‘This fellow is a proper stayer and I think we have still to see the best of him’

Sandy Thomson takes us through his string in

FOLLOWERS of Berwickshire trainer Sandy Thomson are feeling on very good terms with themselves, as for the seventh season in the last ten the yard is showing a level-stakes profit. With a 23 per cent strike-rate, the stable can boast a profit of around £40 to £1 level stakes in 2022-23.

“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.

“Last year we had 20 wins but 31 seconds, whereas this season we have only had 17 seconds with 24 wins.

“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.

“It is so important that we can keep the supply of nice horses coming through as we look to the future.”

Thomson is also very keen to stress the importance of his stable jockey Ryan Mania. He says: “It is a great help having Ryan here and riding them all the time. From what I glean and what he says we have an absolutely true picture of what is going on, and he is riding as well as ever.”

Thomson admits most of his horses had a run just before the cold spell and the others were ready to run as soon as things opened up again. “Purely through luck our timing was very good with runners, so we have not really been put back by the weather,” he says.

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 seems in great form now and is one to keep an eye on.

Bass Rock 7 b g Martaline – Horta

A lovely horse who has done very 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. We 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, but 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 a nice type. 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 have been very pleased with what he has done and we may run him at Musselburgh over 3m this weekend 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.

Cedar Hill 9 br g Frammassone – Dayamen

A six-time winner, he has not won for a while, despite an encouraging third on his first run of the season. He had a tremendous time last season but thing have not really worked out this term. He came back from Musselburgh last time with a bad overreach and has not been out since. He is doing well and he will not be ready in time to bid for a second Scottish Champion Chase. His two below-par runs have seen his rating drop to a very reasonable 119 and I would expect him to be very competitive next time out when he runs at Wetherby.

Coolbane Boy 8 b g Mountain High – Easter Saturday

He has not done a lot wrong in his career with three wins and as many second places from 17 starts. This term he got his head in front last time out when taking a 3m handicap hurdle at Musselburgh by a head, which resulted in him going up 4lb to 126. We have worked out that he is better going right-handed, and the plan will be to go for the Pertemps qualifier at Musselburgh on Trials day, a track he has won twice around. I would think 3m this spring on better ground could see him very competitive in some of the better handicaps.

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 career-high 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 we have gone chasing this year. His first run over fences at Hexham in November was encouraging and he learned a lot from that. We 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.

Doyen Breed 8 ch g Doyen – Sweet Empire

He was great last year, winning a 3m novice chase at Hexham and four seconds, including Grade 2s at Warwick and Ascot. We gave him a run around at Doncaster over the Christmas period over hurdles in a race that was not really ideal, but fitted in nicely with plans. He is looking to go again very soon and is in grand form.

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. We 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. We will know more after this weekend, but he will be booked in for one of the Nationals in the spring.

Faithfulflyer 6 b g Sageburg – Dakota Fire

He is owned by the Midnight Racing Club syndicate and he is giving them plenty of fun, with wins in two of his last three races. The first of them was at Musselburgh over 3m and then we dropped him to 2m on heavy last week at Kelso and he won nicely. We may try and get him qualified for the Northern Lights Final and I could see him getting even better on quicker ground, although that last win was on desperate ground. He is the sort who could go through the summer.

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 on Saturday as well as the Eider and hopefully she can continue in the form she has shown this season.

Hill Sixteen 10 b g Court Cave – Chasers Chic

Last season we got him out of Nigel TwistonDavies’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 go to Ayr next for a 2m6f novice handicap hurdle which would be ideal for him. 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 when he goes chasing next year you’ll 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 us. He is real fun little horse and won first time out at Musselburgh in a novice handicap chase by a nose. 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.

Salvino 7 b g Leading Light – Sagabolley

Some people crab horses who finish second more than they win but this little horse always gives his best and the fact his form figures are 224–2122 tells you just how consistent he is. He gives 110 per cent every time he races and it is such a shame he doesn’t get his head in front more often. There always seems to be one better handicapped, but now he is up to 121 the handicapper knows where he is. He will go for the Pertemps qualifier at Musselburgh and then we will see if we should aim him at the Challenger Finals at Haydock.

Sirwilliamwallace

10 b g Getaway – Mrs Milan

He is hardly like his namesake in that he is

not necessarily the ballsiest of horses. That said, he has won three times including at Kelso in November, but after that he was wiped out at the first fence at Haydock and pulled up. I thought as he had hardly had a run there I sent him to Newcastle seven days later, where he ran a lifeless race. He travelled into the straight going great and I briefly thought he might win, but then he went out like a light. I think that was possibly the result of two long road trips in close succession. Hopefully we have got to the bottom of the little issues he has had and I know Ken [McGarrity] his owner is keen to go for the Hill House at Ayr. He should get nice ground there and I think he could be one to do better in the spring.

Stoney Rover 10 b g Scorpion – Consultation

Another 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 very positive. After a 329-day break he won at Carlisle and followed that up off a

4lb higher mark at Ayr. He is in very good order and off a career-high 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 with plenty of give in the

ground I would hope he has a serious chance.

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 outat Musselburgh so the plan is to run him in the Edinburgh National on Saturday, as if he is ever going to get a long distance it will be around there. If things were positive in his next race then we could look at something like the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on the last day of the season.

War Soldier

6 b g Soldier Of Fortune – After Dark

I have a lot of time for this horse, who has done little wrong. He won his bumper last year at Newcastle and after an encouraging hurdling debut at Wetherby first time out he has subsequently won back-to-back novices hurdles at Newcastle and Haydock in good company. We 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 we think that is too soon there are some nice novice races at the Scottish National meeting at Ayr.

BUMPER MARES

I have a group of four mares who are running in bumpers at the moment and all look to have nice futures. Blue Baloo won well at Newcastle and she could head for a Listed bumper next.

March Wind was second at Wetherby and could go to Ayr next, while Miss Arabella was fourth against the boys at Newcastle when she was very green.

Theirshegoes ran well when fourth on her racecourse debut on all-weather at Newcastle and I think readers should look out for all four of them.