Post by lisah on May 18, 2010 15:47:18 GMT 1
Hello all
We have been invited to to a pre-racing parade at Hamilton Racecourse in 19th Sept.
Hamilton Races are also sponsoring £50 for the Supreme and Reserve Champions at the annual show on 26th Sept, and will be promoting the show as part of the parade - what stars they are
First race is at 2.30 so the parade will probably start around 1.30 - again I will ask for provisional names etc now, as we are doing for Musselburgh.
Hamilton is a fabulous flat racing course and to parade here is pretty darn good I can tell you - visit their website www.hamilton-park.co.uk/ to find out more - you really will love being on parade here
Hamilton Parade - Confirmed
Just Classic / Lisa Hamer
Beneficial Guest/Nicola Falcus
Just In Time/Alexis Weir
Bubba Boy / Isabel Breen
Fishy Affair / Thelma Black
Ryefield/Gillian Rooney
Jupiter De Busy/ Louise Voy
Breydon / Janis Mack
Lyndah Charlotte / Ashley Voy
Jordane Duncan / African Swallow
Here is the commentary for the horses on the day, I hope its ok.
1. Just Classic & Lisa Hamer
Just Classic is known as Denzel at home – because he is as handsome as Lisa’s favourite actor Denzel Washington. He is 10 years old and by top stallion Classic Cliché.
He was bought as a yearling by top owner David Johnson (2009 Grand National winning owner) as a future prospect for the National or Gold Cup. Trained by Martin Pipe Just classic won his first race in great style, winning by almost 20 lengths.
Unfortunately he had problems with his tendons and needed time off after that. He came up to Peter Monteith, who is renowned for getting the best out of horses who have lost their way or are coming back from injury, but Peter was concerned that he would not stand up to the training regime so he was gifted to Lisa in June 2008.
Lisa has done his retraining herself and they are now competing at all disciplines with a view to going British Eventing next year. Just Classic has won shows at County level, and has been placed at dressage, show jumping and cross country. He has qualified for the ex racehorse championships next weekend and Lisa hopes he behaves himself as he can get quite excitable sometimes.
She says he is a lovely horse to work with, very willing to please but can get stressed very easily so a lot of patience is needed to get the best out of him.
2. Beneficial Guest & Nicola Falcus
Beneficial Guest is known as Benji at home. He is 9 years old and by Beneficial. He was trained by I McMath in Ireland, where he did most of his racing. He was quite successful with one win and one third place, both over hurdles, from his 8 starts.
His final race was at Ayr in 2009, when he was pulled up, his jockey James Halliday said Benji was just not interested in racing and he was retired.
Nicola bought Benji through a member on the Scottish and Northern Ex Racehorse Club in March of this year. She already has another ex racehorse Hidden Exit (Maggie) but she is now in light work only due to recurring problems from old injuries and Nicola wanted something she could compete on.
Benji has settled into his new life very well. His companions are Maggie and his best friend a Shetland pony, Benji’s favourite pastime is chasing the Shetland around the field when all the Shetland wants to do is eat!
Benji loves hacking although Nicola aims to do dressage and showing classes with him. They have regular lessons and he always aims to please. Benji has also qualified for the ex racehorse championships next weekend.
3. Just in Time & Michelle Weir
Just in Time, known as Justy at home is 15 years old by top stallion Nightshift. He had a fantastic racing career, 11 wins and 15 places, winning just over £98,000 in his career which spanned 10 years. He last raced in March 2008 at the grand age of 13 and ran on the flat, all weather, hurdles and fences with wins in all categories.
Justy is a top show and dressage horse, continuing his racing success with even more wins as an ex racehorse – its just a shame there is no prize money says his owner Alexis.
He has won showing at county level, championships and is a regular winner at dressage. Justy has also qualified for the ex racehorse championship show next weekend.
Justy however, still has a lot of the racehorse sharpness in him and can catch you off guard now and again. He is being ridden today by his owner’s sister Michelle as Alexis recently came off and broke her arm. Alexis says there is no badness in him at all, quite the opposite he is a very sweet and loving horse but every now and again he forgets he is 15 and a retired racehorse and surprises his rider with aerobatics that a 3 year old would be impressed by.
