We Never Stop, probably quite an apt name for a horse as that is exactly what you want them to do in order to bring success. On the flip side i they don’t turn out quite good enough then the name may have been a bit of a waste. Thankful the 2yo colt has improved with each run and got off the mark in the valuable, 6f British Stallion Studs EBF Spindrifter Novice Stakes at Pontefract,

There is never a bad York Novice or maiden, so you have to have a nice 2yo to take to the Knavesmire. The son of Cotai Glory had always shown plenty at home and took that to the track when making his debut. Travelling powerfully throughout the contest, We Never Stop got a little bit lost when coming off the bridle and tired in the latter stages to finish a very valiant third. It was a very good debut and confirmed the promise he had been showing on the gallops.

It would be a return to the Knavesmire for his next run where would tackle Twilight Romance, a 2yo who had matched his debut performance. Again travelling well, We Never Stop just couldn’t match the winner late on but again showed that he was still learning. The pair would meet again as We Never Stop lined up at Pontefract with a 4lb pull on the 3 winners in the field, including his latest adversary.

Pontefract can ride quite differently when the weather has been fluctuating and this was one of those occasions. Shane Gray was in the saddle and had won the race before, employing astute tactics coming to the near side rail. Being the only one who had done this, it was obvious that the following races would see a bee line for the rail. With only 5 runners there was never going to be too much trouble in running and Shane immediately took his mount over to the stands side. Having broken well, We Never Stop held the overall lead.

Only the inexperienced newcomer was struggling to get into the contest as the other quartet charged through the first half of the race. Obviously taking the turn was less severe now as they raced on the near side and We Never Stop took the field into the final couple of furlongs. It was the old rivals who were putting up a carbon copy of the race at York, with We Never Stop quickening to apply pressure to Twilight Romance.

It wasn’t all about the front two as there was a three way go when they approached the final furlong. We Never Stop held a slender lead as his rivals pressed for the lead. This was where he relinquished his chances of wining in previous runs but now he had experience on his side. As the margin closed, with 100 yards to run, the pressure forced We Never Stop to respond. Changing his legs and finding another gear, the colt dug deep to go once more. In the final strides of the race he asserted, pulling away and gaining revenge on his rival by 1/2 length.

Following his last run, We Never Stop had shown so much speed that 5f could have been an option but he saw this out very well. He is getting stronger all the time an mentally is really beginning to understand how to race. With his size and scope, We Never Stop will be a lovely 3yo and whatever happens this year will be a bonus. Obviously he will now receive a handicap mark and it will be interesting to see what he does receive. There could well be a trip back to the Knavesmire for the colt as he holds an entry in the valuable sales race.

When you are a full brother to a multiple Group 1 winner there are some big shoes to fill and emulate. Hello Youmzain proved to be one of the best sprinters of his generation for owner/breeder Mr Jaber Abdullah and the team at Hambleton Lodge. this year saw his full brother arrive and he managed to get off the mark at the second attempt when winning the 6f EBF Maiden Stakes at Ayr.

Spasha has proved a wonderful dam, producing 5 pattern performers. Two of those progeny were trained at Hambleton Lodge so when Jehangeer arrived there was plenty of excitement around the colt. Although he was a slightly smaller model when he first came, Jehangeer developed and strengthened through his work, whilst also showing he had an engine.

He made his debut at Ayr and ran a big race, pressing the leader throughout before just finding one too good on the day and showing signs of inexperience. The winner that day had come from the breeze ups and when he then went on to finish second in the Coventry at Royal Ascot, it really upgraded the run of Jehangeer.

It was no surprise that when Jehangeer lined up for his second run, he would be sent off as a very short favourite. Tom Eaves was booked for the ride and looked to be positive from the off as Jehangeer jumped well. Utilising his stride, the colt moved through to press the leader, similar tactics to his debut run.

The race would pretty much tell the same story throughout and nothing would be able to get into it. The leading pair were the front two in the market and they would have the race between them from very early on. Sat in the first two spots, it was Jehangeer who settled into the slipstream of his rival in second place. It was a decent gallop set as they raced down the centre of the track.

