JANUARY REVIEW
We finished 2025 with a winner and the team have started the new year in fantastic form, with 15 winners already on the board at a 30% strike-rate, by some way our most successful January on record.
Stateira has progressed into a useful performer in recent months and made it two from two at Newcastle with a wide-margin success in a competitive class 2 handicap in the hands of Oisin Murphy. That was a trial for the Fillies & Mares contest on Finals day and the daughter of Persian King looks a live contender.
The Lost King was another to win a class 2 handicap, scoring at Kempton Park under Nicola Currie, the performance all the more worthy given it came on his return from over six months off. The lightly-raced four year old has the potential to progress further and can make up into a smart handicapper this term.
Berkshire Sundance won two of his three starts towards the end of 2025 and made his second outing of this year a winning one, getting up on the line at Lingfield Park under P J McDonald. Nudged up just 2lbs, he should continue to give a very good account.
Ted Le Saux made his second start a winning one with a taking success in novice company at Newcastle, with Jason Watson doing the steering. He had only made his belated debut in December, when finishing runner-up, and this half-brother to Nate The Great looks one to look forward to this year. Similar comments apply to All Moonshine, who followed up her Southwell novice success in December with a game win at Wolverhampton under the penalty, with Jason Watson on board. She is progressing well and is a beautifully-bred filly with the potential to do better still.
Caliban got off the mark at the fourth attempt with a facile victory at Kempton Park, with Oisin Murphy on board. Narrowly defeated on his previous start, he is out of a Listed winner over 1m4f and can make up into a useful handicapper in 2026.
It was very pleasing to see Hebridean Nomad return to winning ways with a comfortable success at Lingfield Park for Jason Watson and hopefully he can build on the win next time off what remains a workable mark.
There were eight winners from the three year olds ranks, with some notable performances.
Crockham Heath impressed when scoring at Wolverhampton on handicap debut, following up his Southwell novice win in November in the hands of Callum Hutchinson. He made all the running to win with plenty to spare and he is a progressive colt that can make a bold bid for the hat-trick next time.
Mythical Bay justified odds-on favouritism at Wolverhampton to shed his maiden tag at the fourth attempt under Callum Hutchinson. The son of New Bay has since been gelded and looks a likely improver in the months ahead, as does Breathe Easy, who made all the running under Oisin Murphy to land a Kempton maiden in very good style.
Level Look has progressed with each run and made it third time lucky with a ready win in a four-runner novice at Newcastle under Jason Watson. The handicapper hasn’t taken any chances with an opening mark of 80, but he’s a bright middle-distance prospect for the season ahead. Maria Da Silva was also off the mark at the third attempt when winning at Newcastle, with Nicola Currie on board. Out of a half-sister to Group 1 winner Amazing Maria, there should be plenty more to come.
Helga took a nice step forward on last month’s Southwell debut with a comfortable success at Kempton Park, making all the running in the hands of Oisin Murphy and she looks to have plenty more to offer over middle distances this term. Allegrino gained a breakthrough win at the fourth attempt when successful at Lingfield Park for Nicola Currie and she should remain very competitive off her new mark.
Maskatto gained a narrow win at Lingfield Park at the beginning of the month and ran respectably in handicap company three weeks later, but he has since been sold at the Tattersalls February Sale.