4. Bubba Boy & Isabel Breen
Bubba Boy – Bubba at home – is 10 years old by top stallion Anshan. Bubba is another horse previously owned by David Johnson, sent up to Peter Monteith to see if Peter could find the ‘spark’ to turn him into a winning racehorse.
Bubba last raced in February 2006 and retired as, in Peter’s words ‘’he just did not want to be a racehorse and had the confirmation and temperament to make a much better riding horse’. Bubba was bought by Peter’s conditional jockey at that time David Da Silva. David started his re-training and he was bough by Isabel shortly after and she has continued with hi retraining.
Isabel’s passion is dressage and Bubba has proved to be a much better dressage horse than race horse. He has also done really well in the show ring, with a number of wins at both disciplines, and has qualified for the ex racehorse championships next weekend.
Bubba is a real character and his party trick is to ‘’blow raspberries’’ over the stable door at you – he is a very affectionate horse and loves to be pampered, brushed – anything that does not expend too much of his energy but makes him the centre of attention.
5. Fishy Affair and Thelma Black
Fishy Affair is an 18 year old gelding by Risk Me. He raced 17 times as a 2 and 3 year old and was then sold at Doncaster Sales, where he was bought as a riding horse.
He proved too difficult for his purchaser to ride, was turned away for a couple of years, and then gifted to his current owner, Thelma Black, in 2009.
Since then he has competed successfully in dressage, showing and show jumping.
He represented Polnoon Castle Riders Association at the National Riding Clubs Championships at Lincoln in 2002 and 2003, in dressage and show jumping, winning the Retraining of Racehorses award both years for the best ex-racehorse competing in the National Dressage Championships.
He is currently a much-loved, semi-retired field ornament. Today he is allowing his owner/rider to fulfil a lifelong dream of riding her own Thoroughbred at a proper race meeting. Thelma would like to say thanks to Hamilton racecourse, the ScotNorth Ex-Racers Club, and especially to Fishy Affair for letting her Live the Dream!!
6 Ryefield & Gillian Rooney
Ryefield, known as Ryan at home, is 15 years old by top stallion Petong. He was trained by Lynda Perratt and last raced in August 2003. Ryefield raced 64 times, won 7 races on the flat, was placed in another 12 and won almost £50,000 during his career.
He raced 4 times at Hamilton and Gillian, his owner, is hoping that is a distant memory today as she is sure he would love another blast on the race track.
Ryefield is yet another example of how versatile and successful ex racehorses can be. He has competed at all disciplines and has won at showing, dressage and jumping.
Gillian adores Ryan and they have had a long and happy partnership together. Given his age and the miles on his clock, he is not quite as active as they used to be and Gillian works hard to manage the wear and tear that 6 years of racing and a further 8 years of competing have produced. However, she says there are many years of enjoyment ahead provided he remembers he is getting on a bit and should reserve his energy a little more.
7. Jupiter De Bussy and Louise Voy
Jupiter is 10 years old by Silver Rainbow. He was trained by Len Lungo and won 2 of his 12 races, both over hurdles. He last raced in March 2005 when he was pulled up at Ayr.
When he came out of racing he was too much for his first owners – a story that is sadly far too common when people take ex racehorses with no idea of the experience and commitment needed to retrain them. Jupiter became difficult to handle and impossible to ride because he was picking up on his owners fear and lack of confidence and experience. It became a vicious circle to the point where he was offered to Janis to try and sort out or he would be put to sleep as a ‘dangerous’ horse.
Janis took him and turned him away for 3 months and just let him be a horse. He was then brought back into work slowly and carefully. He is now out show jumping with Louise and is very happy in his work. Far from being a dangerous horse he is very willing to please and is just a bit exuberant at times.
Jupiter’s story is a sharp reminder that you should not take on an ex racehorse unless you are confident, competent and experienced – these are after all athletes, highly sensitive and intelligent horses and they do pick up very easily on any nerves or fear from their rider. It is good to see that Jupiter’s tale has a happy ending, or shall we say beginning.
8. Breydon & Janis Mack
Breydon is 17 years old by top stallion Be My Guest. He was trained by Peter Monteith and was very popular winner here at Hamilton in May 1998 when he won the feature race here. He ran 51 races during his career winning almost £16,000. He ran his last race at Perth in May 2000.