Very little would happen in the race to scare the punters with the market rivals having control from a long way out. Jehangeer powered through the race and cruised into contention, utilising his stride and seemingly a cut above. With nothing else getting into the contest, Tom waited, continuing to get a lead moving into the final 2f. It seemed  as though it was just a matter of when and how far.

Looking like the winning margin was the only question, Jehangeer moved up to challenge still hard on the bridle. When Tom gave him a squeeze, the colt went to quicken up but it wasn’t the immediate reaction that he expected. Jehangeer begun to hang right towards his rival and wasn’t really pulling away. He took the lead but wasn’t running in a true line. Tom knew his mount needed educating and was working hard to keep the colt balanced and moving forward. It was all done with his hands but inexperience was really showing. With his rival proving to be a worthy adversary, whilst also holding a true line, Jehangeer was in for a fight. Despite his greeness, the colt had the ability and was always doing enough to keep his lead. Jehangeer galloped all the way to line to secure his first win by a neck.

Jehangeer has already shown he is a colt full of promise but is certainly a work in progress. He moves great and does have a similar style of running as his brother, powerful and eats up the ground. Mentally he is going to improve a lot with time and racing. Jehangeer looks like a very nice prospect but he may not be thrown in at the deep end at this stage. He is a fine colt and will be a lovely horse this year but could well be better as a 3yo.

Same track, same race, same time of year and same result. Justanotherbottle has proven to be a real lover of Ripon throughout the last few years. Not only has he won their feature race, the Great St Wilfred but he also owns the track record and took his winning tally to 4 when taking the 6f Ripon Races Ladies Handicap.

Last year Justanotherbottle put up an extremely impressive performance when wining the corresponding race. Not only did he win the race but he smashed the track record by almost a second. Thaw would  prove to be his last win and despite a couple of good efforts following that, Justanotherbottle hadn’t managed to capture the same level of form.

His first few runs of this year were again below par and Justanotherbottle had dropped 13lb due to this. Being another year older, there were worries about whether he might be just starting to feel his age. Once the weather the weather changed and the sun began to appear, the 9yo started to come to life again and his homework proved that. It was a clear choice to head back to Ripon in a bid to find that winning form again.

Sam James was booked for the ride as the pair would line up against 5 rivals. Thankfully he is a very easy horse to ride once the stalls open but the first part is the trickiest. With a history of naughtiness in the stalls, you have to time everything just right with Justanotherbottle. Sam got it spot on, pulling the hood off at the last second and firing out of the stalls with perfect timing. Switching left, Justanotherbottle got to the front and tracked over towards the rail.

You can always tell when Justanotherbottle is on a going day as he simple tanks into the race and through the first half he travelled like a dream. It was Sam’s first time riding the gelding but he made the right call as he waited on board the leader. As his rivals cam under pressure, the gap closed but there was no panic and Justanotherbottle continued to gallop powerfully under Sam. With the sprinter continuing to travel, it was clearly a good day and Justanotherbottle proved to exuberant at his favourite track.

Moving into the final furlong, Justanotherbottle had cruised to this point and once he was asked he responded. Although he edged left, the 9yo had plenty left in the tank and was holding his rivals. Sam never had to get really serious and the pair comfortably held off the challengers to win by 1/2 length.

It was great to see Justanotherbottle  back to his best and it is clear that Ripon is his happy place. You know by halfway in a race whether or not he is going to have a chance. Justanotherbottle travelled impressively throughout the race and had plenty in reserve for the challengers late on. He will be aimed at the same races as always, with the Stewards Cup at Goodwood and then back to Ripon for the Great St Wilfred.

Handicap debut can be very telling for a 3yo returning to action. It is always interesting to see if the handicapper has got it right, hampered them or maybe just left a bit of wiggle room. Powdering was always going to develop into a better 3yo and the filly returned to action at Hamilton to win the 1m 1/2f Cleanstay At Hampton By Hilton Bothwell Castle Fillies Handicap.

