We enjoyed a memorable double at Kempton on Monday with COQUELICOT providing our 400th winner as a trainer under both codes before BROOKIE took our score to 401 in the final race in the card.
It’s been a fun journey for Rachael and I since our first success with Classic Fair at Taunton in December 2006.
You couldn’t ask for a better mare to reach the milestone than Coquelicot, affectionately known as Cookie, who has a touch of class, is very genuine, keeps progressing and has now won eight times.
She bossed the three mile Listed mares’ hurdle from the front with her jockey Rex Dingle happy to dictate the pace. They were clear on the final bend and sailed home unchallenged in the colours of an enthusiastic syndicate put together by our yard sponsor Geegeez.co.uk.
We chose to go to Kempton with Coquelicot rather than Ascot last weekend and were rewarded with a fine performance which gained her valuable black type.
We still have another crack on the flat with her up our sleeve but first she is likely to run next in a three mile Grade 2 mares’ hurdle at Ascot in January. She was due to run in it at the start of this year until the meeting was abandoned.
Brookie then completed a marvellous afternoon for the team with a pleasing success under top weight in a conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle over two miles ridden by Ben Godfrey.
New to us this season Brookie has now won twice in the colours of Abigail Rugg. We put a line through his last run when he flopped at Newbury and it was good to see him bounce back at Kempton.
He travels nicely through his races and we might up our sights with him now and look next at a valuable big runner handicap hurdle.
There is also the option of switching him to fences at some point given that he is a half brother to the smart Irish chaser Captain Guinness.
photo credit to Hoycubed Photography
