JONJO O'NEILL RACING
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GOD BLESS, YOUR MAJESTY
We were all greeted on Thursday 8th September by the very sad news of Her Majesty The Queen's passing.
She was truly a remarkable person who I was very lucky to meet on several occasions. The way she instantly put people at ease was simply wonderful and a great skill. She was warm, witty and immensely passionate about horses and our great sport and we won't see her like again.
I was very lucky to be invited to Windsor Castle in July to The Queen’s Choral Foundation Race Night. She was on great form and it was an honour to, once again, be in her company. I will cherish the time I had with her dearly.
As Frankie Dettori said in his tribute "horse racing has lost its greatest friend" and I think this sums it up perfectly. We just have to be grateful for how much she loved it and how much she put into it.
The funeral was a magnificent spectacle and the most wonderful tribute to Her Majesty.
We were invited to a beautiful service on Sunday afternoon at Gloucester Cathedral. In the introductory note from the Dean, he touched on her Christian faith with some moving words from her 2002 Christmas Broadcast.
"I know just how much I rely on my own faith to guide me through the good times and the bad. Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live my life is to try and do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in god"
Her life-long selfless devotion to her country was simply incredible.
Thank you for your kindness to me and may you rest in peace.
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THE NEW SEASON IS ALMOST UPON US
It's a busy and exciting time of year here at Jackdaws Castle. Lots of the horses are back in from their holidays and the new season is just around the corner.
Their training has been stepped up throughout August and it's great to see some of the store horses that we have bought in the last couple of years showing us what they can do. Hopefully we have some really nice ones to look forward to!
Our summer runners are quite thin on the ground so it has been great to pick up 7 winners throughout July and August with an 18% strike rate which is very pleasing.
We have welcomed lots of new members to the team who have all settled in well. You will no doubt get to know them all on our social media as the season progresses. Let's hope it's a memorable one for them all.
With that in mind, let's keep all our fingers crossed for lots of luck and lots of winners for our brilliant owners!
Best wishes,
Jonjo
RECENT WINNERS
Joly Maker wins at Stratford
JULY 10
Joly Maker and Jamie Brace enjoyed success at Stratford.
Held up in midfield, they were always travelling strongly and continued to make steady headway throughout. They made a challenge just before 2 out and cruised to the lead approaching the last, running on well in the final 110 yards to win easily.
Many congratulations to owner JP McManus and well done to our Racing Secretary Jade who has played a huge part in Joly Maker's training!
Held up in midfield, they were always travelling strongly and continued to make steady headway throughout. They made a challenge just before 2 out and cruised to the lead approaching the last, running on well in the final 110 yards to win easily.
Many congratulations to owner JP McManus and well done to our Racing Secretary Jade who has played a huge part in Joly Maker's training!
Joly Maker with Jamie and Alex in the winner's enclosure
Pens Man wins at Southwell
JULY 12
Pens Man made it 3 wins out of 6 over fences at Southwell in the hands of Jonjo Jr.
Prominent throughout, they went into the lead 4 out. With a strong challenge from 3 out, they went clear approaching the last and kept on well in the run-in to win well.
Huge congratulations to the Girls On Lockdown partnership.
Prominent throughout, they went into the lead 4 out. With a strong challenge from 3 out, they went clear approaching the last and kept on well in the run-in to win well.
Huge congratulations to the Girls On Lockdown partnership.
Pens Man with Jonjo Jr, Chloe, Alan, Jacqui and Dean following his victory at Southwell
A Double at Uttoxeter
JULY 22
Biowavego and Tedham gave us a fantastic day at Uttoxeter.
Both put in very sound jumping displays in the hands of Jonjo Jr. and Nick Scholfield respectively.
We are thrilled for both sets of owners Steve, Kate, Martyn and Orsi of P14 Medical Ltd & DYDB Marketing Ltd for Biowavego and Martin and Iwona Tedham.
Both put in very sound jumping displays in the hands of Jonjo Jr. and Nick Scholfield respectively.
We are thrilled for both sets of owners Steve, Kate, Martyn and Orsi of P14 Medical Ltd & DYDB Marketing Ltd for Biowavego and Martin and Iwona Tedham.
Biowavego with Martin, Jonjo Jr, Orsi and Gabby
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Tedham with Alex, Nick and Aaron
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Red Maple wins at Market Rasen
AUGUST 13
Red Maple impressed at Market Rasen under a brilliant ride by Richie McLernon.
