last year was every good, I had him in the Gimcrack and a few other big races but he had a tiny little setback. He’s only run once and won on very heavy ground at Beverley, it wasn’t a great race, but I’d say it hated the ground and won despite it. He’s done very well over the winter, we’re very happy with him and he’s one I’m hoping could go the whole way.

ADMIRAL D

A likeable rogue. He’s owned by myself and three pals, I call him names the whole time and they don’t appreciate it, but he did win an £80,000 handicap and paid his way last year. He has ability but everything must drop right.

BAREFOOT ANGEL

Was very lightly raced last year through no fault of her own. She’s had a few little niggly problems but is a filly I’ve always liked. I do think she’s a sprinter. She’s rated 95 and while I’m sure she’ll pick up some Black Type we’ll go down the handicap route for starters and work away from there.

BROOKLYN NINE NINE

Had a little setback and hasn’t run many times but has plenty of ability. He’s always been a weak, backward horse and I do think there’s an engine there. He should be competitive in sprint handicaps.

CLOUDY SKYE

A filly we’ve always liked but I have to say she was disappointing despite being placed. She’s done really well over the winter though and is one I’m very much looking forward to. Some of her work has been quite smart and I’d be shocked if she can’t win off 74.

COLORADA DANCER

Very weak and backward last year when He showed a bit and I’m sure he’s going to be competitive in handicaps starting off from 78.

CRAVEN

A likeable rogue who has the ability to win handicaps and fingers crossed he can do things. He’s a hardy horse and will run plenty of times.

DANDY DEVIL

He won first time at Newcastle and then ran on very heavy ground at Pontefract. I was struggling to find a race for him and took the chance and ran him, but he didn’t run his race. He’s definitely better than that and should make into a half-decent sprint handicapper.

DARE TO HOPE

He’s had a few little problems, nothing serious, and I thought he ran well on a couple of occasions last year. I think there’s a decent race in him and off 82 I think there’s plenty to be had off him.

DARK VINTAGE

A horse we’ve got from America, a Dark Angel colt and I just felt with his European pedigree he might be better suited by racing over here. Some of his work is quite good and we’ll start him out in a handicap at Newbury. He looks like he’s a five or six furlong horse and we’re hoping he can make into a pattern performer but we’ll see how he goes.

EMPEROR’S SON

Probably the most disappointing horse we’ve had for a long time. He won well first time out at Carlisle and was extremely disappointing in his next two starts albeit at Royal Ascot and in the Gimcrack. If he can come back to where we think he should be a mark of 88 won’t be a problem.

GARFIELD SHADOW

Won two out of two, an ex-breeze-up horse who could progress. We’re very happy with him but just a little unsure on his pedigree whether he wants to go further but he has won twice over six furlongs and he could be an exciting horse. His work has been very good.

GLISTENING NIGHTS

A very backward horse who took ages to come together and he has been gelded. I think that will be the making of him. I’ll be shocked if he can’t win races off 65.

GOLDEN MIND

Was highly tried last year and rated 101 which might make him a twilight horse in that he’d be too high for handicaps and whether he’s good enough for the Group races, well we’ll find out. Some of his form was very good mind, he’s done extremely well over the winter so we’re looking forward to getting him going.

GOLDEN STRIKE

A horse we really like. He ran well at Pontefract first time and then won nicely at Ayr. He’s a big, backward horse who you always imagined in time was going to get better. He’s an exciting horse, whether he’s Black Type we’ll see but he’s one to keep an eye on.

HAVE SECRET

Ran in some very competitive handicaps last season and has always been a really backward, weak horse but this year as a four-year-old he’s really matured. We’re very pleased with him. I always felt he’d win a big handicap and depending how far he goes he’s definitely on the radar for the John Smith’s Cup and might get a little further too. I’m expecting more from him.

MALC

Ran well in the Norfolk to finish second and then ran ordinarily afterwards but had a little problem, nothing serious. He’s wintered well. We’re hoping he’ll take us to Royal Ascot and places like that. His work has been very good, we’re really pleased with him, and he’ll probably start off in the Sandy Lane at Haydock.

MARINE WAVE

Rated 95, she’s a sprinting filly for five furlongs. I stepped her up to six but feel she’s got quicker as she’s got older. She’s definitely a Black Type filly and was probably a little unlucky in the fillies’ handicap at the York Ebor Meeting. She’s very honest and working very well.

MAYWAKE

Had a great season last year but whether he can compete off 93 we’ll have to see. He’s a good, hardy horse and might just have to come down a little but we’re happy with him.

MIDNIGHT AFFAIR

Her early work was very good, she won the Hilary Needler and went to Royal Ascot. She’s off 88 now and you’d imagine she could be competitive in some of those nice sprint handicaps. We’re happy with her, she’s been working fine.

MONSIEUR KODI

Had a great season last year, winning the consolation race for the Stewards’ Cup. He seems to love soft ground but has won all types. Basically, a good, hardy handicapper who is one you’d always want on your side.

MUSICAL TOUCH

Had three runs on the all-weather over the winter and then we gave him a break and gelded him. Some of his work has been good and 75 is probably a fair assessment but he could progress.