The daughter of Ribchester had shown promise as a juvenile, despite looking like she was far from the finished article. All 3 runs had come over 7f but it was clear that she would appreciate a bit further in time. Quick ground held up the fillies’ return to action but once there was a little ease then she headed north of the border.

Lining up against 5 rivals, the race was all about the odds on favourite who was looking for a four timer. After the fav the race was wide open with a big differential in handicap marks. Shane Gray took the ride and looked to press the issue from the off. On the inside of the favourite, Powdering moved through to lead as they swung right handed around the loop. Setting a nice gallop, she led the field into the home straight as the track runs away, downhill.

It was Powdering and the fav who held a couple of lengths advantage over their rivals and the race would be between the leading pair. As they moved past halfway and toward the 3f marker their rivals closed the gap but had to come under some pressure to do so. Shane had to get a little serious in the saddle around 2 1/2f from home as the favourite travelled smoothly on the outer. This looked to have the filly in trouble as she lost the lead.

As the fav cruised past the 2f marker, Powdering was starting to find her stride, responding to Shane. She was coming good underneath him and was maintaining her position alongside. Now the pair were neck and neck, with the fav also coming under a drive as they realised Powdering was far from beaten. The leaders were pulling each other along and they moved clear as they hit the rising ground inside the final furlong. It was a real tussle and neither rivals was giving an inch away. Powdering was proving very brave on the inner and she was thriving as the ground tested them. With 50 yards to run she had nudged her nose back to the lead and staying on well, Powdering downed the favourite by a short head.

It was a fabulous effort from Powdering who was very brave to win. She was headed and came back against a race fit rival who was full of confidence. Having had a long time between races, Powdering was alway entitled to com on for this run so to win was impressive. Proving to be strongest in the latter stages of the race, where the ground rises uphill, she will certainly get further in time and Powdering could really thrive throughout the season. The handicapper will reassess her now and this will dictate where she goes next but the 3yo is open to more improvement0.

Patience and faith have been behind Triple Time’s career with the 4yo only seeing the track 6 times in his shirt but impressive career. With Kevin claiming his colt to be one of the very best he has trained, everyone was excited for the son of Frankel to finally test himself at the very top level. Unfortunately he has had to wait but that patience was fully repaid when he took the opening race of the 2023 Royal Ascot meeting, the 1m Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes.

Winning at Listed level in his 2yo career, Triple Time then took Group 3 honours in an interrupted 3yo campaign. Unfortunately when the colt stepped up again in grade, to contest the Group 2 Prix Daniel Wilderstein, he faced very soft ground which was never going to suit. Despite this connections would be aiming for the top level when he returned at 4.

Triple Time had a perfect pre season and was shaping like a proper Group 1 horse. The Lockinge was the first race mapped out for him with Royal Ascot the next stop. Cruel timing once again scuppered his intended first run when Triple Time got a small stomach cramp just before saddling up. Although disappointed not to run, connections were delighted that it was a mere blip as the colt was back home, fighting fit and as well as ever. It was on to Ascot but without a run, not the ideal route to a Group 1 race.

The Queen Anne is the next race for 4yo milers following the Lockinge and half the field would be made up of runners who had ran in the showcase at Newbury. This included the first three home and it was the winner, Modern Games who would go off the 7/4 favourite. Despite being one of the outsiders, Triple Time was quietly fancied to run a big race. Although he had never tried this level, the colt was the most likely to make a big improvement with only the 6 runs behind him.

Neil Callan had donned the yellow silks last year to record a Group 1 victory on Fonteyn and took the ride on Triple Time. He would have his hands full early on but having listened to connections, Callan got everything just right. Jumping well from the gates, Triple Time was initially positioned about 3/4 of the way down the field. The colt then. threw his head into the air and pulled his way through the field. Neil didn’t fight his mount and allowed him to find his rhythm wherever he was happy. Having moved up down the near side of the field, Triple Time ended up sat in second spot, on the heels of the leader.

Once he got his way, and without Neil fighting him, Triple Time settled into a lovely rhythm. It was a nice, even gallop as the 12 runners edged towards the far side of the track, all closely bunched together. The race was set up for a real thriller with all the field racing closely to each other and plenty of room to manoeuvre.

