Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Carrying on the good form of the stable, Ballyclough won in very good fashion at Haydock on Wednesday 23rd March, giving conditional jockey Anthony Freeman his first win for Jonjo O’Neill on his second ride for the yard. Ballyclough is a full brother to a good horse called Crocodile Rock which Jonjo O’Neill trained a couple of years ago, he had some very good bumper form, winning a graded Bumper at Newbury and finishing fifth in the Cheltenham Bumper.
Filippo Lippi ran another good race for Mrs Bond at Towcester, frustratingly finishing second yet again and hopefully he will be winning before long as he likes the faster ground.
I Can Run Can You and Babysitter started the month of April off in great fashion, recording a double for the stable at Market Rasen on Sunday 3rd which brought us into the Aintree Grand National meeting where the first day was a slight anticlimax with Moncadou being brought down in the Foxhunters, which was very frustrating as this had been his main aim for the Season after running and jumping so well last year when finishing second. Get Me Out of Here hit one of the hurdles very hard and AP felt he wasn’t moving right and pulled him up, he was quite sore for a few days after the race but is fine now and has gone for his summer holidays. On a brighter note, Eastlake won in very good style at Hereford, his first start over hurdles, ridden by Richie McLernon. The second day at Aintree, although we had no winners, Albertas Run put up a fantastic performance finishing second in the Grade 1 Melling Chase to a seemingly rejuvenated Masterminded. Albertas Run ran right up to his best, looking in trouble in the back straight, but bravely fighting his way back for a very game second and maybe on a tight track like Aintree, three miles may now be required.
Also, Ringaroses ran a very game race on a track he really enjoys, finishing second in the three mile handicap hurdle, a race he won the previous year with 6lbs less on his back.
Grand National Day dawned bright and sunny, full of anticipation rather than confidence that Don’t Push It could repeat last year’s performance. As it was, he ran a fantastic race, carrying so much weight on such a hot day, still giving his supporters something to shout about turning into the straight after jumping fantastically well all the way round. The weight began to tell between the last two fences, but he still stayed on really gamely to pass two horses on the run in and finish third, giving 10lbs to the winner and 15lbs to the second. Don’t Push It was very tired after the race along with the winner Ballybriggs, and he didn’t return to the winners enclosure but after being given plenty of water and a cold shower, he recovered very quickly and travelled home well and was very relaxed and happy in his field with his Jacob sheep friends the next day. He is now on holiday and will be aimed once again at the Grand National next season.
Our other two runners, Can’t Buy Time and Quolibet, unfortunately did not compete. Although Quolibet had a few cuts and scratches they were both fine within a few days and hopefully Can’t Buy Time will be fit and ready to run in the Bet365 Gold Cup on Easter Saturday.
The following day at Wincanton, there was another double for the yard with Surf and Turf winning the Novice Hurdle, clearly enjoying the better ground and Mauritino winning in good fashion for owner Patsy Byrne – both ridden by Richie McLernon. At Ffos Las on Monday 11th Open Day ran a good race to finish third in the Handicap Hurdle and Sentimentaljourney ran a highly promising race to finish second in the Bumper to a horse we have subsequently bought called Wheres the Hare.
On Wednesday 13th at the Cheltenham two day April Meeting , also Jonjo’s Birthday, we celebrated a win with our only runner Galaxy Rock who put up a cracking display, winning easily the 3½ mile handicap chase. Hopefully he can develop into a Welsh/Midlands National horse for the O’Flynns next season, although he might have one more run at Punchestown this season. That evening, the sales took place in the Centaur arena and we were pleased to purchase three very promising four year olds for next season.
Galaxy Rock carried on the stable’s great form by getting off the mark over fences at Ffos Las on 16th January, sporting first time blinkers which sharpened up his jumping after two unfortunate mishaps. He jumped really well on this occasion until making a mistake at the last, when he had the race won, and hopefully will go onto better things now.
Calypso Bay also ran with great credit on the same card at Ffos Las coming second – only being caught on the line in the Handicap Hurdle.
