Racing Post

Profitable yard poised toget30up

FOLLOWERS of Berwickshire trainer Sandy Thomson are feeling on good terms with themselves as for the seventh season in the last ten the yard is showing a level-stakes profit.

“I am never one for setting targets but we are already four ahead of last year’s winning total, with 24 in the bag,” Thomson says. “I would be very disappointed if we didn’t get to 30 for the first time, but this is not about numbers for me – it is about getting the best out of each horse.

“It is a lot of hard work but we have a very good team here and the owners are superb to train for as they just let me get on with the job.

“We have a lot more nice young novices this season for both hurdles and chases. I was fairly ruthless over the summer getting rid of horses who could not cut it as I did not want owners spending all that money with little chance of a winner.”

BAK ROCKY 7 br g Shirocco – Leanne

He has left me scratching my head as he clearly has ability, but it was a case of coaxing him to get it together. Clearly the key was wind surgery in the summer as he has run well in each of his three races, the latter being a win at Uttoxeter over 2m4f on heavy ground. I have always thought plenty of him and he could be one we aim at one of the Northern Lights finals day. He’s in great form and is entered at Musselburgh on Sunday.

BASS ROCK 7 b g Martaline – Horta

A lovely horse who has done little wrong in his career. Last season he won two of his four outings over hurdles but I always thought that once I could get him jumping a fence he would come into his own. His schooling had been good prior to his chasing debut at Carlisle in November and he strode out in grand style for an eight-length win. I then took him to Wetherby for his first attempt in handicap company over fences and he again ran a cracker finishing a neck second. Considering the race was not run to suit and Ryan [Mania] felt he got stuck in the ground and could not lift his feet up, it was a grand effort. He goes for the Kingmaker at Warwick next were I expect him and us to learn a bit more. At the moment he has options at Cheltenham in the Arkle and the Turners and his next run should tell us which option is most favourable. At the moment I would favour the Arkle as he is more of a 2m than 3m horse.

BENSON 8 b g Beat Hollow – Karla June

There is a lovely story behind Benson and how he came here.

Jimmy Fyffe and Scott Townshend were invited to the Morebattle Hurdle dinner and they had such a good time they thought they might buy a horse who may run in the race. As it turns out this fellow has been a cracking buy for a £7,000 purchase as he has already earned over £36,000 in his four races for us, which culminated with success at Musselburgh on New Year’s Day over 2m4f. He has gone up 6lb for that run to 134, but I would be disappointed if there was not more to come. Obviously the Morebattle is later next month, which is the reason he was bought, and if all goes well there I would think the County Hurdle at Cheltenham could be on his radar as there would be a £100,000 bonus for completing that unique double. You have to dream.

CARCACI CASTLE 7 b g Getaway – Hakuna

He was bought out of Colin Bowe’s yard after winning a Bellewstown bumper by 15 lengths and right from the off he has looked nice. By today’s standards he was a relatively cheap purchase at just over £21,000 and he is looking like a proper bargain judged on his two runs to date for us, despite having a few issues when he arrived. First time out he won a Kelso maiden hurdle over 2m before returning on heavy ground to make it two from two over the same course and distance. But as is always the case when these young novices win two it becomes much more difficult for them. I’ve been very pleased with what he has done and we may run him at Musselburgh over 3m this Sunday on Trials day in a novice hurdle as I don’t want to pitch him into a big handicap just yet. I do like this horse.

DINGO DOLLAR 11 ch g Golden Lariat – Social Society

He is a real old star of a stayer who has six wins to his name, including a veterans’ handicap chase at Aintree in October. I was a little disappointed he went up 5lb for that when he was beating a bunch of old boys, none of whom had won for a while, but there you are. We ran him in the Classic at Warwick last time, but on such horrendous heavy ground he just couldn’t pick his feet up. He will remain competitive against his fellow veterans, but taking on the younger horses is a different ball game for him now at his age. He has been dropped 2lb for that last run and we will be looking for another veterans’ race, and after that his owners would love to go back to Ayr for the Scottish National where he seems to love it with the sun on his back.

DONNA’S DOUBLE 7 b g Fair Mix – Elegant Accord

I have always liked this horse and feel he is better than he has shown, and even off a new careerhigh mark of 121 I think there is much more to come. He had tried hurdles earlier but just didn’t really look the part so that is why he has gone chasing this year. His first run over fences at Hexham in November was encouraging and he learned a lot from that. He had his wind operated on after that and it was great to see him get his head in front last time at Ayr in January. He heads back to Ayr on Wednesday and further down the road I would like to take him back for the Scottish National

meeting in a 3m novice chase. He is definitely one for readers to keep on their side.

