Eventmasters Racing August Update: Encouraging Progress and a New Arrival on the Racecourse

August has seen another home-bred begin his racing journey, with Premium Seat making his first two racecourse appearances for trainer Stan Moore.

The two-year-old son of Harry Angel and our multiple-winning mare Polyphony gained valuable experience on debut before taking a noticeable step forward on his second start at Wolverhampton, giving us plenty of encouragement at this early stage of his career.

There have been positive signs elsewhere too, particularly from fellow home-bred Thomas Tallis, who produced the best performance of his career when finishing third on his handicap debut. Penzance has continued his summer campaign over hurdles, while Vaguely Royal attempted to extend his excellent winning sequence following back-to-back victories at Chester and York.

Away from the racecourse, it is also great to have Ain’t That A Shame back at Tom Ellis Racing following his summer break. With his preparations for the new jumps season now underway, attention is gradually beginning to turn towards the autumn and the National Hunt targets that lie ahead.

Here is the latest news from Eventmasters Racing.

Vaguely Royal – Winning Sequence Comes to an End

Vaguely Royal headed to Musselburgh on 25th August bidding to complete a hat-trick following his excellent back-to-back victories at Chester and York.

Stepping up in trip to 2m2f28y for the Portobello Cup Handicap, he was reunited with Ryan Kavanagh for trainer Ian Williams.

Held up towards the rear during the early stages, he found himself outpaced as the tempo increased over three furlongs from home. Although he began to stay on again from over a furlong out, he was unable to get involved in the battle for the leading places and finished sixth of the nine runners.

While his winning sequence came to an end, Vaguely Royal still saw out his race respectably after finding himself on the back foot at a crucial stage.

His two victories earlier in the summer have already made this a rewarding campaign and we remain hopeful that there are further opportunities for him to add to those successes.

Premium Seat – First Steps on the Racecourse

Our home-bred son of Harry Angel and our star mare Polyphony began his racing career this month, with Premium Seat making his eagerly awaited racecourse debut on 15th August.

Lining up in a six-furlong maiden stakes under William Cox for trainer Stan Moore, he was slowly away from the stalls and found himself towards the rear of the field from an early stage. He was unable to work his way into contention and eventually finished eighth of the ten runners.

While he was unable to make an impact on debut, the outing provided valuable experience and he took a noticeable step forward when making his second racecourse appearance at Wolverhampton on 26th August.

Contesting another six-furlong race, this time a restricted novice stakes, he was partnered by Millie Wonnacott.

Premium Seat broke sharply from the stalls and immediately adopted a much more prominent position. He travelled well among the leading group and was still chasing the leaders approaching the final two furlongs.

Although his effort began to weaken inside the final furlong, he kept on to finish a respectable fifth of eleven runners.

It was encouraging to see him put the experience of his debut to good use so quickly, particularly through the marked improvement he showed from the stalls and during the early stages of the race.

With just two starts under his belt, Premium Seat remains at the beginning of his racing education, and his latest performance gives us plenty of encouragement that further progress can follow.

Penzance – Continuing to Show Promise Over Hurdles

Penzance took his chance on the final day of the Galway Festival, making his handicap hurdle debut over 2m160y on 2nd August. Paddy Hanlon was once again in the saddle for trainer John Hanlon.

Competing in a large and highly competitive field of seventeen runners, he was settled towards the rear of the pack for much of the contest. Despite travelling comfortably through the early stages, he was never able to work his way into contention and ultimately finished eleventh.

While the result was below the high standard he had set in his previous few outings, it represented a significant step up in class on his first start in handicap company and provided valuable experience.

Penzance returned to maiden company at Tramore on 16th August, contesting a hurdle over 2m140y with Harry Sexton taking the ride.

Held up towards the rear in the early stages, he began to make encouraging headway after the fourth last and continued to work his way into the race as the field turned for home. He kept on steadily from two out to finish fourth of the eight runners.

It was a more encouraging display following Galway and another solid effort over hurdles. Having now produced several promising performances over obstacles this summer, Penzance continues to demonstrate his versatility and remains capable of getting his head in front when circumstances fall his way.

Ain’t That A Shame – Back in Training

Ain’t That A Shame has returned to Tom Ellis Racing following his summer break and has begun the early stages of his preparation for the new National Hunt season.

The team are pleased to have him back in the yard and he is gradually building up his workload as his fitness programme gets underway. After a well-earned break following his spring campaign, the focus at this stage is firmly on bringing him along steadily and ensuring he is in the best possible shape for the months ahead.

Specific targets will become clearer as his preparation progresses, with suitable opportunities dependent on conditions given his preference for softer ground.

For now, it is great to have him back in training and there is plenty of excitement about what the new jumps season may hold for him.

Thomas Tallis – Encouraging Signs Despite Luckless Latest Run

Thomas Tallis took an encouraging step forward at Wolverhampton on 6th August, making the second start of his three-year-old campaign and his first appearance in handicap company.

Callum Hutchinson took the ride for trainer John Mackie over a distance of 1m14y.

Racing prominently from the outset, Thomas Tallis was sent into the lead after the opening furlong and travelled with plenty of purpose. Asked to lengthen over two furlongs from home, he responded well and briefly asserted before being headed inside the final furlong.

Although unable to match the front two in the closing stages, he kept on admirably to finish third, comfortably the best performance and result of his career to date.

He returned to Wolverhampton on 26th August for his second start in handicap company, this time stepping up slightly in trip to 1m142y under Finlay Bassett.

Once again racing prominently, Thomas Tallis soon settled into third and remained well positioned as the field approached the closing stages.

Unfortunately, his chance was compromised when he clipped heels and stumbled just over a furlong from home, causing him to lose valuable ground at a crucial point in the race. He was unable to recover from the incident and weakened in the closing stages to finish ninth of the twelve runners.

The final result therefore does not tell the full story, and it was encouraging to see him once again race comfortably in a prominent position before encountering trouble.

As another home-bred out of our multiple-winning mare Polyphony, it is particularly pleasing to see his career beginning to gather momentum. His earlier performance this month demonstrated clear progress and we remain hopeful that he can continue building on that promise with further experience.

Four Decades – Further Experience at Market Rasen

Four Decades continued her summer campaign at Market Rasen on 15th August, contesting a handicap hurdle over 2m2f140y under Jack Andrews for trainer Tom Ellis.

Settled towards the rear of the field through the early stages, she remained in touch before coming under pressure after the third last.

Unfortunately, she was unable to respond as the pace increased and lost touch with the field approaching the closing stages, eventually finishing eighth of the ten runners.

It was another below-par result for Four Decades, who has yet to find her best form since returning from her break last month.

The team will take stock following this latest outing and assess the options available to her, with the hope that she can rediscover the promise shown during the earlier stages of her hurdling career.

Plenty to Look Forward to This Autumn

August has been another productive month for Eventmasters Racing, with valuable experience gained on the racecourse and a number of encouraging signs to take into the weeks ahead.

As ever, our thanks go to the trainers, jockeys and teams behind the scenes whose work continues to give our horses every opportunity to progress.

The coming months promise an interesting transition as the summer programme continues alongside preparations for the new National Hunt season. With Ain’t That A Shame back in training, Premium Seat beginning his racing career and the rest of the team working towards their next targets, there is plenty to look forward to as we head into the autumn.