Phillip Makin has made a bright start to his training career in 2019 and he gave us the lowdown on his string, including an exciting two-year-old son of Dandy Man.
Three to Follow...
Flag-bearer: It's obviously early days for us but Galloway Hills was our first winner so has to come under this bracket for now. He remains in really good form and I'd be hopeful he can win more races as the year goes on.
On the upgrade: Almurr only made his debut for the yard at Newcastle over the weekend but it wasn't a bad effort and he's one I'd like to think could go on to make a bit of progression.
Exciting two-year-old: The Bell Conductor is a nice son of Dandy Man we bought at Goffs. He cost £75,000 which is quite a bit for us but I think he'll go on to prove that he wasn't expensive. He was a close second first time out Thirsk.
Guide to the team...
Older horses:
Galloway Hills - He's in good form and what we've found is that ease underfoot suits him. He won at Redcar and they were calling it 'good, good to firm' but it was well watered and he ran at Thirsk afterwards on genuine 'good to firm' and it just felt like it was too fast. He went to York on easy ground and won and then went back to Doncaster the other night and found it quick enough again so we'll hold on for a bit of softer ground now. We claimed off him last time but I think with some ease underfoot there's still a bit of juice in his mark.
Scuzeme - He came from David Barron's and I actually won on him when I was riding. He was always a horse with ability that just never really did it on the track, but I saw him go through Doncaster (sales) last year and wasn't making much money so we thought we'd have him here. He's been good and a bit more consistent than he was before so we're pleased with him. I think there's still some scope from his mark and he ran well again at Pontefract earlier this week. Perhaps a little bit more ease in the ground would suit him as well.
Almurr - He came from Brian Meehan's and he probably wants top of the ground. The surface was riding quite slow at Newcastle last weekend but he did enough good work late on to suggest he'll come forward. Six furlongs would suit and he'll be better for that run.
Lahore - He was a non-runner at Newcastle as he wasn't right but nothing major. We like him. He's had a couple of little issues that we've hopefully sorted out and he's come down a few pounds which won't hurt. Going forward, he's another one who likes juice in the ground.
Fennaan - He's a nice horse that was with John Gosden. He ran a couple of decent races for us, he ran in the Thirsk Hunt Cup and ran well enough there, then he was second when we stepped him up a furlong at Ripon, then we thought we'd have a bash at the Zetland Gold Cup as he felt like a horse that needed to go up a little further but he was drawn out near the main road and didn't run too badly all things considered. I think a mile and a quarter is his trip. We took him to Chelmsford and thought he'd go well and he choked a bit so we've tidied his wind up and given him time off. He's a decent horse and we need to let him come to himself.
Prince Ahwahnee - He has an entry this weekend at Ayr where he could make his first start for us. He's okay, he got help up a little bit in the spring and we gelded him as well but he's ready to start.
Alfa McGuire - He's had a few runs for us now and we still don't really know where we are with him. When you see him and ride him at home he's a nice horse and everybody loves him. He feels like he will definitely stay a mile and a half with ease in the ground but he's run twice over a mile and a half and he didn't seem to stay or do anything. So we'll perhaps come back in trip and get him to run a race but he ran on Saturday and was disappointing to be honest as he'd run on the surface at Newcastle earlier in the season and ran okay. He's a head-scratcher but there's a nice horse in there.
Armed – Again, a nice horse but one or two issues that we think we've solved. We ran him at Wolverhampton earlier in the season giving lumps of weight to three-year-olds where he was still a little bit disappointing. Off the back of that and his other run we've tinkered with a few things and he's back now in work and he's a nice, big scopey four-year-old that doesn't look too badly handicapped.
Debawtry - She was second to a well-handicapped horse (Tricky Dickie) when in another couple of strides looked like she might have won then we took her to a fillies' only race and she disappointed a little bit. But she needs a really strongly-run race and things didn't really happen there in a small race. She ran well again last time over furlongs at Thirsk and she's crept up a little bit in the weights as a result but I'm sure she will be winning soon.
Jimmy Krankyar - He's a big, weak three-year-old that's not matured yet but there might be some ability there. He's backward looking but he moves well, he's well enough bred and he's still a work in progress.
Two-year-olds:
The Bell Conductor – He's a nice colt and was a close second first time out at Thirsk at the start of June. He was conceding experience to the winner, who has since come out and gone close in a nice race at Pontefract, so we took plenty of encouragement from the run. He's a great big son of Dandy Man and will just have a short break before reappearing but he's one to look forward to and won't mind when conditions get a little bit softer into the autumn.
Havana Dawn - She's very laidback and has a good attitude. She deserved to win at Thirsk. The week before she ran in an auction race and I felt she should have won but just shied away from the stick a bit and cost her all her momentum to finish fourth. But she backed up fairly quickly and made amends, she's only got a mark of 70 and I didn't think that was too severe. She's in a nursery on Saturday at Haydock and could run, but just wouldn't want the ground too soft.
Pentewan – She worked okay before she ran and showed a good attitude. She probably did a little bit too much too soon on easy ground first time out at Thirsk and we thought she'd take a jump forward which she did when third at a big price at Newcastle over the weekend. It wasn't a bad race at all and she wasn't beaten far. She's in on Friday at Beverley in a fillies' only race.
Bezzas Lad – We sent him first time out knowing he was going to need the run and then second time out he ran at Newcastle and was beaten a short-head by a horse of Robert Cowell's who was probably a bit unlucky in the National Stakes before finishing fourth at Royal Ascot. So he's got a mark of 74 and think that's alright for him. He's had a break and been gelded and he's actually in at Beverley on Saturday in a maiden. We might go there before nurseries but he's got plenty of speed and he'll win races with a bit of luck.
Haldane – He's a Gleneagles colt and there was a lot of money for him seemingly on his debut but I honestly don't know why. I don't think that was a bad race and it'll work out. He's okay and might want another furlong. I really hope he'll be winning something before long.
Penmellyn – She ran in a hot race at Hamilton after running in a conditions race at Newcastle first time out. She's quite big and after her second run she went a little bit weak on us so subsequently she's having just a little break at the minute but it won't be long before she's back in and I would think she'll be okay.
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