The decisive triumph of Dartmoor Pirate in a £30,000 Class 3 novice handicap chase at Lingfield on Sunday came as a timely tonic after the frustration of seeing two of our horses both beaten by a whisker in valuable races twenty-four hours earlier.
He was our 30th winner of the campaign which has seen our team earn £475,000 at a decent strike rate of 20%.
The previous day Park Princess looked all over the winner in a competitive Listed mares’ novice hurdle at Haydock until a moment of hesitation going to the final flight cost her dear. She lost vital momentum there but then rallied so strongly that she was back in front a stride after the line.
At Ascot Leave of Absence landed over the final fence of the £100,000 Howden Silver Cup with a useful lead but was then caught by Deep Cave in the shadow of the post.
The only consolation was that both our horses put up career bests with Park Princess earning black type to enhance her value.
Dartmoor Pirate was winning over fences at the third attempt. A promising type who runs in the colours of our sponsor Geegeez.co.uk, he had an issue with a kissing spine last season which we put right in the summer. Even so it was understandable that he jumped a bit carefully at times on his return at Chepstow.
We were pretty hopeful going to Lingfield in conditions that were in his favour and he put in a sound round of jumping before stretching clear to beat No Tackle by nine lengths.
We will see how Dartmoor Pirate comes out of the race before making a plan but further ahead we are already thinking he might develop into a suitable candidate for the Badger Beers Chase at Wincanton which we always like to target.
