Welcome to our News Page. On here we will keep you up to date with all the news, views and events that concern The Mount Racing Club as and when they happen.
The Mount Racing Club had the perfect start to 2012 when their horse Lord Lansing travelled over to Deauville in France on Saturday 7th Jan and won in impressive style under a confident ride from French champion jockey Ioritz Mendizabel. It was a pleasing run and a well deserved victory for Lord Lansing who has been in great form finishing 2nd, 2nd and 3rd in his last 3 races. It was also a good result for syndicate managers Geoff Holden and Andy Eaton who with the guidance of trainer Karl Burke had taken the decision to seek out the race in France, a decision that rewarded all their fellow syndicate members handsomely.
Geoff 08.01.12
Following on from his two excellent runs at Lingfield, Lord Lansing put in another creditable effort at Kempton where under the guidance of Martin Harley he finished a respectable 3rd. When you take into account this was another step up in class and another 3lb hike up in the weights it does prove what a tough and genuine horse Lansing is and with form figures of 2, 2, 3 from his last 3 runs also a consistent one as well. The Handicapper has relented now [about time I’m sure you will agree] and left his mark unchanged on 67, a mark that in the right race I think he can still go close on. He continues to work well at home and Karl has picked out a race at Deauville in France on Saturday 7th January as a possible next target for him.
Andy 16.12.11
This beautiful chestnut colt was purchased by Karl Burke from Book 2 at the Tattersalls Yearling Sales at Newmarket, he’s a 3 parts brother to an 85 rated 2yo Paradise Spectre, a horse which Karl and the team at Spigot Lodge still have in training and one that has won 3 times this year as a 4yo.
Further details about him can be found on our Horses Page.
Geoff & Andy 01.12.11
The Mount Racing Clubs flagship horse Lord Lansing made the long trek down to Lingfield again on Wednesday 23rd and came within a whisker of landing the spoils. Despite being raised a hefty 6 pounds in weight and having to overcome the widest of draws in stall 13 jockey Luke Morris soon had Lansing settled into a nice rhythm. He tracked the pack and as the race unfolded he weaved his way through the field and came with what we all thought was the perfect timed run only to be denied by a short head in a photo finish. This was another personal best from our lightly raced 4yo whose turn for winning cant be too far away
Geoff 24.11.11
‘A Blinding Run’ were the words used by At The Races T.V pundit and former Jockey Jason Weaver to describe The Mount Racing Clubs Lord Lansing’s run at Lingfield on Saturday 12th November where under a confident ride from Luke Morris he came within half a Length of upsetting the heavily backed favourite Hurricane Hymnbook. Coming out of stall 9 he got a nice toe in behind the early frantic pace and Luke Morris had him travelling soundly enough as he sat mid division tracking the favourite all the way round. As they turned for home it was clear that out of the field of 13 runners there was only Lansing left who was capable of throwing down a serious challenge and him and the favourite settled down to do battle. The home straight at Lingfield is 2 furlongs long and the Mount Racing Club members who had made the long journey south roared encouragement from the stands as both horse and jockey gave it everything only to be denied by half a length on the line.
Although having to settle for 2nd place this time both Geoff Holden and Andy Eaton think Lord Lansing lost nothing in defeat and said when you consider the front two were well clear of the remainder it goes to show how good an effort it was, just a shame we had to bump into a good thing today. The horse will obviously improve for the run and on his favoured Polytrack surface judging by today’s performance his turn for winning cant be too far away.
Andy 12.11.11
September sees the start of the Yearling Sales and we have exciting news regarding a new venture for 2012. It’s still early days yet but the plan is to purchase a Yearling with Group 1 winning trainers Karl and Elaine Burke and to have it trained at their excellent facilities at Spigot Lodge. We hope to have more info next month and will keep everyone updated when we do.
Geoff 1.9.11
The 7.10 at Ripon [01.06.11] saw top Jock Paddy Donaghy team up with his old friend Valantino Oyster again and after finishing placed 3 times on him previously, this time Paddy produced a master class ride to win eased down by 5 Lengths. The fact he was drawn wide and slowly away didn’t stop Paddy from being able to sit Valantino in a perfect position just behind the leaders after 2 furlongs. From here he stalked the leaders until they turned for home and then Paddy said go on Valantino and he then finished powerfully down the outside, picking off his rivals one by one before going clear a furlong from home and running out a comfortable winner.
This was an excellent ride from Paddy Donaghy and one that rightly earned him a lot of praise from Simon Mapletoft and the rest of the ATR crew. He was also the toast of all the Mount Racing Club members who were present at Ripon and roared him home to victory from the Grandstands and cant wait to see this winning combination back in action again.
