Mark Walford February Stable Tour

There’s no hiding the fact that Mark Walford has been enjoying a fantastic spell over the last year.

Indeed, he has recorded his biggest ever prize money haul in a jumps season - with the rest of February, March and April to go.

So Racing Manager Craig Talbot was delighted to catch up with the Cornborough Conjuror once more, to take us through our strongest ever line-up at Sheriff Hutton.

Ashington

He’s having a little break at Laskill, he is in great condition. He will do some loose exercise until the end of February and we will get him back at the start of March and get him ready to run at Cheltenham in April. He’s a horse who won’t be too fussed by the ground and he will then have a summer of fun, with all sorts of races with good prize money that he would have a right chance in. He will be going to places like Market Rasen and Cartmel. He is a real favourite. You know he will give his all. He may not be the easiest to win with, but when things fall right he wins a nice big pot and he will do that for us I am sure.  

Bay Dream Believer

She’s another who is enjoying her holiday at Laskill. She has had some turn out and loose exercise. We are aiming to run her at Doncaster in early April and we will have her back four weeks before then. She has kept fit, but is chilled out and we will keep her running. There’s plenty of racing for her this summer and she will like top of the ground. She was probably due a bit of a break and she will be grand when she gets back to us. 

Carrarea

He’s looking great and he has muscled up quite a bit. He is due a clip, but we are very happy with him. He lost muscle having box rest, as they do, but his back end and neck are now buildings up nicely. Every week now we can see a real change in him. We have done all the steady stuff with him and next week he will have a bit of fast work. All being well he will then be 4-6 weeks off a run. We will start in a novice, once Cheltenham and Aintree are out of the way you get some weak novices especially at tracks like Hexham and he should be able to pick up a novice before starting to run in the bigger races like Ashington. He will like all those summer tracks like Uttoxeter, Market Rasen and those. He has a bit of class and if we can get him back to 80 per cent of his previous form he will be winning races. He is good as gold, very easy to deal with and we will have a good spring and summer with him now.

Event of Sivola

We are delighted with how he has come back to form this year. He is showing no signs of age catching up with him and these proper staying chasers can keep running if you are sensible with them. He will go to Hexham next in Cheltenham week. All eyes will be on Cheltenham and hopefully we can get a nice win up there. Bangor was a bit too hot for him, but it was the right race to him in. He ran a great races in fifth in that company and he will go to Hexham with a right chance down 2lb. We will look at maybe trying a pair of blinkers, we will just keep mixing it up for him. He’s a grand servant and Ursa’s longest serving horse now.

Fenna’s Loss

He is fine after Catterick. The ground wasn’t perfect for him, but he has come back out the race fine. He is mad keen at the moment and he is not respecting his hurdles at the moment. The next race is the 27th at Ayr over 2m4f. I wouldn’t even be worried dropping him back or up. He’s a horse who we will keep running while he is in good form. We will see how far we go into Spring and Summer but I wouldn’t be afraid to put him over a fence sooner than later. He knows that if he gets a hurdle wrong he can kick it down and get away with it, he will probably be more settled over fences. It could be the making of him. He has won a bumper, he has won a novice hurdle and I am sure he will win a handicap hurdle, but he was bought to be a chaser and anything before that is a bonus. He is a lovely horse, he just needs to chill out a bit in the first half of his races. 

Ghadbbaan

He has come back with all the enthusiasm as last year and it’s all systems go for Doncaster on the first Sunday of the turf season - the race he won last year. He has muscled up really well and looks fit already. Ground won’t be too much of an issue for him, we will just avoid bottomless. It will be a case of similar to last year, if he can repeat that we will be thrilled. We can go to the nice tracks with him again, York, Ripon, we would love to get a win at Newmarket, it was ideal for him last year when he came second despite it being one of the hottest days of the year and travelling down all that way. We will see him in six weeks and everything has gone nicely.

Moonlight Glory

We were delighted with her run at Leicester and she probably was unlucky not to hold on and win that. She seems back to her best now after a few runs earlier this season, because we did have some problems with her. The new routine we do with her helps, but I also think she is better in her head and a happy horse again. Jamie gave her a pop this week and she was geat. She does need the rain though. We just want to be careful with her. Hexham always produces superb ground so we could be going back there if not Catterick. She has also run well at Hexham before. Her jumping is now straighter again and 2m4f hurdles or fences would be great. If she can run like she did at Leicester again she will be going close. 

Night Life

Has settled in beautifully at Laskill and she is just having a break before coming into the yard properly. We love everything about her so far and we have some early season targets in mind. She will be going to try and win a GB Bonus this year, she should be able to pick one up and then she has paid for herself. Absolutely love her and she will be a great purchase.