EMPIRE STEEL 9 gr g Aizavoski – Talk Of Rain

He did well last season, winning a valuable handicap chase at Kelso, but so far this season we have only managed to get one run into him. He came out of that well and the plan was to go to Haydock for the Peter Marsh, but unfortunately it was cancelled due to the weather. I thought about Cheltenham last weekend but eventually came down on the side of Sandown this weekend for the 3m handicap chase. Off a mark of 143 he should be competitive. I would love to see him go up a couple of pounds and ensure a place in the Grand National but if that didn’t happen then we would seriously consider the Scottish National. I’ll know more after this weekend, but he will be booked in for one of the Nationals in the spring.

FLOWER OF SCOTLAND 8 gr m Lord Du Sud – Theme Song

She is a wonderful mare to have in the stable and her latest outing when winning the Scottish Borders National by six lengths was a great effort. I remember when she first arrived here none of us had any thoughts of her winning a Borders National, but that extra distance was the making of her. She boasted some smart bits of form before then so it was nice to see her frank them with a tough victory. Ryan had long said he thought the Kelso marathon was perfect for her and he was absolutely right.

Clearly, she stays very well and the soft ground helped play to her strengths. She will get an entry for the Edinburgh National as well as the Eider Chase. Meanwhile she is entered at Musselburgh this Saturday.

HILL SIXTEEN 10 b g Court Cave – Chasers Chic

Last season we got him out of Nigel Twiston-Davies’s stable and on only his second run for us he put up a career-best effort when a nose second behind Snow Leopardess in the Becher Chase, and that was followed by a good fourth in the Listed Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster. This season I thought the Grand National Trial at Haydock would be ideal, but as it falls the weekend before the National weights are announced he will not be going there. I have no intention of running him before the Aintree weights are out so he will go for either the Premier Chase or the Eider. This fellow is a proper stayer and I think we have still to see the best of him.

LEADING FORCE 6 b g Leading Light – Good Looking Woman

A point-to-point winner last spring, he has shown ability in his three novice hurdles outings this winter, in fact the last two have been second-placed finishes. He could either go to Ayr next for a 2m6f novice handicap hurdle, which would be ideal for him, or to Musselburgh on Sunday for a handicap hurdle. He is a big horse who still needs to strengthen up a little and, once his aches and pains go away, he could opening his account. But it will be when he goes chasing next year that you will see the real Leading Force.

MASSINI MAN 10 b g Dr Massini – Alleged To Rhyme

He joined us from John Groucott in the autumn and has done nothing but please me. He won a novice handicap chase by a nose first time out at Musselburgh. That was followed by another thrilling effort when a short-head second back at the Edinburgh track and early in January he was an easy 11-length winner again at Musselburgh, but this time over 3m, having won over half a mile less on his first run. His efforts have resulted in his mark going up from 96 to 112 over fences. That extra distance really helped him and we are now looking to qualifying him for one of the Northern Lights finals in the spring.

STONEY ROVER 10 b g Scorpion – Consultation

A consistent horse who has had four wins and as many seconds from 20 starts, but most importantly he has won both of his races this season at Ayr and Kelso, both over further than three miles. He had a lot of issues when he arrived here and thankfully his owners have been very patient in allowing me to get him back. He ran a lovely race last time out at Kelso in November and he will be back out again in the spring when he gets the ground he loves. He has a preference for a flat galloping track on better ground and I think he could be one for the Challenger series.

STORM NELSON 10 b g Gold Well – Dabiyra

He did well last year, winning his first three races for us having come from Lucy Normile. He just had a little breathing issue which we had operated on and the result has been positive. After a 329-day break he won at Carlisle and followed that up off a 4lb higher mark at Ayr. He is in good order and off a careerhigh mark of 134 I expect him to be competitive in a valuable 3m handicap hurdle at Sandown this Saturday. He is a relentless galloper and likes plenty of give in the ground.

THE FERRY MASTER 10 b g Elusive Pimpernel – Dinghy

He has been disappointing since his fourth in the 2021 Scottish National. He should have won at Newcastle since but threw it away. He seemed much happier last time at Musselburgh so the plan is to aim him at the Edinburgh National as if he is ever going to get a long trip it will be around there. He may run again at the track this Saturday.

WAR SOLDIER 6 b g Soldier Of Fortune – After Dark

He won a bumper last year at Newcastle and, after an encouraging hurdling debut at Wetherby first time out, he has subsequently won back-to-back novice hurdles at Newcastle and Haydock in good company. He went to Cheltenham on Saturday for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle but he didn’t seem to be himself when he got there. He seems absolutely fine now he is home and it is just one of those things that happens with horses. He will now either go for the Premier Hurdle at Kelso or, if that is too soon, there are some nice novice races at the Scottish National meeting at Ayr.

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2023-01-31T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-01-31T08:00:00.0000000Z

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