We continued with a frustrating run of seconds, I Can Run Can You just getting beaten at Southwell, Babysitter being a well beaten second at Newbury and Sway also finishing third on the same day.
On Sunday 23rd January, Foxesbow ran to a career high, winning the Handicap Chase at Market Rasen in gusty fashion and the following day, Alfie Sherrin winning in great style at Wetherby after a short break, and unfortunately Canal Bank fell when going well in the following Handicap Chase with the race at his mercy.
Quazy de Joie, ran well to finish third at Leicester the following day and Salpierre ran a cracker to finish third in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Qualifier at Huntingdon on 26th as did I Can Run Can You, who ran a great race but unfortunately, came up against one too good again, to be pipped at the post for the second time in a week.
We finished the month with the Trials Day at Cheltenham with Backspin coming a good fourth in the Grade 2 Neptune Investment Novices’ Hurdle – which was slightly disappointing but hopefully we have learnt a lot about him for the future with the festival in mind.
We kicked off the new month in great style with Valley View winning his first chase impressively at Folkestone on the 1st February, and Palace Jester running a solid race to finish third at Bangor on 4th.
Rock Noir ran a highly creditable race, finishing fourth, in the Scilly Isles Novice Chase at Sandown on Saturday 5th when some “novicey” mistakes cost him dearly at the railway fences, but he stayed on well and will have learnt a lot.
On the same day, we were delighted with Isn’t That Lucky’s comeback run at Wetherby – finishing third, staying on well and the spring should see some improvement in him and our first Hunter Chase runner of the season, Breaking Silence, finishing second behind Baby Run.
It was a great performance by Synchronised to win the Welsh Grand National in such good style. A marathon trip and very soft ground really brings the best out of him. This was his first start over fences since winning the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter last March, making it four wins from five starts over fences. It is great when a long-held plan comes to fruition, as this race had been his target for several months.
As for the future? Well, Synchronised is entered in the National Trial Handicap Chase at Haydock on February 19th, which is a possibility. Equally, he might go straight to Cheltenham for the Gold Cup, though he would obviously need the ground to be ideal to take his chance in that.
Additionally, another crack at the Midlands Grand National could be on his agenda.
This year’s Grand National is also in our sights, ground conditions permitting.
In recent weeks, the winners have continued to roll in. On Sunday October 24th, Amuse Me, In The Zone and Kensington Oval combined to give us a treble at Towcester, whilst eleven days later, we had another one. This time Born Again (Haydock) and Aztec Treasure and Mister Hyde (both Towcester) were the contributors.
Aztec Treasure was our fiftieth winner of the current jumping campaign. So, as we approach the core part of the season, its fingers firmly crossed that we can stay in the same sort of form! We’ll be back with more news at the end of the month.
Without question, the highlight of our summer was at Worcester on September 5th when Another Trump took the John Burke Memorial Novices’ Chase. This was our one thousandth winner on the Flat and over Jumps since moving to Jackdaws Castle in 2001, a fantastic achievement by all concerned.
Fittingly, he carried the colours of JP McManus and was ridden by AP McCoy, who had to be at his brilliant best to ward off Tom Scudamore on Frosted Grape. Well done everyone!
The current season began on April 25th and (hooray, hooray) we were straight back in the winner’s enclosure on day one thanks to Whataboutya, ridden by Jenny Carr, who landed the Hunter Chase at Ludlow in good style.
Over the next few weeks, things ticked over nicely, with Richie, AP and Alan all riding winners on a regular basis. George Baker chipped in with one on the Flat too, partnering Sagredo to victory over a mile and quarter at Chepstow on June 21st. By the end of that month, our tally under both codes stood at twenty one.
We’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ for everyone’s kind messages after Don’t Push It’s fantastic victory in the Grand National and it was great to see so many people turn out for his homecoming parade the next day.
It’s been an amazing time for everyone involved with Jackdaws Castle and I think it’s only just starting to sink in, to be honest.
It’s a massive team effort and I’m delighted for everyone in the yard, for Alan Berry who looks after Don’t Push It, and for AP and JP, who are both great for the game and have put so much into it over the years, and JP’s racing manager Frank Berry.
