Sea of Heartbreak (Ire) returns to Beckhampton tomorrow after her winter holiday at her owner/breeder's Oaklands Farm in West Sussex.

Her dam Top Forty by Rainbow Quest was purchased from Juddmonte Farms and comes from a good staying family that include Sarah Siddons (Irish 1000 Gr.1 and Yorkshire Oaks Gr.1) and Princess Pati (Irish Oaks Gr.1) . Her first foal Persefone(Ire) by Montjeu won a Listed race in Hanover over 11 furlongs in 2009.  Sea of Heartbreak improved during the season to win 3 of her 6 races and £21000, she loves fast ground and should stay 10 furlongs plus. She ran her best race of the season to finish 4th in the Severals Stakes Listed at Newmarket in October, where she was beaten 3 lengths by Modeyra, Timepiece and Middle Club.       

Click on the '' gallery '' above to view more photographs that I took this week of the horses.

Striking Eyes has her 2nd start in the 2.35 at Lingfield this afternoon a 6 furlong seller. She will need to have improved to win, as the favourite Insolenceofofoffice would appear to have at least 10lb in hand.  

She would appear to be better suited to going down in trip to 5 furlongs as she faded in the closing stages. She will be going to the February Sales at Newmarket on 3/2/11.

KEYS (IRE)

A picture taken of Keys this morning looking extremely well and happy, as we start the countdown to the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in less than eight weeks time.

 Pontenuovo (BHA111), see her pedigree and photograph below, arrived at Beckhampton from the Arqana Deauville Sales in December, having been purchased by Tom Goff of Blanford Bloodstock for Mr. Bjorn Nielsen.   As a 2 year old she was trained by Yves De Nicolay and  ran 4 times.  Her first race was at Maisons-Laffitte on 25th June where she was beaten less than a length by Helleborine, a Juddmonte Farm's full sister to African Rose who won the Ladbrokes Sprint Gr.1 in 2008.   Helleborine (BHA 111)  ended her season by finishing 2nd to Misty For Me (BHA 113) in the Marcel Boussac Gr.1 at Longchamp.

Five weeks later Pontenuovo won the Prix De Caboug Gr.3  easily from Captain Chop at Deauville over 6 furlongs on good to soft ground.  She returned to Deauville on 25th August to finish 3rd beaten 2 lengths by Dream Ahead (BHA126) in the Prix Morny Gr.1 on similar going having had every chance. Tin House (BHA115) finished second and  went on to confirm that form by finishing a dead heat  2nd to Wootton Bassett (BHA 119) when beaten 2+ lengths in the Grand Criterium Gr.1 at Longchamp.  Her last race was a disappointment in the Prix Thomas Bryon Gr.3 at Saint Cloud on 7th October over 8 furlongs, she finished last of the 5 runners but she was thought to have been unsuited by the heavy going together with the distance.

Being by the recently deceased Green Tune (Green Dancer) who was trained by Mme Criquette Head-Maarek to be a top class miler in France, and whose progeny have an average winning distance of over 10 furlongs. This I hope will give us reason to think that she could stay further than her dam Porlezza (Sicyos).  Her 6 victories were achieved up to the age of 5 and included the Prix Maurice de Gheest Gr.1  over 6 1/2 furlongs where she beat E'toile Montante, Avonbridge and Tante Rose in 2004.  Porlezza's half sister, Ponte Brolla (Highest Honor) stayed 12+ furlongs and produced Ponte Tresa to to win the Prix Kergorlay Gr.2 over 15 furlongs beating Mad Rush in 2008. 

I am obviously thrilled to have such an exciting prospect in the yard, and  with only 4 fillies rated above her in the 2010 European Thoroughbred Rankings, she should have a bright future. Her racing program will depend on how well she relaxes and how far she stays, but she could be aimed at one of the 1000gns trials either at Newmarket or Newbury in April.  As a French bred filly, I will be keeping a close eye on the various options in France where they have generous premiums to be added to their prize money.

 Knockdolian sadly could not handle the very heavy conditions at Folkestone yesterday but his jumping was at least encouraging.

Knockdolian runs this afternoon at Folkestone after the course passed two inspections at 6.30 and 8.00.  The ground will be very heavy and testing which won't be ideal for him but it does have the appearance of being a weak race. The favourite Mr. Muddle had a nice prep race 4 days ago when he was beaten 36 lengths in a maiden at Lingfield on the poly track.   Knockdolian has been schooling with some of Alan King's horses and his jumping has improved having looked a bit deliberate at some of his hurdles at Newbury.   Although he was beaten a long way in his first race, the form looks quite strong, perhaps the second (A Media Luz) was unlucky not to have won at Kempton on Saturday and the third horse Mark Twain won by 13 lengths at Cattrick.   Heavy ground should be avoided by punters !

Mushroom was disappointing yesterday and there is certainly room for plenty of improvement.    She missed ' the break'  badly, having been in the stalls for a long time, hated the kick-back and never really got into the race.

Mushroom  (Domedriver/Spout)  runs for the first time this evening at Wolverhampton at 6.40pm , a maiden over one mile plus. She is owned and bred by Lady Rothschild at Waddesdon Stud in Buckinghamshire. Her dam, Spout was a good race mare and won 5 of her 13 races (£133,000) including the John Porter Group 3 and the Lancashire Oaks Group 3.  Unfortunately she has been a difficult mare to get in foal but she has bred 4 winners including Spoken (Medicean) who won 4 races during the summer.

Like most of my horses I would expect Mushroom to improve for the experience, but I am hoping that she will show plenty of promise for the future, she is a good mover and has a nice attitude.

Border Patrol returned into training this week having spent several months with Marcus Foley (formally one of Nicky Henderson's jockeys).  He enjoyed a great holiday being turned out at Wickdown Stables, Temple Farm which is between Manton and Barbury Castle.  I was delighted to see him looking so well and I hope he will be able to continue where he left off in 2009, having been frustrated by the lack of soft ground last year.  He is a fine big gelding who ought to be able to continue performing in Group races over 7 and 8 furlongs as long as conditions suit him and he remains sound. 

Striking Eyes I thought ran quite well in the grade, getting tired in the closing stages to be beaten under 5 lengths.   She should be able to improve and perhaps win a similar race or a seller in the next few weeks if she recovers quickly from her race.