NEWS AND UPDATES FOR APRIL 2011 -YA HAFED WINS AT FOLKESTONE 4/4/2011, MOHANAD WINS AT KEMPTON 5/4/2011 MR MUDDLE WINS AT PLUMPTON 11/4/2011 DUBAI GLORY WINS AT WINDSOR 18/4/2011!
THE YARD IS ABSOLUTELY FLYING AT THE MOMENT - LONG MAY IT CONTINUE!
SATURDAY 23RD APRIL 2011
MOHANAD AT SANDOWN - CAME IN 6TH AND HAYLEY WINS BEST TURNED OUT!
Hayley and Mohanad
Hayley collecting her best turned out prize. Well done, Hayley. Mohanad looked magnificent.
Check out the height of Sheena's heels!
On a glorious day that must have been 26 degrees (in April!) it was all shirt sleeves and summer frocks on a packed day at Sandown.
Mohanad ran a good race to finish 6th and another £118 (nett) in prize money.
Hayley had Mohanad looking exceptional and winning the best turned out prize was very well deserved. Not so sure Sheena had the right shoes on today to lead Mohanad around whilst Hayley went for her photo shoot and collect her envelope packed with crisp £10 notes and thankfully not Pizza or Betting vouchers!
Thank you again to James for the Pimms and the wine. Just frustrating that the Owners and Trainers bar managed to run out of orange juice, lemonade, champagne etc on a day that you thought they may have known was going to be busy.
That said, it was still a lovely afternoon spent with lovely company on a glorious sunny day.
Bill Rogerson, an owner well known for giving jockeys their riding instructions manages to make Marc smile with Stan Clegg looking on. Bill knows Sheena will now have to reprimand him - perhaps that's why he did it!
MONDAY 18TH APRIL 2011
THERE IS JUST NO STOPPING SHEENA AND HER TEAM IS THERE? A TRULY WONDERFUL WIN ON A GORGEOUS SPRING EVENING AT WINDSOR FOR DUBAI GLORY AT 10/1!
Oy, you lot, I'm gonna win today!
James possibly thinking...
"Don't worry, Sheena. I've done my homework and I know how to win this race!"
"My plan worked, guys!" Dubai Glory being led in by Kristina, Stan, Dave and James
Connections from The Affordable (2) Partnership collecting their winning momentum.
Enjoying the Winner's champagne and canapes kindly offered by Windsor racecourse plus an opportunity to watch three re runs of the race!
Stan Clegg has been a great supporter of Sheena and the yard for some time and together with friends decided to dip their toes into the ownership market. With a limited budget Sheena purchased Dubai Glory and promised the partnership she was a winner in the making and Sheena is not very often wrong
Dubai Glory was as pretty as a picture this evening and was lapping up all the atttention almost as if she knew tonight was her night.
All credit to the jockey James Doyle, who listened intently to his instructions from Sheena. He he had been out and walked the course and knew what he needed to do to win the race.
Sheena is always thrilled to have a winner but this win was particularly special.
I think the photos sum up the events of this evening quite well and well done again to all the connections who had a truly wonderful evening they will not forget in a hurry.
Courtesy of The Racing Post
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DUBAI GLORY was always well placed and showed a terrific attitude under astrong ride from James Doyle, battling on well having looked held when joined by the favourite in the closing stages. This was only her third start since leaving Ed Dunlop and she was stepping up on a couple of ordinary Polytrack efforts, taking Sheena West´s record this month, including over jumps, to 4-8.
FORTY THIRTY 4TH AT CHELTENHAM - WEDNESDAY 13TH APRIL and YA HAFED A COMMENDABLE 2ND BEATEN BY A HEAD AT FOLKESTONE ON THE 12TH APRIL - WHAT A GREAT 10 DAYS FOR THE YARD!
Courtesy of The Racing Post
Ya Hafed, carrying a 6lb penalty for his 4l C&D victory eight days previously, made a bold bid to lead throughout. He looked to have a real fight on his hands when the winner joined him on the home turn, but then appeared to have the race in the bag again when she lost ground.Caught right on the line after she rallied, he posted a solid effort, but may now be rated up to the hilt.
Another good result for Team West with Marc Goldstein riding Forty Thirty into a place at Cheltenham.
Courtesy of The Racing Post
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Forty Thirty was another that came from off the pace and this was a pleasing return from his 137-day break. Heneeds quick ground and should build on this next time out.
Photo courtesy of Stan Clegg with Mr. Muddle (the horse) and the owners Mr. and Mrs. Muddle.
(and not forgetting the lovely, Hayley!)
11th APRIL 2011
MEGAN'S BIRTHDAY AND MR MUDDLE WINS AT PLUMPTON!!