Breydon was a much loved horse at Peter’s and when he first left racing he went to live with his stable lass, but was rehomed after she had her first child.
Conditional jockey Campbell Gillies learned to ride on Breydon after he went to his current owner Janis Mack. Breydon may be 17 but he still thinks he is a racehorse and Janis says it’s a nightmare when he goes out with the other ex racehorses as they all just get very excited and still think they are in race mode. Breydon will jump anything, he loves his cross country and no jump is a problem to him.
He is a really affectionate easy going horse with a great nature but it is difficult to maintain condition on him and it is getting even more difficult now he is getting older.
9. Lyndah Charlotte & Ashley Voy
Lyndah Charlotte is a 13 year old mare by Case Law. She was trained by Jonjo O’Neill, raced 5 times with no success so she left racing.
We do not know her immediate history after leaving Jonjo’s but her current owner was contacted by someone in the Perth area very concerned about the condition of this little mare. Janis went to see her and was so concerned about her condition she brought her back to Edinburgh where the emergency vet was needed because the horse was in such a poor way.
This is another sad example of ignorance resulting in a hard time for the horse. Her initial owner took her because she was ‘cheap’ but she did not consider that a thoroughbred would need much more care than a native breed and just left her in a field with no rug or shelter – believing that grass alone was sufficient as it had been for her previous non thoroughbred horse.
Janis has really turned this little mare around and says she is a lovely horse to ride, very keen to please and showing a great skill for show jumping.
10 African Swallow & Jordane Duncan
African Swallow, Jasper at home, is 9 years old by Priolo. He raced once in November 2005 in Ireland.
We do not know why he left racing as his current owners bough him after he had retired from racing. They were not sure even if he was an ex racehorse but looking at him they thought he was and through lots of help from Weatherbys they tracked down all his information.
Jasper was quite nervous when Jordane first owned him but over time he has settled and she says he has the sweetest and most affectionate nature of any horse she knows.
Jasper competes successfully at show jumping and cross country, Jordane says he loves his life, always looks happy and she just loves riding him
We have been invited to to a pre-racing parade at Hamilton Racecourse in 19th Sept.
Hamilton Races are also sponsoring £50 for the Supreme and Reserve Champions at the annual show on 26th Sept, and will be promoting the show as part of the parade - what stars they are
First race is at 2.30 so the parade will probably start around 1.30 - again I will ask for provisional names etc now, as we are doing for Musselburgh.
Hamilton is a fabulous flat racing course and to parade here is pretty darn good I can tell you - visit their website www.hamilton-park.co.uk/ to find out more - you really will love being on parade here
Hamilton Parade - Confirmed
Just Classic / Lisa Hamer
Beneficial Guest/Nicola Falcus
Just In Time/Alexis Weir
Bubba Boy / Isabel Breen
Fishy Affair / Thelma Black
Ryefield/Gillian Rooney
Jupiter De Busy/ Louise Voy
Breydon / Janis Mack
Lyndah Charlotte / Ashley Voy
Jordane Duncan / African Swallow
Here is the commentary for the horses on the day, I hope its ok.
1. Just Classic & Lisa Hamer
Just Classic is known as Denzel at home – because he is as handsome as Lisa’s favourite actor Denzel Washington. He is 10 years old and by top stallion Classic Cliché.
He was bought as a yearling by top owner David Johnson (2009 Grand National winning owner) as a future prospect for the National or Gold Cup. Trained by Martin Pipe Just classic won his first race in great style, winning by almost 20 lengths.
Unfortunately he had problems with his tendons and needed time off after that. He came up to Peter Monteith, who is renowned for getting the best out of horses who have lost their way or are coming back from injury, but Peter was concerned that he would not stand up to the training regime so he was gifted to Lisa in June 2008.
Lisa has done his retraining herself and they are now competing at all disciplines with a view to going British Eventing next year. Just Classic has won shows at County level, and has been placed at dressage, show jumping and cross country. He has qualified for the ex racehorse championships next weekend and Lisa hopes he behaves himself as he can get quite excitable sometimes.
