David's news item

I am delighted to welcome you to the new Henfold House Stables website.

We now have the website up and running and are aiming to keep it updated on a regular basis.

It’s nice that we can open with some encouraging news of the last three runners.  On Borrowed Wings ran a nice race at Warwick on only his 4^th start over fences, once his jumping gets slicker he will get more competitive.

Preuty Boy ran a very good race first time out to finish 2^nd in a Beginners Chase at Lingfield last week and on Saturday Shuil Royale showed the promise of his previous wins in bumpers and hurdles by winning a competitive handicap by 13 lengths, ridden by the very good 5lb claimer Tom Cannon.  He has been put up 11lbs for that win which is slightly more than expected, however he’s a nice horse and will be entered for the EBF Final at Sandown in March.

There are no runners this week but we will keep you posted as to what will be running and where.

You can also check the latest entries by clicking on Racing results, entries, declarations tab on the website.

Rough Quest has once again been invited to take part in the parade of Past Grand National Winners at Aintree on Saturday 14^th April and subject to him continuing to be in good health he will be making the journey to take his place in the parade.

The weather hasn't been in anyone's favour this last week and it is frustrating for all concerned. 

Starluck missed out last weekend with Sandown being abandoned and then the weather claiming the meeting at Ffos Las.

There are 2 runners on Friday at Kempton The Strawberry One runs in the 2.40pm and On Borrowed Wings in the 4.55pm.  Fingers crossed we don't have another deluge of snow.

Next week Silver Dollars, Preuty Boy and Rocky Elsom are entered for races at Folkestone – let's hope the weather improves.

3.05 at Fakenham on Thursday 17th February -  The ground should suit On Borrowed Wings who runs in the Countryside Alliance Handicap Chase (for The Prince Carlton Challenge Cup)  on 17th February at 3.ooa, the ground should

On Saturday Starluck is running at Wincanton in the 3.45 Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle Grade 2 – this will be a good guide whether he will be a contender for the Stan James Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham on 13th March.

Rocky Elsom is also entered to run in the 4.50 Bathwick Tyres Salisbury Novices Hurdle on Saturday at Wincanton.  It is his first run over hurdles and he has been jumping quite well.

Thet

Starluck came out well from his race last Saturday, the handicapper has dropped him 5lbs – we will now look at going down the route of the County Hurdle at Cheltenham rather than the Champion Hurdle.

Topolski is coming back to himself, he will hopefully run at Fontwell on Sunday.  He might need the race and it will probably be a small field which may be a confidence booster having slightly lost his nerve in the bigger field hurdle races.  He has no engagements at Cheltenham but we will look at running him at Aintree if things go well.

On Borrowed Wings has been put up 9lbs which is a bit steep, he has 2 engagements for Cheltenham and we will assess him nearer the time.

Starluck is well in himself and he is entered for The Imperial Cup at Sandown on Saturday although the ground is not in his favour and he is more likely to run in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham, hopefully on better ground. 

Topolski came out of his race very well.  He has no engagements at Cheltenham but I am looking for something suitable for him for the following week with a view to an entry at Aintree afterwards. 

The Strawberry One will be taking her chance in the Mares race on Tuesday at Cheltenham, although not expected to win, if the ground is OK she should run a good race.

I was happy with both runners at Cheltenham, the ground was plenty soft enough for the mare, The Strawberry One, although the race turned into a sprint which didn’t suit her and she jumped well.  She has been dropped 4lb which will help her quest for the Mares Listed Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham in April.

Starluck ran a good race.  It was unfortunate that there was a false start as Tom had him in a perfect position.  He was unlucky to be behind a horse that did not want to jump off on the second start and found himself at the back with a wall of horses for the rest of the race.  He ran on well and there will be another day.

This week On Borrowed Wings and Topolski run in competitive races at Newbury.  Both horses seem well in themselves and will hopefully run well.

We only have a few on the go at the moment.  Tingo in the Tale ran very well at Wolverhampton yesterday – staying on to be 3^rd despite really feeling the severe kick back caused by a wet surface.  He will now have plenty of schooling ready to go over hurdles later this year.