The pair were always prominent and pushed along around the home turn. The made a strong challenge and soon led, staying on well to win by over 2 lengths.
Huge congratulations to owner Toby Cole.
The pair were always prominent and pushed along around the home turn. The made a strong challenge and soon led, staying on well to win by over 2 lengths.
Huge congratulations to owner Toby Cole.
Red Maple and Richie on their way to victory at Market Rasen
La Domaniale wins at Stratford
AUGUST 18
La Domaniale and Jonjo Jr. survived a second from last fence scare before winning at Stratford.
They were always prominent and went second when travelling well before 3 out. After the mistake at 2 out, they raced wide and stayed on strongly approaching the last and won going away.
Many congratulations to owner JP McManus.
They were always prominent and went second when travelling well before 3 out. After the mistake at 2 out, they raced wide and stayed on strongly approaching the last and won going away.
Many congratulations to owner JP McManus.
La Domaniale with Jonjo, Lauren Hay and Jonjo Jr.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: JONJO EXCITED TO LET HIS YOUTHFUL STRING LOOSE
OUR INTERVIEW IN THE RACING POST BY LEWIS PORTEOUS
Anticipation is in the air at Jackdaws Castle with trainer Jonjo O'Neill hoping years of rebuilding can pay off as he prepares to enter the core jumps season with a team full of youth and potential.
A tally of 82 winners last season was the highest recorded by O'Neill since he last topped a century during the 2014-15 campaign, and was a sure sign the stable's year-on-year investment in young bloodstock is beginning to reap its rewards.
The 70-year-old welcomed 200 guests to the yard's annual owners' day at the weekend, when visitors got the chance to see an array of unexposed youngsters O'Neill is hoping will become familiar names in the coming seasons.
"We were short of young horses a couple of years ago so we had to restock," said the trainer. "The pointers cost so much and are hard to buy so we bought lots of nice stores and they're just shaping up now. Hopefully we've got some really nice ones to look forward to.
"We're raring to go and looking forward to October and getting the show on the road. It's probably the strongest team we've had for a few years but they are young horses. There's no superstar in the yard at this stage but there's some nice quality and hopefully they come good. It's exciting."
O'Neill explained that of the 120-strong team at Jackdaws, 35 are unraced four-year-olds that should hopefully start in bumpers this season and a further squad of 34 to go novice hurdling, so it is not a forlorn hope that a star will emerge.
Sadly O'Neill's 27th and most recent Cheltenham Festival winner, Sky Pirate, was an absent friend, having suffered what proved a fatal back injury in the Celebration Chase at Sandown on the final day of last season.
"That was sad," said the trainer of the 2021 Grand Annual winner. "Everyone loved him and he was a cracking individual. It was just nice to get the hang of him in the end but it took us long enough."
Unsurprisingly, given the make-up of the yard, the trainer expects to be most productive in the novice hurdle division this season but the likes of 2021 Betfair Hurdle winner Soaring Glory and Ladbrokes Trophy (now Coral Gold Cup) scorer Cloth Cap head a scaled-down team of older horses.
"We haven't schooled Soaring Glory over fences yet but we will soon and if he does jump well he'll go novice chasing," said O'Neill. "He seems stronger and his family were good, strong chasers. Cloth Cap is ten and could go on to veteran races. If he hits form, the Scottish National might be a long-term aim."
Anyharminasking, the only horse to have finished in front of Constitution Hill in competitive action when beating the Supreme Novices' Hurdle hero in a Tipperary point-to-point, rounded off last season with two handicap successes over hurdles.
"He could start off in something like the Listed handicap hurdle at Ascot Soaring Glory won last year and could be one for those better two-mile handicap hurdles," said O'Neill, who also revealed that Springwell Bay, a €155,000 purchase who won by 14 lengths on his debut for the yard in a Market Rasen bumper last November, has returned to the yard after suffering a setback during that success.
He added: "It was a nasty injury – he fractured a joint. He has a screw in there now but he seems fine."
Time To Get Up, winner of the 2021 Midlands National, has the Welsh Grand National on his agenda, while Warwick bumper winner Are U Wise To That and Newbury bumper runner-up Collectors Item are two youngsters held in high regard.
As well as son and stable jockey Jonjo O'Neill Jr, the Gold Cup and Grand National-winning trainer also works alongside his youngest son AJ, who is assistant trainer at Jackdaws and close to completing his BHA training modules.