No one has deserved to win the Grand National more than AP and JP and I couldn’t be more pleased for them.
We’ve had a few near-misses in the race over the years and I was starting to think it was never going to happen.
It was a fantastic boost for everyone when Albertas Run followed up his victory at the Festival by winning at Aintree the day before, but the National’s not the sort of race you can go into feeling confident, especially after the luck we’ve had in it.
Don’t Push It and Can’t Buy Time were both in good form, but everyone knows anything can happen in the National so we couldn’t be confident.
It was a shame Can’t Buy Time and Richie McLernon fell, but happily they were both fine afterwards.
We decided to fit Don’t Push It with earplugs for the first time and I was absolutely amazed how calm he was beforehand.
I was happy enough with the way the race was going for him because he seemed to be enjoying it, AP had him in a great position and he was jumping as well as I’ve ever seen him jump.
Funnily enough, it was the first time we’ve not built National fences for the horses to jump in the build-up to the race – it shows how much that helps!
After Don’t Push It ‘pinged’ the second last I thought with a bit of luck he’d be placed, but I didn’t believe he was going to win until he and AP actually passed the winning post.
It was an amazing feeling and I’ll never forget the reception the crowd gave him.
It’s the people’s race and if you ask most people what they know about racing they’ll say the Grand National and it might be the only race they have a bet on all year.
As a kid it’s the race you dream about riding in and being involved in, so to actually end up winning it is magical.
Don’t Push It can now look forward to spending more time with the half a dozen Jacob sheep he lives with in one of the fields at Jackdaws Castle.
He’s always been a class horse, but he’s a real character as well and when he’s in good mood you’ll see him he chasing the sheep around the field like a dog!
He’ll come back into training later in the year and if all goes well we’ll have another crack at the National.
In the meantime, though, we’re just reflecting on a truly amazing experience which will live with us for the rest of our lives.
Many thanks for sharing in our joy.
Jonjo
We are absolutely thrilled at Jackdaws Castle on DON’T PUSH IT’s magnificent win of the 2010 John Smiths Grand National – please come and join us at The Plough Inn at 11.00am on Sunday 11th April 2010 to see the horse parade.
We were absolutely delighted to win one of the top races of the Cheltenham Festival, the Ryanair Chase, with Albertas Run.
He’s been a fantastic horse for us over the years, winning the RSA Chase at the 2008 Festival, of course, and it was brilliant to see him come good yet again.
He jumped for fun and did everything right under another super ride from AP, who wasn’t going to let a few stitches in his chin following a fall in an earlier race get the better of him!
The man’s amazing and great for racing – there’s no one better to ride a horse.
AP was keen to ride Albertas in the Ryanair rather than the Gold Cup and thankfully it worked out well.
Albertas is very good horse on good ground – he loves it – and he would have won a King George but for Kauto Star.
We knew he’d get the two miles and five furlongs in the Ryanair, so we wanted to make it a good gallop and there was never a worry.
I was so happy for Albertas’ owner, Mr Trevor Hemmings, who’s a great man for the game and we’re so pleased to train for him.
Albertas will probably run next at the Grand National meeting on April 8-10. I’m not sure which race yet, though, and I’ll have chat with Mr Hemmings about it.
Get Me Out Here ran a cracking race to finish second in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
He jumped fantastically and AP gave him a great ride. It was a smashing race to watch.
The only thing that would have made it better would have been if he’d won, but he’s a good horse.
We’ll have a think about running him at Aintree next month too, but we’ll see how he comes out of the Cheltenham race first.
We rounded off an exciting and busy week by winning the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter with Synchronised, who loved the heavy ground.
We were going to run him at Cheltenham but the ground would have been too quick for him.
He’s not the biggest but is such a good jumper and now we’ll have a think about the Scottish or the Irish Nationals for him.
The next big meeting on the horizon is Aintree, but there are lots of races to win between now and then and we’ll be doing our best to pick up as many as we can.
Jonjo
