Suzy Smith Racing - News 2018 - 2019

15th March

The last few weeks have been very successful for the yard with three very nice winners! 

Little Boy Boru was the first to score at Plumpton where he was given a great ride by Ben Godfrey and showed all his old determination and enthusiasm to win in good style. We thought he was up for it in the paddock beforehand as he was very much on his toes which has always been a sign of good things to come! 

This was swiftly followed the next day by Invicta Lake getting off the mark over fences under Paddy Brennan at Fontwell. He so deserved to win and did so readily pulling away by fifteen lengths. They went a really strong pace and this played into his hands perfectly.

Rosy World won most recently at Plumpton in a mares' handicap hurdle. She looked a cut above the rest of the field and with Ben Godfrey's claim won in easy fashion - congratulations to Ben on his sixth career win under rules.

It was great to see so many of our owners at the Racehorse Sanctuary fundrasing lunch at Fontwell on Sunday 24th February, it's always a great day out and raises lots of money for this very important charity. Cracker Jak was running that day and he ran a great race to finish second. He was perhaps a shade unlucky to be hampered by a horse on the bend past the stands on the final circuit. He badly lost his position because of this and did extremely well to manage to get up to be second from there. He should be winning soon.

Finally, we are delighted to say that for the second year running we have been awarded three gold stars (the highest accolade) in the Lycetts Team Champion Awards, highlighting the great team we have here and our commitment to making Suzy Smith Racing a great place to work.
Congratulations TEAM!
​

5th February

2019 started very well for us with plenty of good efforts from lots of the horses.

Debestyman has proved a hit over hurdles with an excellent fourth in a very competitive race, followed up by a great win in his second novice hurdle at Plumpton! This was a fantastic day for his owners The Plumpton Party who were out in force and brilliant for them to win at their local track. Debestyman looks like he is going to be a very useful staying hurdler as he was doing all his best work at the end. 

Invicta Lake has been his usual consistent self, racking up the places over a variety of trips! He has run a few times in quick succession so has earned himself a little break and should be out again in the next couple of weeks.

Rosy World ran a very nice race at Fontwell a week ago staying on all the time and we would expect her to be winning a novice hurdle very soon. She has been hard to place due to the fact that she likes very soft ground, luckily the rain has certainly arrived in Lewes today and looks set to stay with us for a while!

We had a couple of good thirds at Kempton last week; Firstly, Cracker Jak, who put up a good display of jumping in his first run in a handicap and appreciated the better ground and a step up in trip. He is still only a baby and we expect him to improve with more racing experience and he would definitely stay a longer trip. Sisania had her first run back since April last year, so this was a pleasing return to action. She is entitled to come on for the run and it was good to see so many of her members from Heart of the South Racing in the winners enclosure.

We are looking forward to welcoming Chloe Cheverton back from Racing School later this week, she has really enjoyed her time there and feels she has learned a great deal.
​

5th October 

We had an excellent Owners' Day, despite the rain, on Sunday 23rd September, everyone was very enthusiastic and really looking forward to the new season. Its a great opportunity for our owners to get to know each other, the horses we have in for the season, swap stories and chat with the staff who look after their horses on a day to day basis. About thirty of us went on to Plumpton Races for their opening meeting and had lunch in their excellent newly refurbished boxes. They have completely overhauled their Owners and Trainers bar and it's a huge improvement, this will greatly enhance our Owners' experience of having their horses race there - although it has always been our favourite track anyway!

We have three new members of staff to introduce. Megan and Chloe who are working for us part time - every morning and Libbi who has joined our weekend team. Megan is a valuable addition to the team and is just completing her Level 3 in Racehorse Managment. She holds an amateur jockey's licence and has had rides pointing, over hurdles and on the flat. This is Chloe's first job since leaving school and she has a placement booked for the end of November up at the British Racing School in Newmarket, where she will be starting out on her Level 2 apprenticeship. Chloe has her own horse, she is a hard worker and has been doing well since joining us. Libbi is still at school and is coming to work for us on Sunday mornings and every other Saturday afternoon. Libbi has her own horse and has been helping out at a local hunt yard previously, she is a very cheerful girl with a good manner around the horses and we very much like having her around.

Most of the horses are now in full swing and we are just waiting for a bit of rain before we can have our first runners out, which could be as early as next week - if we are lucky! We are very pleased with the way they are all going and we are thoroughly looking forward to getting started!
​

20th July 

We see this month as the start of our new season, where both horses and staff come back refreshed from their holidays and dreams begin.

Our last runner was Onehelluvatouch at Uttoxeter where she put in a good performance to come fourth in a three mile hurdle. She jumped and travelled well and is ready to go again when it finally rains! 

The horses out at grass summered extremely well however, for having no rain and are now  starting work on their waistlines! They will be walking and trotting for several weeks and will resume cantering in August, with the majority of our runners coming out in October and November depending on the going - of course.

We've collected 'Benny' a two year old gelding by Jet Away out of Money Money Money who is owned by Jane Reece of Hook Lane Roobee fame! He has come in for four to six weeks education and light backing. He is currently being long reined and we should be on him in a week or so. He has been a model pupil so far and very quick to learn. 

As part of Racing Staff Week we held a staff party and competition night - a series of games where we split into two teams "Young Uns versus Old Uns"  which if I remember rightly I'm sure the "Olds" won!! 

On the staff front, we are really happy to say that Chloe has turned full time with us now and has done particularly well over the last month gaining both her First Aid at Work and Fire Marshal qualifications! Our newest member of staff, Kathryn, has been accepted on to the British Racing School's nine week course commencing in August which marks the start of her Level 2 Apprenticeship with us. Congratulations to them both!

​

Little Boy wins at Plumpton!

Invicta Lake in the paddock at Fontwell

​

Winner! Debestyman and The Plumpton Party

Sisania and her Heart of South Racing Members

​

Our Owners' braving the rain!

Chloe and Megan with Getaway Suzy

Onehelluvatouch

'Benny'

​

​