Club News

The latest news from the Club

Great week for the Club

28 September 2018

Last Sunday, Harmonica won the second race of her career when venturing from Newmarket to Hamilton Park in Scotland, looking specifically for the testing ground. The Club's homebred daughter of Sadler's Wells mare, Affinity, won an apprentices' handicap at Lingfield in the spring, before missing the summer due to being unsuited to firm ground. Legendary trainer, Sir Mark Prescott, has always thought that soft or heavy ground would bring out the best in the daughter of Pivotal, and how right he was.

She stayed on well in the mile contest under Ryan Tate to claim a convincing victory and may now attempt a Listed race on the Continent once again, in order to gain some Black Type to potentially enhance her pedigree. Harmonica ventured to Dusseldorf earlier in the year, but the track had dried up, which was not what we were hoping for. Now that we are moving more into autumn every day, her trainer is considering another overseas raid, which can only boost her prospects of successfully joining the Club's prolific Breeding Programme.

Two days later, Keyhaven won the first race of her short career when winning at Lingfield. The daughter of Raven's Pass is the only foal out of former Club broodmare New Fforest, who sadly died whilst foaling the following season. For her to win is therefore very important, as her granddam. Ffestiniog, bred mainly colts, so to have a female descendent to continue her excellent lineage is incredible helpful. Ffestiniog bred the winners of an incredible 50 races, after winning the Club's first ever Listed race herself, back in 1997. Like her dam, New Fforest, Keyhaven possesses plenty of speed and five furlongs is probably as far as she wants to go. The leaders went very fast in her race last week, before Keyhaven stayed on well as they dropped back out of contention. She looked really determined and is a credit to trainer James Fanshawe and jockey George Wood, who are both in terrific form at present. We hope to see both horses out again soon.