Leelu runs tonight in the 9.20pm at Kempton and although she loves the track, I feel she is still carrying a few pounds too many.

I have kept Starluck going and will aim him at a 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 mile handicap towards the end of the month.

Fireitfromye runs in a Charity Race at Newbury, 5.50pm on Thursday evening, ridden by Juliet Slot - read on….. 

I am taking part in a charity horse race at Newbury, The George Frewer Celebration Sweepstake sponsored by The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation – a proper race round the proper race course, kind of like the Derby but without TV coverage!  The charity is Ufton Adventure, and their aim is to give young kids, from the Witley Estate in Reading, aspiration for their lives. On this estate, 38% live on the poverty line and there is a 20% teenage pregnancy rate, so many don't see that life offers them much. Ufton Adventure is challenging this view – working with Reading University, they have set up an outward bound centre where the kids can go to develop in ways that give them a different perspective. We are aiming to raise enough money to build seven huts and fund the teaching. The centre will become self-funding once the capital costs are covered, in other words, it is a charitable project that will not need constant topping up.

I have a fundraising website www.justgiving.com/juliet-slot where you can read more about the charity and updates on how my 'training' has progressed.  It is a very worthwhile charity and any donations would be gratefully received.

A few words from Juliet Slot after her run at Newbury.  Her website www.justgiving.com/Juliet-slot is still open and you will see her total raised so far is £6,702 – still time to try and get her to the magic £7,000!

“The whole experience was fantastic for me – everything we did was as if we were professionals at the race course from weighing in (a very public experience) to the race itself.

The training, the preparation, finding the kit and getting to know a fantastic team at Henfold made this an experience I shall never forget. I am truly grateful for all the support and for Fireitfromye getting me round despite my challenging start. Training starts for next year now!”

Horses are now in and starting their road work.  They have appreciated their extra 2 weeks out as they managed to get some sun on their backs rather than just rain.

Our next runners will be Tingo in the Tale and Starluck in early September.

We have made some small changes to the website and will be putting a full update on in the next few days of all the horses and also to come a new gallery with photos so please log on next week for all the latest news.

I would also like to welcome Lawmens Limited as our new sponsor for Henfold Racing and hope they enjoy the forthcoming season with their association with the yard. 

Now the rain has gone hopefully the ground will improve and we will be back in action.  I have been very pleased with the runs of 2 young horses this week, Urcalin and Whenindoubtdoit, both have shown promise and will certainly come on for their runs.

Preuty Boy won well at Lingfield and although the handicapper has raised him 8lb to 114, I still feel he will be competitive off that mark and we will be aiming him at the Surrey National at Lingfield next week over 3 ½ miles.

Gandalfe has various entries and it could be Sandown on Friday or Leicester next Tuesday.

Topolski is unlikely to run at Fontwell on Sunday but could run at Taunton the following week.

Rocky Elsom and Fireitfromye go to Huntingdon on Thursday, the handicapper has put Rocky up 3lb for winning at Plumpton but he should still be competitive.

Fireitfromye should run well but might possibly need the run.

The  horses are more forward this year than last, mainly because I was able to bring them in earlier thanks to the very good summer they enjoyed.

The earliest runners look like being Shuil Royale, Westaway and Strollawaynow.  Shuil Royale is being aimed for the Badger Chase at Wincanton a venue where so far he is unbeaten, I would like to run him at Wincanton on 17^th in preparation for the Badger but with this very dry autumn it will be ground dependent.

Westaway seems to have finally acclimatised from coming over from Ireland, he is looking well and is still a maiden over hurdles and I will be looking for a 3 mile maiden hurdle race for him but he does need soft ground.

Strollawaynow has had a number of problems but at the moment seems to be through them.  I have always felt he has the potential to be a nice horse and he will go novice hurdling starting over 2 miles.

Whenindoubtdoit having run very well first time at Southwell disappointed in his next two runs, I am going to put him straight over fences but he has a fair bit to prove.

