It has not been a great month for racing if truth be told. The big freeze was followed by more water-logging, and the final hopes that a few people might be allowed to watch the Cheltenham Festival in person were extinguished. Then, just as we got some better ground and the excitement started to ramp-up, the Gordon Elliott story broke and racing was forced right back on the defensive. I am not going to get into that story here, as you can read plenty of comment elsewhere. Personally I would always rather spend time talking about positive things!
On Track This Month
We got Dynamic Kate out for her third run on 20th February at Wincanton. On ground that was again far too soft for her. She was well-beaten as we expected, but the big focus now is going to be on getting her ready to run on better ground later this month. She was allocated a hurdles rating of 81, which means that she can race in 0-100 races without being out of the handicap. There are a couple of 0-100 novice handicaps just after Cheltenham, which we will aim her at if there is some better ground. We are keen to see how competitive she will be on better ground, and in her grade, and she should be improving all the time as she gets stronger as well.
At the Stables
Our other runner for 2021, Far Too Beautiful, is coming on really well and her trainer, Michael Attwater, is pleased with her progress. She is probably only 4-6 weeks away from racing. She will likely be started off over 10 furlongs, with her future lying over further later in the season. She is the subject of the 3 photos that accompany this blog.
From The Trainer’s Mouth
Whilst I have run a couple of shareholder quizzes and social events in the last 12 months, I decided to try something new this month. I held an interview and Q&A session with Michael Attwater on Zoom. It was great to find out how Michael got into racing and his training methods. He also spoke about Far Too Beautiful and her progress, which her shareholders all found really interesting. It is great to be able to provide this kind of thing for shareholders as it keeps them engaged. Even when things open-up, not everyone is able to make the time to come to the stables and ask Michael questions for themselves. Obviously, this was really for BG Racing shareholders, but if any of you are interested in listening to the interview, feel free to drop me an email to phil@bgracingsyndicates.co.uk and I will share the link with you.
With the expectation that owners will be back on the racecourse from the end of March, if you have been thinking about giving ownership a try, now could be an excellent time to do so! New BG Racing owners will have Dynamic Kate moving in handicaps, and Far Too Beautiful approaching her first run as things to look forward to.
Podcast
As some of you will have seen from my Race Advisor forum post, Episode 4 of my podcast “Inside The Rails” was launched, and featured an interview with ITV and Sky Sport Racing pundit Luke Harvey. You can listen to the podcast by searching for “Inside The Rails” on Apple or Google podcasts, or Spotify, who have an app, or any anywhere else that you get your podcasts from.
Any Questions?
If at any time, you have any questions about racehorse ownership or about anything I mention in these monthly articles, please feel free to get in touch. I am not a salesman, just a racing enthusiast, the same as you. I am always happy to chat about racing, without an agenda. If you are considering joining syndicate or racing club and want some advice, please ask. I know how much fun being an owner is, and whether it is with BG Racing or someone else, I am always happy to help people get involved!
In the meantime, I hope you are staying happy and healthy, and that you enjoy Cheltenham and the other March horse racing action.
