North Yorkshire trainer Ruth Jefferson guides Mark Howard through her team of horses for the current campaign, featuring star Waiting Patiently.
BLACK EBONY 6 br g Malinas (GER) – Our Ethel
A half-brother to our Cheltenham Festival winner Attaglance, he made a pleasing start to his season when finishing runner-up at Hexham on Saturday. He wants good ground and is a horse with a good attitude. His jumping has got sharper and he is now eligible for a mark and the plan is to go chasing with him. He isn’t the biggest but I hope he will develop into a nice chaser.
BRINKHILL (IRE) 5 b m Shirocco (GER) – Banningham Breeze
From a good family, she made her debut in a hot bumper at Doncaster and I shouldn’t have run her because the ground was wrong and it was too competitive a race. I wouldn’t judge her on that. She has schooled well over hurdles and will go jumping now in mares’ novice events.
BUSTER VALENTINE (IRE) 7 b g Ask – Femme Du Noir (IRE)
Twice a winner over hurdles the previous year, he went chasing last season winning at Market Rasen in November. Unfortunately, he struck into himself and damaged his tendon and therefore hasn’t run since. Back cantering, he will hopefully be back in action next month and I am keen to step him up to three miles this season. A winning pointer, he likes soft ground and I think he will appreciate further. I can see him going to tracks such as Ayr and Haydock and he might develop into a Peter Marsh Chase type of horse.
CLONDAW CAITLIN (IRE) 5 b m Court Cave (IRE) – Kilmessan (IRE)
She looks great following her summer holiday and the plan is to school her over fences with a view to going novice chasing. She ran in three Irish point-to-points before we bought her and she jumps hurdles very well, so I don’t envisage any problems jumping wise. We were delighted with her last season progressing with each run. Having won a bumper at Wetherby, we sent her hurdling and she won three out of three, including a Grade 2 at Kelso in late February. There is nothing flashy about her, she does what she has to and that’s it. She will make her chasing debut over either two and a half miles on soft ground or three miles on good ground. There are options at Cheltenham’s first meeting at the end of the month, or there is a 0-135 novices’ handicap chase at Carlisle (November 1).
CYRUS KEEP (IRE) 7 b g Doyen (IRE) – Overbranch
From a family we know well, he is a cracking horse for my racing club. I thought he ran well at Hexham on his return to action last month. He was a bit rusty and got outpaced, but he stayed on and will progress once his jumping improves. Rated 100, he is on a fair mark with two miles on soft ground being ideal.
DOUBLE W’S (IRE) 10 ch g Fruits of Love (USA) – Zaffre (IRE)
Has been a grand horse for us over the years winning eight times, including the Grade 3 Red Rum Chase at Aintree in 2017. Very genuine, he didn’t appreciate the rain softened ground over two and a half miles at Uttoxeter last time. The handicapper has dropped him a few pounds and I think he is back to a winnable mark. The plan is for him to go to Wetherby on Wednesday for a 0-135 two miles handicap chase.
FLINT HILL 4 ch g Excelebration (IRE) – Modify
A winner on the Flat for Michael Dods, I bought him at the Newmarket Horses in Training Sale a year ago with a view to him being a dual purpose horse. He loves his jumping and is a natural and finished second twice at Market Rasen and Southwell. Third at Hexham last Saturday, he is inclined to be a bit keen but stays two miles and wants the ground on the slow side of good. He isn’t the biggest but is genuine and, having been given a mark of 115, we will look for a suitable novices’ handicap hurdle.
LEMON T 7 gr g Sulamani (IRE) – Altogether Now (IRE)
Looks well and I am pleased with him. Twice a winner at Newcastle, he won over hurdles there last season and we are keen to try him over fences this time around. A half-brother to Mac Aeda, he is effective over two and a half miles and I think he will stay three miles, too. His brother ended up running in blinkers and it wouldn’t surprise me if he does likewise. He doesn’t want extremes of ground though.
MASTER ALAN 5 b g Norse Dancer (IRE) – Overbranch
An unraced half-brother to Cyrus Keep, he is a lovely horse and much bigger than his older sibling. I will start him off in a bumper on a big galloping track and I like him.