Urcalin seems to have summered well, he is on a mark of 119 which I think is fair.  He has done all his racing so far over 2 miles but I feel a step up to 2 ½ miles will suit.

Gandalfe has had a wind operation during the summer.  He ran some OK races last year but always seemed to struggle at the finish.  Hopefully the wind operation can correct this and he could be very well handicapped off 103.

Rocky Elsom has also had a wind operation and he is an excellent jumper so he will almost certainly go novice chasing this year.

Topolski seems to be coming back to himself but when we ran him on the soft ground at Stratford Tom Cannon felt he was making a fair noise so he has been lasered and hopefully if we get some reasonable ground he will run again over hurdles, if not we will wait until the spring.

Danglydontask, my only 2 year old in the yard was a bit over faced at Ascot but could be seen to better effect in a lesser median auction maiden although I feel handicaps will be his game.

Starluck unfortunately has had another setback and he will not be back in action until the spring.

I have bought on behalf of Mr Wates, a Kalanisi 3 yr old out of a Presenting mare in Ireland, as yet unnamed, but he is a nice strong type and could possibly be running in a bumper early next year.

Tingo in the Tale will run tomorrow at Salisbury, I wanted a bit of cut but it has now gone soft and there could be too much cut, but he has been schooling and we could give him a go over hurdles after that.

Driving down to see Rough Quest today brought back some great memories of previous visits to Henfold Stables.  One memory was of the first time I came down to the schooling ground at Box Hill midweek, I had been down previously on a Sunday and the traffic was a breeze, however, getting through Bracknell and the M25 is not so easy during the week!  I think I arrived 1/2 hour late much to the non-amusement of Terry Casey, but it made me smile thinking of him.

I then got to thinking what a lot of success I have shared with the Wates family.  Ritz Club Chase win with Rough Quest at the Cheltenham Festival, 2nd in a Gold Cup, placed in two King George VI chases and of course one of the best days of my life when winning the greatest prize of them all in jump racing, The Grand National.  For that I will be eternally grateful to the Wates family for giving me the chance to really launch my career.

It was a real treat to see Rough Quest looking so well aged 29.  I really think he is a credit to everybody involved in his care.  These horses are warriors who give their all for our enjoyment of this great sport and it's only right they are treated accordingly when racing is over for them.

Kind regards

Mick

The majority of the horses are now out at grass and will be coming back in in July.  We have a few on the go for the summer.

Urcalin – defies the usual characteristics of a French bred horse in that he loves fast ground so he will continue to run throughout the summer.  He has won two of his last three races, narrowly failing to win his hat trick at Aintree.  We have the option of going chasing again or sticking to hurdles, my preferred route would be chasing.  He has been schooling and seems to be jumping well.

Topolski – ran last night at Kempton, he finished fifth off a very slow pace and hopefully that has put him right to go back to hurdling.

Danglydontask – was a bit disappointing at Wolverhampton last time but in his defence possibly needed the race.  He will run either at Wolverhampton on 2nd June or Chelmsford City on the 3rd and having worked well last week with Topolski I am hoping for a better run.

Gandalfe – has had a minor problem but is now sound so will be summer chasing.

Mick Fitzgerald and Andrew Wates being reminded by Rough Quest that he still deserves polos when Mick visited last month.  It is 20 years since Mick rode him to victory in the Grand National and Questy is keeping in fine fettle, now aged 30.

It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Rough Quest yesterday at the grand old age of 30. He was the longest living Grand National winner and provided Andrew Wates and his family with their best racing moment by winning the race in 1996. Having had a very healthy and happy retirement at Henfold, he recently developed an infection which he was not recovering from and in the best interests of the horse we did not want him to suffer. It is a testament to his constitution that before this problem he had hardly ever needed to see a vet during his retirement. He was still receiving birthday cards, regular fan mail and vists from Mick Fitzgerald and others who fondly remember his day of glory and he always enjoyed the carrots and polos that were given to him by his visitors.