She says he is a lovely horse to work with, very willing to please but can get stressed very easily so a lot of patience is needed to get the best out of him.
2. Beneficial Guest & Nicola Falcus
Beneficial Guest is known as Benji at home. He is 9 years old and by Beneficial. He was trained by I McMath in Ireland, where he did most of his racing. He was quite successful with one win and one third place, both over hurdles, from his 8 starts.
His final race was at Ayr in 2009, when he was pulled up, his jockey James Halliday said Benji was just not interested in racing and he was retired.
Nicola bought Benji through a member on the Scottish and Northern Ex Racehorse Club in March of this year. She already has another ex racehorse Hidden Exit (Maggie) but she is now in light work only due to recurring problems from old injuries and Nicola wanted something she could compete on.
Benji has settled into his new life very well. His companions are Maggie and his best friend a Shetland pony, Benji’s favourite pastime is chasing the Shetland around the field when all the Shetland wants to do is eat!
Benji loves hacking although Nicola aims to do dressage and showing classes with him. They have regular lessons and he always aims to please. Benji has also qualified for the ex racehorse championships next weekend.
3. Just in Time & Michelle Weir
Just in Time, known as Justy at home is 15 years old by top stallion Nightshift. He had a fantastic racing career, 11 wins and 15 places, winning just over £98,000 in his career which spanned 10 years. He last raced in March 2008 at the grand age of 13 and ran on the flat, all weather, hurdles and fences with wins in all categories.
Justy is a top show and dressage horse, continuing his racing success with even more wins as an ex racehorse – its just a shame there is no prize money says his owner Alexis.
He has won showing at county level, championships and is a regular winner at dressage. Justy has also qualified for the ex racehorse championship show next weekend.
Justy however, still has a lot of the racehorse sharpness in him and can catch you off guard now and again. He is being ridden today by his owner’s sister Michelle as Alexis recently came off and broke her arm. Alexis says there is no badness in him at all, quite the opposite he is a very sweet and loving horse but every now and again he forgets he is 15 and a retired racehorse and surprises his rider with aerobatics that a 3 year old would be impressed by.
4. Bubba Boy & Isabel Breen
Bubba Boy – Bubba at home – is 10 years old by top stallion Anshan. Bubba is another horse previously owned by David Johnson, sent up to Peter Monteith to see if Peter could find the ‘spark’ to turn him into a winning racehorse.
Bubba last raced in February 2006 and retired as, in Peter’s words ‘’he just did not want to be a racehorse and had the confirmation and temperament to make a much better riding horse’. Bubba was bought by Peter’s conditional jockey at that time David Da Silva. David started his re-training and he was bough by Isabel shortly after and she has continued with hi retraining.
Isabel’s passion is dressage and Bubba has proved to be a much better dressage horse than race horse. He has also done really well in the show ring, with a number of wins at both disciplines, and has qualified for the ex racehorse championships next weekend.
Bubba is a real character and his party trick is to ‘’blow raspberries’’ over the stable door at you – he is a very affectionate horse and loves to be pampered, brushed – anything that does not expend too much of his energy but makes him the centre of attention.
5. Fishy Affair and Thelma Black
Fishy Affair is an 18 year old gelding by Risk Me. He raced 17 times as a 2 and 3 year old and was then sold at Doncaster Sales, where he was bought as a riding horse.
He proved too difficult for his purchaser to ride, was turned away for a couple of years, and then gifted to his current owner, Thelma Black, in 2009.
Since then he has competed successfully in dressage, showing and show jumping.
He represented Polnoon Castle Riders Association at the National Riding Clubs Championships at Lincoln in 2002 and 2003, in dressage and show jumping, winning the Retraining of Racehorses award both years for the best ex-racehorse competing in the National Dressage Championships.
He is currently a much-loved, semi-retired field ornament. Today he is allowing his owner/rider to fulfil a lifelong dream of riding her own Thoroughbred at a proper race meeting. Thelma would like to say thanks to Hamilton racecourse, the ScotNorth Ex-Racers Club, and especially to Fishy Affair for letting her Live the Dream!!
6 Ryefield & Gillian Rooney
Ryefield, known as Ryan at home, is 15 years old by top stallion Petong. He was trained by Lynda Perratt and last raced in August 2003. Ryefield raced 64 times, won 7 races on the flat, was placed in another 12 and won almost £50,000 during his career.