I love this horse. I have never known a horse with a split personality before but Mr. Muddle definitely has one. As Sheena has always said, you never know which Mr. Muddle will turn up at the races as one Mr. Muddle loves his racing and is quite happy to put his best foot forward and battle to the line and the other Mr. Muddle is not overly keen at times and just downs tools when he's had enough. It is not that he has not got the talent he just seems to decide on the day whether he is in the mood or not and today, under a great ride by Marc Goldstein he was clearly in the mood. The headgear may have helped too with the concentration. After two dreadful falls in the last couple of years where Marc sustained pretty horrendous injuries both times it was great for everyone connected to the yard to see Marc winning on this sometimes temperamental horse and smiling again!
Many congratulations to Mr. and Mrs Muddle the owners and well done to the yard for continuing this brilliant purple patch they are currently enjoying.
Courtesy of The Racing Post
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The going had changed to good to firm.
An ordinary novices´ hurdle which looked a good opportunity for MR MUDDLE to regain the winning thread now dropped back in class after a couple of stiff tasks of late. Equipped with first-time cheekpieces, hehad to be ridden out to assert going to the last but looked to be idling. Although dismounted after the winning post, he appeared to handle the quicker surface and connections will see how he comes out of this before deciding if he can return to the course on Easter Monday for a similar contest.
A LITTLE BIRDIE TELLS ME SOMEONE AT SHEENA'S HOUSE WILL BE CELEBRATING THEIR 16TH BIRTHDAY ON MONDAY 11TH APRIL!
HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY, MEGAN!!
Meet Geordie Boy ridden by Karl
Sheena,
Congratulations on a great week you and the team have had. Went up to see Geordie Boy on Friday, what a fantastic job Karl has done with him, he was so relaxed going about his work in a professional manner and doing everything Karl asked of him. He didn’t bite me so we must have bonded. Ann has fallen in love with another Geordie Boy.
See you at the races.
Best Wishes: Stan
GOLAN WAY 3RD AT AINTREE
COURTESY OF THE RACING POST
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It could be argued Golan Way would have won but for costly errors. The blunder which he made at the eighth would have stopped most horses in their tracks, but he made an even worse mistake at the 13th. It says a lot about his attitude that he hung in there and was still battling away in the straight, keeping on surprisingly well considering he has never won over a trip this far. Although not the biggest, he´s clearly smart, and could win a decent handicap next season, when areturn to right-handed tracks will help. Connections were talking of running him in a National one day.
6TH APRIL 2011
MAC FEDERAL 2ND AT LINGFIELD
COURTESY OF THE RACING POST
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Mac Federal was last seen finishing down the field in an Aintree handicap hurdle behind Albertas Run in 2007, so it was impossible to know what to expect here after such a mammoth layoff. That said, some punters were clearly expecting plenty, as there was market support for him, and those that had invested were denied a win in the final strides. The big question now is whether he can back this performance up if returning to the track soon.
MOHANAD WINS AT KEMPTON 5/4/2011
Well done to Harry Bentley. If you had read what Sheena had written yesterday she had a feeling this "plan" might be the right one.
Courtesy of The Racing Post
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Winning hurdler MOHANAD would have preferred a stronger overall gallop returned to the Flat, buthe did enough under his promising apprentice to get off the mark in this sphere at the 17th attempt. He´s a model of consistency and should continue to go well.
YA HAFED WINS AT FOLKESTONE 4/4/2011
Many congratulations to Ashley Head the owner of Al Hafed who won easily at Folkestone today.
Courtesy of The Racing Post
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YA HAFED has been in good form on the all-weather of late and is an uncomplicated ride. Bounced out in front, he had all the field in trouble coming into the straight and ran out a ready winner. He is likely to pushed into a higher grade on the back of this but is going the right way.
NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE YARD
We've had a busy couple of months since the last update and there are lambs all over the place, Lambing at a rate of 50 a day at the moment...aww how cute!
The horses remain healthy, although we very sadly lost Buona Sarah at Lingfield last month. She had done so much schooling over hurdles and fences including ditches as with her quirky nature it was important to get it right. She could go short, long or normal in text book style.
On the fateful day she actually jumped the hurdle perfectly and just stumbled a little on landing and undeservedly broke her neck and this can't be anything other than sheer bad luck. To lose any horse is shocking, but we will miss her a lot and always wondering what might have been.
Jamie Goldstein has decided to follow a career as a flat jockey. It was a difficult decision for him to make but he feels it's the best way to prolong his career. Sadly for me it means he has less time to spend in the yard due to riding commitments and riding out elsewhere so, unfortunately he has decided to leave his job here in order to maximize his opportunities. I wish him well in the future.
Marc Goldstein will now come in for more rides and has a chance to shine after some very bad injuries and a run of bad luck.