MYSTICAL MARIA

A very well-bred filly who isn’t the biggest but has been very backward. She ran once last year and finished third at Newcastle which I thought was a good run. She’s very honest and tries, how far she’ll go I don’t know but she’ll win races.

NATIVE AMERICAN

If we have a very good one it’s this fellow. We do like him; his work has been very good and of all the horses he’s the one who has really thrived over the winter. We’re going to start him off in the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket. Looking at him he does look like a staying horse; I know he won a sales race over six-and-a-half furlongs but I’ve put him in the Dante at York so we are expecting good things out of him. I hope he progresses like we think he will. James Doyle came in the other day to ride him and loved him so at least we’ve had a second opinion, so we’ll just have to see how he runs.

NO NAY NICKI

She’s back down to a mark of 77 which she’s very capable of winning off. I’m just hoping she had an off-season last year and can get things back together this time.

OUR HAVANA

Rated 72 and we did like him a lot last year and he’s working really well again this spring. He’s just confusing me a little. He has a lot of speed but doesn’t look like a sprinter and isn’t bred to be one but I’m starting him out over six or seven furlongs and see how we go. I’m sure he’ll be competitive off his mark.

PRETTY CRYSTAL

She was highly tried at two and ran some good races at Ascot and Goodwood. She’s a Dubawi filly and they do progress. She’s quite laidback and we don’t really see an awful lot from her at home but some of her form is solid and again I just hope she’s not a twilight horse and finds herself in no man’s land. I think she’s going to progress.

PRINCE OF PILLO

One we got in very late last year and he had a couple of runs for us. He disappointed both times. He had a setback and whether he was carrying that I don’t know but he wasn’t really working well or showing anything. However, he’s had a good break, three months box rest to sort out the little problem and his work has been very good. He’s down to 89 now having been 100 plus at one stage of his career so hopefully he can take advantage of that. He’s definitely a sprinter.

QUIET RESOLVE

He’s run OK a few times, we’d been very pleased with him, but he disappointed at Wolverhampton last time and he’s been gelded. He never travelled a yard there, he’s better than that and should be competitive from 78.

RAINWATER

One I do like. He’s a big, scopey horse and ran alright on his only start at Haydock when finishing second. You’d imagine this year he’ll be a better horse and he’s very capable of winning races.

RAMAZAN

Enjoyed a fantastic season last year, won a couple of decent handicaps, was just touched off in the Ayr Gold Cup and finished second in a Listed race on his final start. He’s a real professional and I’m sure he’ll be competitive in some sphere over six or seven furlongs.

SAILTHISHSIPALONE

He has a rating of 88 and has done extremely well over the winter, we’ve been really pleased with him. Whether he can be competitive off that mark we’ll see but he’ll be running in the big handicaps, he’s a Britannia type of horse.

SHE’S A GAMBLER

She’s two from two. I bought her at the breeze-ups and to be fair to the vendor he told me she was a nutcase and he wasn’t wrong as she has few antics but this year she’s been a lot better. We’ve had her over to Southwell. I’ve never taken a horse to the races not to gallop, just to see how they behave before. She did well and went back there again on Friday. I got quoted as saying I think she’s a decent filly and then the handicapper put her on 74 so I don’t know who’s right but we’ll find out. If she can keep on the right side of her temperament, I’m sure we can have some fun.

SILENT MOVE

One of the best-looking horses in the yard. He won at Thirsk last year but overall was a little disappointing, we did like him an awful lot. He has wintered extremely well, we’re very pleased with him and his work has been very good, so we’ll have to see. Off 78 he’ll be competitive.

SPIRIT DANCER

Had a fantastic trip to the Middle East this winter but had a little setback in Dubai and chipped a small bone in his fetlock. He’s up off the ground and the operation has been successful and if everything goes OK, I think it will be a couple of runs at the back-end and then head back to the Middle East.

STRIKE RED

Fantastic season last year but he did have an accident in the box and just hurt himself, so he is coming back from an injury. He’s a little behind but is a tough, hardy horse who loves those sprint handicaps especially when they go flat out. He doesn’t have an awful lot in hand off 100 but we’ll see.

THE RIDLER

Extremely disappointing. He’s had a few problems as we all know but he’s down to 87 and if we can get him right, fingers crossed all can go well.

TROPICAL ISLAND

Won at York and was then fourth in a Listed race. Every time she ran it rained and I’d love to see her on decent ground. She’s definitely a Black Type filly but whether we go handicapping first we’ll see. She’s wintered well.

VINTAGE CLARETS

Great season last year and I’d love to aim him at the Dash at Epsom. It’s a race I’ve never won. We ran him it this year but I’m afraid the stall didn’t open and a good draw became a bad one. He’s a good hardy handicapper and I think five furlongs is his trip.

ZIGGY’S QUEEN

I have to say she’s been a little disappointing. She did a very good time in her breeze-up and this year she’s come in and is a lot more relaxed. She’s got that breeze out of her system. Hopefully off 81 she’ll be competitive.

ZIP

I have to mention him. He’s an old war horse who just doesn’t know how to run a bad race. The handicapper is starting to give him a bit of a chance and I’m sure he’ll win early season if the ground stays as soft as it is.

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