He raced 4 times at Hamilton and Gillian, his owner, is hoping that is a distant memory today as she is sure he would love another blast on the race track.
Ryefield is yet another example of how versatile and successful ex racehorses can be. He has competed at all disciplines and has won at showing, dressage and jumping.
Gillian adores Ryan and they have had a long and happy partnership together. Given his age and the miles on his clock, he is not quite as active as they used to be and Gillian works hard to manage the wear and tear that 6 years of racing and a further 8 years of competing have produced. However, she says there are many years of enjoyment ahead provided he remembers he is getting on a bit and should reserve his energy a little more.
7. Jupiter De Bussy and Louise Voy
Jupiter is 10 years old by Silver Rainbow. He was trained by Len Lungo and won 2 of his 12 races, both over hurdles. He last raced in March 2005 when he was pulled up at Ayr.
When he came out of racing he was too much for his first owners – a story that is sadly far too common when people take ex racehorses with no idea of the experience and commitment needed to retrain them. Jupiter became difficult to handle and impossible to ride because he was picking up on his owners fear and lack of confidence and experience. It became a vicious circle to the point where he was offered to Janis to try and sort out or he would be put to sleep as a ‘dangerous’ horse.
Janis took him and turned him away for 3 months and just let him be a horse. He was then brought back into work slowly and carefully. He is now out show jumping with Louise and is very happy in his work. Far from being a dangerous horse he is very willing to please and is just a bit exuberant at times.
Jupiter’s story is a sharp reminder that you should not take on an ex racehorse unless you are confident, competent and experienced – these are after all athletes, highly sensitive and intelligent horses and they do pick up very easily on any nerves or fear from their rider. It is good to see that Jupiter’s tale has a happy ending, or shall we say beginning.
8. Breydon & Janis Mack
Breydon is 17 years old by top stallion Be My Guest. He was trained by Peter Monteith and was very popular winner here at Hamilton in May 1998 when he won the feature race here. He ran 51 races during his career winning almost £16,000. He ran his last race at Perth in May 2000.
Breydon was a much loved horse at Peter’s and when he first left racing he went to live with his stable lass, but was rehomed after she had her first child.
Conditional jockey Campbell Gillies learned to ride on Breydon after he went to his current owner Janis Mack. Breydon may be 17 but he still thinks he is a racehorse and Janis says it’s a nightmare when he goes out with the other ex racehorses as they all just get very excited and still think they are in race mode. Breydon will jump anything, he loves his cross country and no jump is a problem to him.
He is a really affectionate easy going horse with a great nature but it is difficult to maintain condition on him and it is getting even more difficult now he is getting older.
9. Lyndah Charlotte & Ashley Voy
Lyndah Charlotte is a 13 year old mare by Case Law. She was trained by Jonjo O’Neill, raced 5 times with no success so she left racing.
We do not know her immediate history after leaving Jonjo’s but her current owner was contacted by someone in the Perth area very concerned about the condition of this little mare. Janis went to see her and was so concerned about her condition she brought her back to Edinburgh where the emergency vet was needed because the horse was in such a poor way.
This is another sad example of ignorance resulting in a hard time for the horse. Her initial owner took her because she was ‘cheap’ but she did not consider that a thoroughbred would need much more care than a native breed and just left her in a field with no rug or shelter – believing that grass alone was sufficient as it had been for her previous non thoroughbred horse.
Janis has really turned this little mare around and says she is a lovely horse to ride, very keen to please and showing a great skill for show jumping.
10 African Swallow & Jordane Duncan
African Swallow, Jasper at home, is 9 years old by Priolo. He raced once in November 2005 in Ireland.
We do not know why he left racing as his current owners bough him after he had retired from racing. They were not sure even if he was an ex racehorse but looking at him they thought he was and through lots of help from Weatherbys they tracked down all his information.
Jasper was quite nervous when Jordane first owned him but over time he has settled and she says he has the sweetest and most affectionate nature of any horse she knows.
Jasper competes successfully at show jumping and cross country, Jordane says he loves his life, always looks happy and she just loves riding him