Geoff 2.6.11
A rather blustery day saw new recruit Lord Lansing make his debut for us in a very competitive 14 runner handicap at Ripon and a very promising one it was. Coming out of a bad draw jockey Andrew Elliot made a positive start and soon settled him in 6th just behind the leaders. He remained there until the 2f pole where he switched him out and finished strongly to take 3rd at the rather generous odds of 20/1. This was a very pleasing first run for us with a horse that has got plenty of scope for improvement. We look forward to seeing him in action again pretty soon.
Geoff 25.5.11
We are delighted to add the services of Group 1 winning trainer Karl Burke to The Mount Racing Club. Karl has trained at the highest level and we have taken a 4yo called Lord Lansing with him which will be trained at Karl’s well equipped Spigot Lodge in Middleham.
More info can be found about Karl on our TRAINERS page and we have shares available in Lord Lansing, full details can be found on our HORSES page.
Geoff 18.5.11
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to making this years Middleham Stables Open Day such a tremendous success. Special mention must go to Simon Eaton who represented The Mount Racing Club in the Middleham Marathon which was a gruelling 5 mile run up and down the gallops on the Low Moor. Despite the hot conditions Simon came in a very respectable 9th and was congratulated by ourselves and Racing UKs Tom O'Ryan after he'd crossed the line. Also well done to Phil Clark from York who won the Open Day raffle and collected a nice share in Valantino Oyster in doing so.
Geoff 27.4.11
Valantino Oyster made his seasonal reappearance in a quite competitive 0-70 Handicap at Catterick over 1m4f with Paddy Donaghy again taking over in the saddle. From the off it was clear that the sharp and undulating nature of the course wasn’t really to his liking but he managed to settle in mid division. As they turned for home he was a good dozen lengths down but Paddy pulled him out wide and when asked for an effort he really responded finishing like a train to claim 3rd , beaten only by a length and a quarter. He was greeted back into the winner’s enclosure by some happy Mount Racing Club members who were not put off by the odds of 25/1 and landed a nice e/w touch.
Andy 14.04.11
The ever popular Middleham Stables Open day takes place on Good Friday which is the 22nd April. It is promising to be one of the biggest and best this year with a host of Charity events throughout the day including a mini Marathon and a Q&A session with Paul Hanagan, Ferdy Murphy, Mark Johnston and Racing legend Jack Berry MBE. As well as this all the Stables throw open their doors to the public which presents an ideal opportunity to have a look round all the top yards. Events kick off at 9.15am and we will be supporting Ben at the Castle Hill Stables, hope to see you there.
Geoff 26.03.11
With the start of the Turf Flat season nearly upon us we are pleased to report that both our horses are in rude health and have wintered well. Trainer Ben Haslam is pleased with their progress and has them both back cantering. The plan is now to step up their training ahead of looking for entries for them and we have already singled out races at Thirsk and Catterick amongst others, exciting times lie ahead. We still have shares available in both Vienna Woods and Valantino Oyster and this is the ideal time to get involved and enjoy the thrill of being a Racehorse owner. More details can be found on our HORSES page.
Geoff 19.03.11
Following on from his excellent third, Valantino Oyster returned to Wolverhampton and lined up in a 1m 4f H,cap with Paddy Donaghy this time taking the ride. Sent off favourite at odds of 6/4 he travelled nicely throughout and as they turned for home it became clear that he was the only horse that was to throw down a challenge to the long time leader Port Hill. Under a determined drive from Paddy he began to claw back the leader and as the post loomed he drew along side until neck and neck they flashed past the judge together. It was a nail biting few minutes for all the Mount Racing Club members who were trackside but unfortunately the outcome of the photo finish went against us and Valantino was beaten by the shortest of short heads.
This was another solid run from this versatile 3yo and one that suggests he will be winning sooner rather than later. We still have shares left in him and more details can be found on our HORSES page
Geoff 09/12/10
Valantino Oyster really impressed on his All Weather debut in the Class 6 Amateur Riders Handicap over 1m 5f at Wolverhampton. From the gates he broke smartly and under a cool and confident ride from Miss Charlotte Holmes he always travelled well up with the pace. As they turned for home on the final bend Charlotte rousted him along and he stayed on really strongly to finish a very creditable 3rd, beaten 2 lengths at 14/1. This was a really promising run and will now lead to him embarking on an All Weather winter campaign where a deserved win can not be too far away.
We still have shares available in this sure fire future winner and more details can be found at our HORSES page.
