Martin Dixon provides an update on the Horse Watchers’ winter team following a fine run of form
August
I was delighted with him when second at Southwell on Friday on his first start for us. He works like a nice horse at home and he was just a bit too lit up after getting a bump shortly after the start. Ali [Rawlinson] wanted to be a position further forward than he was, and he ended up with a bit much on his plate and was also keener than ideal. But he finished his race off well, looked very genuine with how he stayed on and I'd be very surprised were he not winning races this winter. He should improve from that race - he's still a lightly-raced horse - and I think he's a horse to follow.
Awesome Spirit
He's got more ability than he's showing. He's travelling through his races well but not really delivering an end product at the moment. We're probably going to step him up in distance and ride him with a bit of patience to fill him with confidence. Ali feels like he's trying to do everything on one breath in his races and if we step him up in distance it might let him get into a rhythm rather than being rushed off his feet in the early part of the race.
Baldomero
Baldomero has been very consistent, picking up prize-money, and I just hope he gets his head in front soon because he deserves one. The plan with him is Kempton on Wednesday, either over six furlongs or a mile. He doesn't do anything wrong and has been a real money-spinner - prize-money wise he's been brilliant. He's a good-quality all-weather handicapper with some strong form in the book.
Heathen
I've got to give Ed Dunlop credit as he made it clear to us that the horse wasn't one to let go without trying him in a different environment to Newmarket. He knew the horse had a lot more ability than he was showing, and Ed himself felt he was a horse that might benefit from a change in scenery. Obviously Dave [O'Meara] has done a brilliant job in giving him exactly what he needed - a different routine, a different environment - and he's really thrived on a new regime.
He won off the same handicap mark on his first start for us with Ed, so the key now is whether he can hold his form together. He has an exceptional pedigree and if Dave can keep him in the sort of form he showed at Southwell and he proves to be more consistent than he was in the past, there could be some very nice races to be won with him. He's a talented horse but he needs to be kept mentally in the right place which hopefully he'll do in this different environment.
I've got to give Ed a lot of credit for the fact he told us to move him. Some trainers wouldn't be happy at all to recommend moving a horse to a different yard, but Ed knew he had more ability than he was showing and knew he needed to do something different.
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Intervention
He went a long time without a win but he's completed a hat-trick recently and has won ten times for us. He's in proper Horse Watchers Legend status now. He's just come back better than ever all of a sudden.
He's very effective on the all-weather and Ali worked out that rather than trying to restrain him it was better to let him use his enthusiasm, and it's really worked out. He didn't make the running over six furlongs last time but still jumped and went forward and he's just looked a much easier ride.
He's going to be up to comfortably a career-high rating and he's been a perfect horse to own - he's very consistent, won loads of races and prize-money and given everyone a lot of enjoyment. He could do with winning one more in December as he'll either win or share the December bonus, and he'll probably go to Wolverhampton on Boxing Day for a six-furlong handicap. He's as tough as you get and thrives on racing so hopefully he'll pick up some bonus money as well as prize-money.
Penzance
He's the blueprint of what we're trying to achieve - getting horses that can really improve their form and rating. When he defied the penalty on Thursday I thought he quickened up so well under hands-and-heels riding - there was just a little shake of the reins and he was away and gone. Considering that Ali hadn't set hard fractions on him I thought he picked up really strongly and his penultimate furlong was very impressive to go clear.
He spread-eagled them and they weren't a bad bunch of horses, so to quicken and open the race up like that against proven, useful all-weather handicappers was very impressive. I think he could be better than a handicapper on the all-weather.
He'll probably go to Newcastle on New Year's Day for a valuable handicap over a mile and a quarter. It won't be an easy race and he'll be quite a bit higher in the handicap, but he'll go there with a good chance of improving again.
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Mr le Philosophe
He's going to Rebecca Menzies' yard. He's been gelded and the plan is to go juvenile hurdling, although he hasn't been schooled yet. He won twice in France and looked like a strong stayer with a really good attitude. His French rating equates to a BHA mark of 89 which is quite high for a horse going jumping, and we think he has the right attributes to do well in juvenile hurdles. Rebecca really liked him - he's an athletic, good-moving horse - and she felt like he had the right physique and make-up to do well hurdling.
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