Working closely with family appears to have reinvigorated O'Neill snr in recent years and he was not ruling out AJ joining him on the training licence at some stage in the future.
"It's a possibility it may happen if he wants to do it," said O'Neill. "But I don't want to put pressure on him and tie him down. Jonjo [O'Neill Jr] and AJ get on well and are interested in training."
O'Neill Jr, 25, enjoyed a first Grade 1 success aboard the Nicky Henderson-trained Champ last season and is hoping the firepower at Jackdaws Castle can help him edge past his personal best of 62 winners this season.
"I was just off my best last season on 59 and was injured for three months, so if I can stay injury free hopefully I can top that," he said. "We've got a lot of horses in for the winter and the focus is on quality more than anything else.
"We've had a four or five-year plan and when you buy them as three-year-olds it does take two or three years until they go novice hurdling. It feels like they've been here for ages but everyone else hasn't seen them yet.
"To have 120 horses to actually go to war with is quite exciting and it's definitely the most excited I've been going into a season."
SYNDICATE MORNING
We welcomed our wonderful Syndicate owners up on Saturday 17th September.
Everyone enjoyed a champagne reception on the lawn, before heading out onto the gallops to watch their horses in the colours of each partnership.
The weather gods were very kind as the sun shone all morning as we returned to the lawn for lunch.
Everyone enjoyed a champagne reception on the lawn, before heading out onto the gallops to watch their horses in the colours of each partnership.
The weather gods were very kind as the sun shone all morning as we returned to the lawn for lunch.
JOJO O'NEILL: 10 YEARS AT JACKDAWS
Jojo, the wife of our Racing Manager Joe, celebrated her 10 year work anniversary last week.
Jojo is a hugely loyal and invaluable member of the team here at Jackdaws Castle, undertaking many roles which include being our Travelling Head Lass for past few seasons and is a superstar with all the new members of the team.
Here's to the next 10 years!
Jojo with her beloved Arrivederci
PAUL FEGUSON'S JUMPERS TO FOLLOW
We always look forward to reading Paul Ferguson's guide to which horses you should be following for the upcoming season.
Five of this year’s 40 Leading Prospects are trained here at Jackdaws Castle.
Here is a snapshot of what Paul has to say about each horse.
ARE U WISE TO THAT
“Jonjo O’Neill would appear to have a strong-looking team of youngsters at his disposal for the months ahead and one who created a really good impression on his first outing for the Jackdaws Castle team is Are U Wise To That, who won a Warwick bumper in late-March.”
HOLLY
“Although we only got to see Holly twice last season, she showed more than enough to suggest that she could develop into a very smart mare.”
JOHNNYWHO
“(Ellmarie) Holden has produced the likes of Sir Gerhard and Jonbon to win four-year-old maidens in recent seasons and this son of Califet created a really favourable impression when successful at Rathcannon.”
MELLIFICENT
“Despite her pedigree suggesting that she wants a trip once sent hurdling, she possesses enough class to win a mares’ bumper on her British debut, before future plans are finalised.”
SAINT DAVY
“Whilst Saint Davy would look to have the speed to win a bumper, he is – rather like new stable-mate Johnnywho – an athletic moving sort, who could head straight over hurdles. His pedigree is a pacey one, so again, I would expect him to start off at 2m before moving up to 2m4f later in the campaign.”
Jonjo has also written the foreword in the book which you can find below.
We highly recommend this book.
If you would like to buy it, please click the button below.
THE CLASS OF '22
Ahead of the new campaign, we have had lots of new lads and lasses join the team here at Jackdaws Castle.
Here's to a successful season!
Here's to a successful season!
FILMING AT JACKDAWS CASTLE
It was great to welcome a film crew to Jackdaws Castle last week who were creating the new television advert for Coral.
The filming started in the Owners Suite with a cameo from Jonjo, before heading out to the gallops and in the swimming pool area.
You will recognise some of the team on the advert with Lauren Hay, John Dina and Jason Kiely all taking star roles!
It's due to come out in October and we cant wait to see it!
BIRTHDAYS
A huge happy birthday to...
Johnny Kavanagh
28th August
Jamie Brace
2nd September
Jade Aspell
5th September
ANNIVERSARIES
Jojo O'Neill
10 years on 7th September
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