MAURITIAN BOLT (IRE) 5 ch g Le Fou (IRE) – Fleeting Arrow (IRE)
A half-brother to Rasharrow, who was placed in the Cheltenham Festival bumper for Len Lungo, he ran promisingly on his debut in a bumper at Hexham on Saturday finishing second. He has always shown a good attitude at home and, whilst he isn’t over big, I hope he has a decent future.
SECRETE STREAM (IRE) 11 ch g Fruits of Love (USA) – Bonny River (IRE)
Aged eleven, he has had his issues but retains plenty of ability and has done well for us over the years winning a bumper and five times over hurdles. He likes Haydock, Uttoxeter and Wetherby and was a winner at the last named track on his penultimate start. Two and a half miles on soft ground is ideal and he enjoys the hustle and bustle of those competitive handicap hurdles. We tried him over fences a few years ago but he will stay over hurdles and we will start him off once the soft ground arrives.
SIR JIM (IRE) 5 b g Shirocco (GER) – Stick Together
Similar to Master Alan, he is a nice unraced horse and the last foal from his dam who we lost recently. Not the quickest at home, he has a good attitude and will have a run in a bumper before going hurdling.
TAYZAR 9 b g Kayf Tara – Matilda Too (IRE)
Has been in great form this season winning handicap hurdles at Warwick and Sedgefield. He likes good ground and has had a few issues with his wind, hence he had another operation on his breathing earlier this year. Despite winning over fences earlier in his career, he is a better hurdler and is suited by sharp tracks. We have entered him at Fakenham on Friday.
TEMPLE MAN 8 b g Sulamani (IRE) – Altogether Now (IRE)
A full brother to Lemon T, he won over hurdles at Kelso in December and we subsequently operated on his wind. Runner-up at the same track on his reappearance this month, we tried him over fences a couple of years ago but I think he is happier over hurdles. He is a bit quirky and runs in snatches at times but he has plenty of ability and handles most types of ground. I don’t think the trip matters too much for him and we might try him in cheekpieces at some stage.
WAITING PATIENTLY (IRE) 9 b g Flemensfirth (USA) – Rossavon (IRE)
He spent the summer with his owner and has come back looking fantastic. The key to him is keeping him right and soft ground. The underfoot conditions will determine where he runs this season. In terms of trip, I am overminded because he has enough speed for two miles and we know he stays two and a half miles. He ran a cracker in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown finishing a length third behind Defi Du Seuil. I thought beforehand that he was in as good a form as he was when he ran in the King George the previous season. He jumped and travelled well before staying on well and making up a lot of ground. The plan was then to take him to Ascot for the Clarence House Chase in January but we weren’t happy with him and decided to have him X-rayed. It turned out he had a chip in a joint, although he was lame for only one day. He is fine now though and he doesn’t take a lot of getting ready. Races such as the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter in early November and the Grade 2 at Ascot over two miles five later the same month are options but the ground is the key.
Unnamed 5 b g Sholokhov (IRE) – Reevolesa (IRE)
I bought him as a three year old in Ireland, he wasn’t quite right last season but the summer break has done him good. A big horse, he is well balanced though and has got some presence about him. He is likely to go straight over hurdles this Autumn.
Finally, we have got some lovely three year old fillies, including one by Presenting out of Almada. From the family of Caius Marcius and Diamond King, she is a lovely looking filly who will make her debut in a bumper in the spring. There are also two fillies by Telescope who I like. One is out of Ancora and therefore a half-sister to Alan King’s San Rumoldo, and another out of En Reve, who may need a bit of time but will run in a mares’ bumper in the spring.
Mark Howard, author of One Jump Ahead & Racing TV
One Jump Ahead, which includes interviews with Kim Bailey, Harry Fry, Chris Gordon, Philip Hobbs, Anthony Honeyball, Alan King, Tom Lacey, Olly Murphy, Paul Nicholls, Jonjo O’Neill, David Pipe and Nicky Richards, plus leading owner Rich Ricci and three times Cheltenham Gold Cup winning trainer Henrietta Knight, can be purchased for £10.99 (including postage) from www.mhpublications.co.uk
