Time right to retire Jumbajukiba
Because the ground has been so good, the summer horses have been going on that bit longer but now they are finishing up and it’s time for them to leave and for the winter crop to come in and get going.
I won’t see some of the horses again as some of them will be sold and others are retiring. At this stage, the decision won’t be made on many of them for a while, but it has with others.
I am taking three to the Horses in Training Sales at Newmarket on Monday, including Shirley Blake. The sales last until Thursday and I’ll see how it’s going before deciding how long to stay. I will have some help with me because at a big sales like that, you need to have an inside track.
Jumbajukiba is being retired. He’s been a great servant who won eight races and was second six times. I didn’t want to go on running him as he’s lost a bit of enthusiasm. I was thinking of hurdling with him but I’m not going to now.
You have to retire them before they get hurt. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to him. We’ll keep him here and keep him working as a lead horse. He could run again if he shows he’s dying to, but I wouldn’t think it’s likely.
Gimli’s Rock was brilliant in winning the October Handicap at Naas on Sunday.
He’s one tough horse as he proved when winning his previous two over hurdles. Having looked at one stage like he wasn’t going to win, he almost won too well in the end and was pulling away in the last 100 yards.
He’s a bit of a character. Gimli’s does as much as he wants to do. Luckily that’s usually just about enough. Fran said he hung both ways in the straight and then after the winning post he couldn’t pull him up until after the seven-furlong pole.
He does try. I know he wears blinkers but that’s because he looks at things, not because he doesn’t try.
The plan now is that he’ll run in a second season novice hurdle at Down Royal although not if the ground gets heavy. I think he probably would handle that type of ground now as he’s after getting stronger but he just likes it good. After that, he’ll go on holiday.
Greenbelt Star ran well in the same race and was flying at the end. A mile and a half was always going to be a bit sharp for him.
I actually wasn’t in Naas as I’d gone down to Cork and I was delighted with Native Palm’s run. He had been abysmal in the bumpers up to that and we were giving him one more go. He finished third in a maiden hurdle beaten a length and a neck.
The key is that he has to have good ground. He clearly does jump well too. He might have won but was just a little bit green and jumped a bit big. He’s gone home now and will be back next spring.
I was disappointed with Lady Holly in Navan on Wednesday though. I thought she’d run better and I’m going to give her another run in a nursery in Leopardstown on Monday because we can’t find anything wrong.
We were very pleased with Roicead who finished third in a handicap the same day. I struggle with the pronunciation of the name but am very much looking forward to him next year. He went straight home from Navan and will come back in the spring. He’s a colt and will be castrated and I think we’ll see a lot more from him.
If we get the rain we’re promised, a few of the jumpers will be out during the week. I have entries made for Saludos and Fantoche but it does depend on the ground. They are all gradually getting ready. You always start to wonder for about a month with the winter ones if they’re ever going to get any fitter and then suddenly they’re there.
If the ground’s alright in Punchestown on Wednesday I might take Roberto Goldback and No One Tells Me there for a school after racing. The reason I want to take Roberto there was that a horse fell in front of him and brought him down there last April, while No One Tells Me is going jumping and while she’s schooling well at home I just want to see how she goes on a race track and make sure everything’s okay.
Meanwhile, I’m quiet enough over the weekend. Miss Salinger is my only runner today in Wexford, in what will be her third hurdle. Tomorrow, Tango Knight will hopefully return to his previous form and not have any hangover from his fall at Limerick.
Carpenter and Fantoche are both in the chase. I hope they’ll be fit enough to run and do themselves justice but they might be running against horses that have been going all summer and will have that fitness edge.