The first real injection of pace came around the 3f maker as the leader went to press on. Modern Games, the fav, had talked the leaders throughout whilst Inspiral had been anchored towards the rear, on the far side of the group. Most eyes were attracted to the market leaders but as the challengers began to wind up, it was suddenly Triple Time who really was the eye-catcher. One of the last to come off the bridle, he had latched on to the leader and started to lengthen under Callan. Once asked, Triple Time quickened up and quickly hit the front as they moved inside the final 2f. The fav had been in his slipstream but could not go with Triple Time. Now it was seeing out the final 1 1/2f and a big push from his rival.

Inspiral had made good headway down the far side of the field and moved through to challenge Triple Time as the pair entered the final furlong. The race looked to be between the front two now as they began to pull away from the rest. Now Triple Time would be given the biggest test of his career, the acid test of his first try at the top level against a three time Gr1 winner. The pair went eyeball to eyeball as Inspiral pressed on and it seems as though the filly had the momentum and would go on. Callan was certainly not settling for that and worked hard in the saddle to get a response. Triple Time not only proved very willing but he was showing his class too. After going toe to toe for 1/2 furlong, the final 50 yards would be the decider. Triple Time found more and kept on well, pulling out a little extra to take the win by a neck, galloping powerfully through the line.

It doesn’t really get much better than to win a Group 1 at Britain’s biggest meeting of the year, to open up Royal Ascot 2023. Obviously winning a Group 1 is special but this win just had a little extra meaning due to the patience and faith shown in Triple Time. For as long he saw the colt work, Kevin has held him in the highest regard. That has never wained but the 4yo has been so unlucky when he has been due to take on these races. It is hard enough to take on the very best horses but to do so whilst conceding race fitness just shows how much ability Triple Time has. He was still open to improvement and proved that he is a high class horse. Obviously he will be campaigned at the highest level now and the Sussex Stakes could be next in line for him. It will be another challenge as later in the yer he will be taking on the best 3yo’s around to add to his rivals. Whatever happens, Triple Time’s victory in the Queen Anne will live long in the memory.

With the sun beginning to shine and replacing the wet weather it seems to have heated up the team at Hambleton Lodge. This week has seen winners flying in all over the country and already yielded a double at the Dante festival. Another was added to the tally as Maharba The Champ made a winning return to action before Jungle Mate won on debut at Hamilton.

Owner and breeder Mr Jaber Abdullah has been a big supporter of the yard over the years and has a breeding program that produces quality year after year. With his famous blue silks carried to multiple Group 1’s success, it is easy to see how he has built up a fine breeding program. Maharba The Champ arrived with a pedigree to die for, being by the great Galileo and out of the Group 1 placed mare Lady Of The Desert. Maharba The Champ has been a slow burner but proved his class when taking the 1m2f Knights Solicitors Handicap at York.

Very lightly raced, Maharba The Champ had recorded his sole victory last year when winning a handicap of 84. Impressive that day, it looked as though he was a colt that could really take off. Unfortunately very soft ground proved to be his downfall and also curtailed his season as October would not provide him with suitable conditions.

With a wind op during the pre-season and further strengthening physically, Maharba The Champ came into 2023 with real potential to move through the grades. Delay after delay occurred due to the Great British spring, with Kevin waiting for the ground to dry out. Fortunately it did do for the Dante meeting, although on Raceday there was threat of heavy showers. With them not materialising, Maharba The Champ lined up in a typically competitive York handicap with William Buick taking the ride.

Throughout the week there had been quite a different approach to races on the round track. This time there was plenty of pace on and it was a strong gallop, allowing William to get a nice lead. Settled into a nice rhythm, Maharba The Champ was positioned in midfield as a handful of rivals wanted to get on with things.

There was never any time to think or even get run a breather as the pace held up throughout the contest. They swung around the bend and into the home straight with Maharba The Champ still poised in midfield. York is a very fair track due to the wide open, flat nature of the run in and once they entered the home straight the jockeys began to fan out and look for their runs.