Andy 02/12/10
We are pleased to announce that both our horses are fit and ready to race. Valantino Oyster will be first onto a racecourse as he lines up in a Juvenile Novice Hurdle on Saturday 13th November at Wetherby. Three days later on Tuesday 16th November Vienna Woods will take her chance in a 6f Nursery at Southwell.
We still have shares available in both horses and more details can be found by checking out our HORSES page.
Geoff 04/11/10
We have arranged a Stable visit to Ben Haslams Castle Hill Stables in Middleham on Sunday 24th October. This gives everyone the ideal opportunity to see our horses up close and to meet all the other owners as well as Ben himself and all his hard working staff. It also gives us the chance to find out any future running plans for our horses as well as finding out any snippets of info about the yard. It’s a 9.30am start and as usual everyone is welcome.
For anyone who would like to join us on a Stable visit but has never been before you can contact Geoff Holden on 07852 153969 for more details
Geoff 07/10/10
Valantino Oyster made his debut for the Mount Racing Club in a Class 3 Juvenile Hurdle at Stratford. Ridden by Barry Keniry he travelled and jumped well until half way down the back when a couple of erratic jumps by the horses in front of him and a faller besides him unsettled Valantino and Barry did well to hold on and get him back on song. He eventually stayed on well to finish 3rd, beaten by a Tim Vaughn newcomer who was rated 20lbs higher than him on the flat. Positives from the race are that on his debut Valantino beat horses that had already had experience over hurdles and he will definitely have learnt a lot from it and come on for the run.
Geoff 19/08/10
We are pleased to announce the arrival of VALANTINO OYSTER into the The Mount Racing Club. He’s a 3yo gelding that has just been purchased out of Howard Johnsons yard and it was a case of us being in the right place at the right time at the weekend as we managed to beat a couple of potential buyers to him. He has been schooled at home and jumps really well and the plan now is to go to either Stratford on the 18th or Market Rasen on the 21st August for a Juvenile Hurdle over 2m1f where he will have no trouble getting the trip.
Further details about him can be found on our Horses Page.
Geoff & Andy 17/08/10
We are pleased to say is the report from the stables on both our horses. Alphacino has schooled well and been out twice over hurdles in Juvenile Novice company finishing fourth both times, and being pipped on the line for 3rd on both occasions. He has come out of his last race really well and should be out again very soon.
Vienna Woods is very well in herself and making the most of the recent hot spell of weather by relaxing in the paddocks at the stables. We are reluctant to run her at the moment whilst the ground is especially firm as we don’t want to run the risk of injuring her. She now qualifies for a handicap mark and we think this is a sensible approach that should reap its rewards once the ground eases.
Geoff 30/06/10
Wednesday 21st at Catterick saw the first of two very pleasing runs for The Mount Racing Club. After 3 slightly below par runs on the All Weather Alphacino bounced right back to form on his beloved Turf. Given a super cool ride by Phillip Makin, Alfie made what we all thought was a race winning move at the Furlong pole only to be badly hampered by a drifting horse in front of him. Phillip Makin did well to stop him colliding with the rail and was convinced if he hadn’t of been stopped he would of won. He eventually finished 6th but was only beaten 2 ½ lengths. A reproduction of this form in his next race and he surely must go close.
Saturday 24th and our attentions switched to Ripon where Vienna Woods made her eagerly awaited debut. The drying ground and trouble in the stalls next to Vienna at the start meant early preparations didn’t go ideally to plan and when she was slowly away we were all thinking that along as she comes home safe we could live to fight another day. But midway through the race she got the hang of things and with an electric turn of foot she went from being 8-10 lengths down to actually hitting the front where she ran a bit green and finished off a very impressive 4th, beaten 1 ½ lengths by 3 horses that already had racecourse experience. She will have learnt a great deal from this run and will come on a lot for it. Jockey Kelly Harrison who gave her a super ride said she was very impressed and like us cant wait to see her out again.
Andy and Geoff 27/04/10
We have just returned from Middleham gallops and are pleased to report that both our horses are in fine order. ALPHACINO is back to his best after his exertions on the All Weather and we are now aiming him at a race at Catterick on Weds 21st April. It’s a 0-60 Hcap over 7f and we are looking for him to bounce right back to form in it. Our 2yo filly VIENNA WOODS has done nothing but please Ben and the team with her work and her progress. She has done all her training and at present we aim to debut her somewhere local around Middleham towards the end of April beginning of May. With this filly also is the added incentive of the £10,000 Yearling bonus attached to her. Considering that Ben hit the target last year 3 times with his early 2 year olds it could be exciting times ahead.
We still have shares available in both horses and more details can be found by checking out our HORSES page.
