BUMPER GLORY AT NEWBURY . . . . . .

CREST OF GLORY provided our most valuable success of the season with a dominant victory on his racecourse debut in the Goffs UK Spring Sale Bumper at Newbury on Saturday.

In routing a large field of runners he earned a cheque of £59,010 for his enthusiastic owners and posted a performance that offered untold promise for the future.

This race had been the plan since I bought Crest of Glory at the Goffs UK Store Sale in May 2022.

I loved him when I saw him and was keen to get him. He is very correct and is my biggest bumper winner. In fact I don’t think there is a more valuable bumper anywhere in the world which was a handy selling point when it came to syndicating him.

He’d been going nicely at home, had enjoyed away days at Kempton and Wincanton and also a trip to Lambourn where he jumped 14 hurdles in a pleasing workout.

Two weeks ago I was worried that the ground at Newbury would be too fast for Crest of Glory who is a big stamp of a horse by BLACK SAM BELLAMY out of a useful mare DOLLY PENROSE; whose dam MISTINGUETT was a tough and classy staying hurdler.

Then it started raining and the more it fell the more I felt confident of a big run by Crest of Glory because I knew he was ready.

He was was given a well judged ride from the front by Aidan Coleman who dictated matters throughout. They turned for home full of running, began to pull clear two furlongs from home and cruised home unchallenged by fifteen lengths.

I could hardly believe it when they broke clear of the pack with the closing stages seeming almost like a lap of honour.

I’m delighted for the fifteen members of Crest Racing II who clearly own a smart horse. Many of them were involved with Serious Charges who we lost with a broken leg last November.
I doubt very much that Crest of Glory will run again this season and depending on the entry conditions I admit to being tempted to keep him for the same race in twelve months time if he is eligible.

Our other runner in the Sales race DARTMOOR PIRATE ran well for a long way before tiring late on. He is not quite so forward as Crest of Glory but will surely benefit from the experience.

On a rewarding day for our team FORWARD PLAN collected more than £4,000 at Kelso for finishing third in a competitive Handicap Chase in ground that was softer than ideal.

It’s brilliant to see our horses in such good form in recent weeks after a hiccup mid season when they were not really finishing their races.