Our flagship recruit, Ain’t That A Shame, was secured at the David Maxwell Dispersal Sale at Cheltenham in October 2025 for £40,000. A purchase made with careful consideration and conviction.

A 12-year-old, 150-rated chaser previously trained by Henry de Bromhead, he has twice completed the Grand National course, most notably finishing an excellent sixth in the 2024 renewal behind I Am Maximus. He had earlier demonstrated his class when winning the Grade 3 Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park.

Although his age and a previous leg issue presented an element of risk, two independent veterinary opinions were sought prior to purchase, both of whom were satisfied that he would stand up to training and racing. With just 19 career starts, he remains relatively lightly raced and retains the physique and presence of a traditional staying chaser.

Now in training with Tom Ellis, the road to The Grand National is underway. A run on Saturday 28th February at Kelso saw him travel and jump like a dream until sadly, the lack of a run in almost two years, found him out. Tiredness causing a soft fall at the final fence. The good news is that he has come through the run unscathed and following a thorough examination by the vet on Monday he is fully recovered from his previous leg issue. He will require some luck to secure a place in the final field of 34 as he is currently 57th on the list but we remain very hopeful.

He is very much a soft-ground horse, the softer the better and alternative targets such as the remain under consideration should conditions dictate. An ambitious longer-term aim could even include the Grand Steeplechase de Paris in May.

Sold Out – Our First Homebred Winner

February delivered a landmark moment for Eventmasters Racing as we celebrated our first homebred winner.

Sold Out (Massaat x Turanga Leela) has progressed steadily with racing, and that development culminated in an impressive all-the-way victory at Newcastle Racecourse on 15th February. Showing excellent gate speed, he took control early under Stevie Donohoe, travelling powerfully and pulling clear in the closing stages to win by two and a quarter lengths.

It was a particularly special success given Stevie’s previous association with his dam, Turanga Leela. Immense credit must go to John Mackie, whose patience and careful management have been instrumental in the gelding’s development.

He followed up with a solid fourth-place finish at Lingfield Park on 21st February. The sharper nature of the track may not have played entirely to his strengths, and a stiffer test could see further improvement. We look forward to seeing him back in action at Newcastle (19:30 Race) on Friday 6^th March in handicap company, which although a step up in class will hopefully continue progress.

Four Decades – Encouraging Progress

Four Decades has continued her education over hurdles and is progressing well.

She built on her initial experience with an encouraging performance at Kempton Park Racecourse this month. Settling in midfield in a competitive 16-runner novice hurdle, she made good headway after three out and despite a slight mistake at the final flight, kept on well to finish respectably. The form has been franked.

The race represented the strongest contest she has faced to date and we are very pleased with the progress she is showing as she gains further experience. We are very hopefully that she will be drawing the Great British bonus of £20,000 additional prize money  at Catterick (14:40 race) Wednesday 4^th March. The nine-runner field restricted to mares, does not look the strongest and ridden by Jack Andrews, we are hopeful that she will get off the mark.

 

Vaguely Royal – Signs of Improvement

Vaguely Royal, now with Ian Williams, has had two starts on the all-weather.

At Wolverhampton Racecourse on 6th February, he was slow from the stalls and unable to recover sufficient ground to get competitive. He was subsequently stepped up to two miles at Newcastle Racecourse on 19th February, where, despite again losing ground at the start, he showed notable improvement in the straight to finish sixth. He will make this third start at Southwell (17:40 race) on Wednesday 4^th March stepping up further in trip to 2m2½f . Ridden by Edward Greaterex and dropping a further three pounds in the handicap, we are again hopefully he can reach the frame and start to climb up the handicap.

Soldhi – Racing Debut Approaches

Soldhi (Italian for money), our filly by Capri out of New Money, is nearing her racecourse debut under the care of John Mackie. She is currently having the final touches applied ahead of her debut at Catterick (16:40 Race) on Wednesday 4^th March. She will be ridden by former Champion Jockey Brian Hughes and with there being a field of eight runners (the dead 8), we are very hopefully that she will hit the frame.

Eventmasters Racing have never enjoyed a double let alone a treble let us hope that the Racing Gods are smiling on us this Wednesday and that we can enjoy across the card celebrations.

Swinging London – Consistent and Versatile

Swinging London continues to run with credit and consistency.

At Kempton Park Racecourse, he contested a two-mile handicap hurdle and produced another commendable effort, staying on well to finish fifth despite a slight mistake at a crucial stage. He followed up at Carlisle Racecourse on 16th February over 2m1f, again finishing strongly to take fourth in the final strides.

His versatility remains a valuable asset, and options include stepping up in trip over hurdles or returning to the all-weather. His attitude and consistency continue to be a great credit to the team.

Thomas Tallis and Unraced Gelding

Thomas Tallis (Havana Gold x Polyphony) has returned from his break looking stronger and refreshed, and we are hopeful that the time away will yield dividends as his campaign resumes.

We also continue to be excited by our unraced gelding by Kameko out of Turanga Leela at John Mackie’s yard. He is developing nicely, and we hope to see him on a racecourse in the not-too-distant future.

Mary Returns

Mary has resumed training following her winter break. Ian Williams is pleased with how she has strengthened and feels the time away has benefited her greatly. We look forward to her return to the racecourse in the coming weeks.

Retirement of Party Business