Andy 29/03/10
As from 20th Feb our trainer Patrick Haslam has decided to retire and hand over the reins to his son Ben. Ben will start his new venture at the Castle Hill stables which is a new development complete with airy American style barns. More details can be found on our Trainer Page.
As for Patrick, on behalf of everyone connected with The Mount Racing Club we would like to thank him for all that he has done for us over the years and wish him all the best as he retires from a career that has seen him send out over a 1,000 winners and become one of only 4 trainers to have had a winner at every course in the country. Happy retirement Patrick.
Geoff and Andy 09/03/10
After some serious negotiating over the Xmas period we are pleased to announce the arrival of another horse to the Mount Racing Club. A beautiful 2yo chestnut filly by Redback who was purchased at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Book 2 last year and comes with the Racing Post £10,000 Yearling Bonus attached to her.
Shares are now available in her and further details can be found on our Horses Page.
Geoff 26/01/10
Only time will tell but we think we might have pulled off a major coup for The Mount Racing Club by securing the services of Alphacino. This ultra tough and proven winning 2yo was claimed out of Mick Channons yard by Patrick who then alerted him to us. He is fit and ready to run and we fully expect him to take in a winter All Weather campaign before being schooled over hurdles.
There are still a few shares left him in but we expect them to sell fast so anyone who is interested should go to the HORSE PAGE for more details.
Andy 08/11/09
On the weekend 16th/17th January 2010 we are planning a stopover in Middleham. This gives owners the chance to arrive Saturday and have a wander around the village, maybe have a nice meal and meet up later on in the evening with the rest of the owners and have a relaxing few drinks around the pubs in Middleham. Next morning after a full English breakfast we can all visit Fleetwood Sands at the stable.
There is no set structure to the weekend but it is the ideal chance to relax and get to know other owners in the perfect surroundings of the village. Last time we stayed over we chose the Richard 3rd Hotel which has excellent food and accommodation but we can recommend anywhere in the village. More details can be found at www.middlehamonline.com.
Many thanks
Geoff & Andy 26/10/09
That was the news we got from trainer Patrick Haslam today as we watched Fleetwood Sands being put through his paces on the Middleham gallops. The plan now is to debut him on Thurs 25th June where he is entered at both Newcastle 2.30 and Hamilton 7.30. Both races are over 6 furlongs and a decision will be made nearer the time as to which if any entry he takes.
All the details can be found by clicking on the Horse Page.
We only have a limited number of shares left now and anyone who wants to get involved should contact us through the details on the Home Page.
Andy 20/06/09
Following our latest visit to see Fleetwood Sands, good reports continue to come from both the trainer and stable jockeys about our horse’s progression. Following his gelding operation he is back in full training and is working well.
Assistant trainer Ben Haslam told us he has improved a lot, getting stronger both physically and mentally, and even though you would look to start him off over 6f he should develop into a nice miler. These comments were echoed by stable jockey Paul Mulrennan who said he has a nice strong feel about him and is looking forward to riding him.
We are looking to debut with him in about 6-8 weeks and still have some shares available so now is the perfect time to get on board. See our Horse Page for further details.
Geoff 23/03/09
And we certainly hope it will be as we unveil our new official Mount Racing Club silks. Theses are the colours [right] which we hope are going to be carried into many a winner’s enclosure in 2009 and beyond.
So if you fancy joining a winning team in 2009 or have any other queries or questions then don’t hesitate to get in touch through the contact details on our Home Page.
Andy 09/01/09
January 1st saw a double celebration for our horse; firstly he is now officially a 2yo Colt, and secondly he has been named. After much discussion with our owners we decided on ‘FLEETWOOD SANDS’ because Fleetwood is our home town and Sands is after its famous Sire, the 2005 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand.
There are still shares available in FLEETWOOD SANDS and for more details go to our Horse Page.
We are pleased to report that its good news from the stables as far as our Yearlings training schedule is concerned. Head Lad Darren King told us that he has settled in nicely and has been an absolute dream to break in. He went on to say that so far our Yearling has handled all the training really well and is showing a great attitude in his work. Darren is looking forward to working with him in the coming months and thinks he could turn out to be a nice prospect.
Jockey Warren Cafferty who has been riding him told us that he was a pretty straight forward horse and he had a good feel about him, these words were echoed by fellow jockey Paddy Donaghy.
Geoff 12/11/08
When Ben Haslam said he could get us a bargain at the Newmarket Yearling sales we expected him to do well, but to say that we’re over the moon with his purchase would be an understatement. Ben managed to secure us a colt by the first season Coolmore sire Footstepsinthesand who won the 2,000 Guineas in 2005. Shares are now available and full details of prices and his pedigree are on Our Horse Page.
Andy 20/10/08