Now for the horses:
MISS BOLTE
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She ran another solid race at Fontwell to finish a good 5th on faster ground. She will need 3 miles over jumps and has schooled well. She does want softer ground than is around now and will be given a decent break before being prepared for hurdles next season.
GOLAN WAY
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He didn't go to Kelso as not quite ready, but he sure is ready now! Fresh and extremely well. I've no regrets about keeping our powder dry while waiting for better ground and some sun. He schooled quite brilliantly for Marc on Saturday and is so fit to go to Aintree next week. I'm waiting at the moment for confirmation on a jockey booking which has come through as I type and Richard Johnson will ride him. It will be interesting if not a bit strange to leg up someone else on to such a good horse. All being well he will then head for Punchestown in May after Aintree. The good thing is I have now got a new passport!
MOHANAD
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He came to hand far quicker than I'd anticipated so he had a spin on the flat to confirm his well being and did so by finishing 2nd (again) So I was able to run him at Cheltenham in The Coral Cup when he ran very creditably indeed and gave all his owners a good day out and Hayley's wonderful plaits earned her the best turned out. This is no mean achievement in a 22 runner field at Cheltenham. Well done, Hayley! He is being aimed at Sandown end of April a race he was 4th in last year and I wasn't too worried if he ran or not before then. However, he is bouncing and squealing and so well that he will go on the flat at Kempton on Tuesday as he went up a 1lb for Lingfield. We've decided to claim off him and Harry Bentley freshly back in the UK from an outstanding 17 winners in Dubai will take 5lbs off him ( it might work :-) )
DUBAI GLORY
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She is just so lovely! I was very pleased with her Kempton 4th and the 3rd then at Lingfield in Maidens. Ideally she needs handicaps over 1m 4f and fastish ground to show her best. She is entered at Kempton on Wednesday and although she has a light weight she would still be wrong with a few if it were a handicap. It just depends what else declares. There is a race at Windsor for her on the 18th which might be a better option.
MR MUDDLE
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He's been quite highly tried after his much deserved Folkestone win and I'm afraid that I'm not convinced it's the level of the opposition that has had him so well beaten since. We know he has a brain as we've seen it on the flat both times I've tried him. I'll take him back to Plumpton next maybe with some sort of head gear on to try and help him concentrate a bit more.
2 year old Shirocco colt
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He's good and going well.
YA HAFED
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The most laid back colt ever. He's been working well and given the fact he won at Southwell over a mile an extended 1mile 1f with abit of give ought to suit him well. He has plenty of stamina and a bit of speed too and we are hoping for a big run today. Whatever happens on his homework he will make a useful hurdler next season.
*NEW*
Dr MASSINI 2008 bay filly
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She arrived from Ireland a few weeks ago broken and ready to go. She is in full training for the time being and doing very well. The aim is to run her in juvenille bumpers next season and the more prep she does now the easier she'll find it after a summer holiday.
BLAZING BOLTE
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After her 2nd on heavy ground, she made her hurdles debut last week at Plumpton, again plenty of schooling showed as she happily went off in front jumping immaculately to be beaten 2 3/4 into 2nd behind a 122 rated horse. So pleased with her and she clearly will win races after this perfect introduction.
MOONWOLF
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He's back in work now after a winter break.
SCREAMING BRAVE
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More screaming by Sheena, why oh why do these racetracks put on so much water? No one wants to see horses get injured but no one also likes racing on the dead sticky ground that has been produced at Sandown and at Newbury. (rant over) He has run creditably in spite of this and if we can just get the ground he wants he will win again. There is a race at Plumpton end of April to aim at for him.
FORTY THIRTY
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He's doing well now he's decided he's a racehorse again and not a fat slob. He might head to Cheltenham middle of April and Plumpton have a 0- 125 lads race in May which could suit him perfectly,
MAC FEDERAL
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After 1486 days Mac will get on the track again on Wednesday in a 2m flat race. Obviously, he has had his problems, but at least he's had a long time to get fit. That said, finding out what you can do without finding out what you can't do is all part of training. I can do no more at home and an all weather run to blow out the cobwebs is ideal. He retains all his enthusiasm and still has a level of ability. He has always done most of his work on his own so that is all I truly know until Wednesday.
DENTON RYAL
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She's back in full work and we shall get her hurdling soon.
WHIPPERWAY
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Is a bit tired after a busy winter and a good holiday is now in order for her.
Mr HARMOOSH
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A lovely horse now his rugs are tied on and his buckets tied down. An exceptional worker at home and schooling excellently at home. He is a bit like a power ball against the wall, whereever you meet a hurdle he will always bounce over safely. Although he's a hold up horse on the flat to stop him doing too much too soon he has stamina too. So, when he does go jumping which is obvioulsy slower than the flat I hope he'll settle better in front. As he also jumps so well we can make best use of that and no one will be able catch him..........I do love a plan. :0)
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