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“She’d finished second to Scenic Blast in the King’s Stand three weeks earlier so it was great to turn the tables on the Australian horse and overall it was a big result for all of us at Shalfleet. It was great to see her finally win a Group 1 as she had run so many huge races before.
“With a better preparation and more suitable ground conditions I feel she would also have won the Sprint Cup at Haydock and we probably missed her best opportunity when we were forced to bypass the Nunthorpe Stakes at York . However, she acquitted herself with credit all season and I’m delighted that she stays in training next season.
“Arabian Gleam has been a grand servant to the yard over the past few years and he gained another Group 2 – his third, one each in the last three seasons – when he won the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket on Champions’ Day. Again, it was fabulous to have success in a high-profile event.
“He’s a really nice horse to have, tough and honest. In the spring he’s probably going to head to the Carnival in Dubai where I hope he can perform with credit.
“Strike The Deal was another who contributed well to our success this year. The return to sprinting really suited him after we’d tried to stretch him out over a mile and beyond as a three-year-old. He put up two big efforts to score in Listed company at the St Leger meeting and in a Group 3 at Newbury.
“He really deserved to get his head back in front at that level as he had performed well in tough company since winning the Richmond Stakes as a two-year old. I think that he’s the sort of horse who can do well again next season as sprinters can often continue to improve.
“Forgotten Voice provided us with a great day when he won the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot in June. Any Royal Ascot winner is special but this one was especially rewarding as that plan had been hatched nine months ahead and it’s not very often that something like that comes to fruition.
“It was an enjoyable day and I was thrilled to train a winner at the Royal Meeting for Paul and Susan Roy who have been big supporters of the yard for a long time.
“A word must also go to Sans Frontieres who was forced to miss the remainder of the season following his third in the Dante due to injury. He was probably our best three-year old but we decided to take the patient approach with him and will be delighted to have him back as a four-year old.
“Overall, we still bagged 52 winners during the Turf season and registered a strike rate of 17 per cent. By no means it is that a bad stat but is the first time we have dipped below 20% for a year so that was a little disappointing.
“The main reason for this was that our more backward bunch of two-year-olds were just beginning to come to hand in the early autumn when many were knocked back with a unknown blood disorder which pretty much curtailed our campaign with them.
“It was frustrating but they have always been a nice group who were always going to be better at three. No doubt they’ll serve us well next year and I’m confident that there are stakes performers in among them.
“I am really looking forward to sending a strong team to Dubai in the spring for the International Carnival at Meydan. Arabian Gleam, Strike The Deal and Forgotten Voice will be joined by three-turning-four year olds Awinnersgame, Stoic and Leahurst. The last two are just the sort of horses you want to send out there and I hope we can have a successful trip with our team.
“Lastly, I would like to thank my staff for their ceaseless efforts. Without their input, the great and the good days simply wouldn’t be possible. I would also like to thank my owners for their enduring and appreciated support. Let’s hope we can all have success together in 2010 and beyond.”
Jeremy