Moving inside the 3f pole the leader continued to pour it on and had a few of his rivals in trouble a long way out. William had been positioned one the outer which pushed him towards the stands side once they raced down the straight. He began to wind up his mount from this point and Maharba The Champ responded well, moving up a couple of places.

Maharba The Champ was gaining momentum but entering the final couple of furlongs, there was still plenty of work to do. The long time leader went on and now ensured that whoever was going to catch him would have to really put the work in. Maharba The Champ continued to find for pressure but he wasn’t passing rivals just yet as he began to find top gear.

Entering the final furlong saw Maharba The Champ hit his stride. Now he had the momentum and now he began to eat into the ground. William sensed the win was there and asked his mount for maximum effort. Moving into second place he just had the tough front runner to reel in but that was proving a tough task. Maharba The Champ stuck his head down and in the last strides of the race collared the leader. Once he did, he stuck his head out and took the lead, stretching out to a neck margin as they flashed past the winning post.

It was a great effort from Maharba The Champ to win on his seasonal return. The race was competitive and there was no hiding place with the pace set up front. He is a horse who has always shown plenty of ability but just needed a little time to really thrive. Ground is important to him and he will not be running on testing conditions again. There are some top handicaps coming up and he will be aimed for those throughout the season. It would be no surprise to see him getting a touch further and Maharba The Champ can make his mark in some more top meetings throughout this season.

Patience is proving beneficial with the juveniles this season. it took a while for them to hit the track sue to the ground but once they have, they are proving to be a lovely bunch. With 2 debutante winners already this week, Kevin has made a fine start with his juveniles. Jungle Mate looked unlikely to add to that tally but he certainly learnt on the job as he flew home to win the 5f British #Mentalhealthawarenessweek Restr’d Maiden Stakes at Hamilton.

Thunder Moor was a rapid 2yo last year and shed his maiden tag this week last year. His 1/2 brother, Jungle Mate is certainly a different model, being a bigger version which maybe attributes to his sire Bungleinthejungle. He had shown ability at home but Kevin was always thinking that 6f may be his trip. With options quite limited he decided that the colt needed to run and so headed to Hamilton, hoping that he should be able to finish up the hill, maybe negating the need for 6f.

Shane Gray has enjoyed a good start to the season, especially north of the border. He took the ride and had to patient as Jungle Mate was slowly into stride and outpaced from the off. The downhill run ensured that the gallop was strong but Shane never panicked and gave the colt plenty of time to find his feet. Detached at the rear, Jungle Mate got himself gathered up and into a rhythm through the first furlong.

There was no let up in front as the experienced runners charged along. Shane just had to niggle away to keep tabs on the field and you could see that Jungle Mate was begging to get to grips with things. The field blasted through halfway and would soon hit the rising ground for the finish.

To some it may have looked as though the leaders would be hard to rein in but Hamilton can see races change in a matter of strides up the hill. Jungle Mate began to make headway around the 2f marker, with Shane just switching out to the centre of the track. The leaders nabbed their rail and he wanted to give the colt some daylight, allowing him to finish the race. this ignited Jungle Mate and he began to lengthen, making some interesting headway.

When the penny drops you can see the confidence it breaths into horses, especially juveniles. Jungle Mate was relishing the stiffer finish and entering the final furlong he swept down the outside. With rivals passed he suddenly found himself vying for the lead. He saw the leader on the rial and moved across to join him. Now he looked the most likely winner and despite again showing inexperience, he knuckled down to the task. Staying on well, Jungle Mate stretched out and took the win by a neck, coming form last to first.

It was an impressive debut from Jungle Mate who had to overcome adversity to win. Outpaced he stayed on very and showed a good attitude to not get disheartened through the early stages. He could easily have quickened clear but once he hit the front, there were signs of greeness. It is clear that 6f will suit him better and it would not be a surprise to see him step up in trip straight away. Shane gave the colt a lovely ride, educating him throughout the contest. He will improve for this experience so it was even more impressive to see him do this on debut.