WOW WOW WOW! WHAT. A. DAY!!!!!!!!!

 

Where do I even begin to talk about the day on Saturday with Regional aka Reggie the Rocket! It was an extremely hot day but Reggie, but he didn’t mind this as he travelled to Qatar in the winter of 2021 and the heat was extreme then and he performed seriously well in it. Reggie was as cool as a cucumber while he was being saddled up by Ed and I think he was the most chilled out of everyone!

As he was led around the paddock he didn’t know what all the fuss was about, and was walking around very relaxed even though he was about to run in a Gr.1! It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout from the Future Syndicate shareholders as Regional has such a strong following which is led by Danny & Byron who have been on the journey from the very beginning and were even at the sales when Tom Biggs from Blandford Bloodstock sourced him for them.

Reggie was the first horse to be loaded into the stalls and he patiently waited while the rest of the 15 horses were loaded. As he pinged out of the stalls like a rocket he made the running along with the favourite. He looked well within his comfort zone and was relaxed throughout the race, as the other horses came near him he dug even deeper to make sure his head was going to stay in front. As they got racing in the last two furlongs and the other horses started to lay the pressure on you saw Reggie’s genuineness and true grit to get to the finishing line first! Callum Rodriguez who rode him rode an absolutely superb race from start to finish and had a very calm dispersion and kept a very level head throughout. Ed and Callum have struck up a very strong partnership this year and it has just grown from strength to strength, it has played a huge part that Callum comes and rides out on a regular occurrence

The realisation of him winning still hasn’t sunk in as I sit in the office writing this report but the feeling of knowing he has passed the finish line first and he has won is a feeling none of us will forget. To know not only had he won but also that the fact that all of Ed’s hard work and the team will be recognised for this huge win.

The overwhelming emotion that we all felt afterwards was a whirlwind and to see him being walked back in by Barbara who rides Reggie everyday being interviewed by ITV and saying how this is her first Gr.1 winner and she’s been working in racing for 36 years, she works so hard to have him looking incredible, she has a very special bond with him and it really is a huge team effort.

Well done to his owners who have been on this journey from the very beginning of Ed’s career, they have been on an amazing journey with Reggie and it really is a fairy tale.

There are a million well done’s and thank you’s to be said to everyone from our team at home to our assistant trainer Keith, Sarah our back lady who keeps the horses feeling a million dollars, our farrier who keep the horses shod to perfection, all of our riders and yard staff the list really is endless as it takes a whole village to be able to achieve results like this! Ed, our trainer who works tirelessly around the clock week in week out who has these dreams and he knows he can make them a reality and has proven this from this weekend. He is hugely ambitious, determined and dedicated and for us all to be on this journey together as a team is very special and we shall enjoy this moment for a very long time!

Point Lynas also ran a huge race at Haydock on Saturday to finish 4th in the Gr.3 this is a huge achievement and we were all thrilled to see him finish so well, he has had a fantastic season and has tried his heart out every single time he goes to the racetrack and he loves a big occasion, he was dragging Barbara who was leading him up around the paddock. Reggie and he will now enjoy a very well earned holiday together in the paddock here at Thorngill.

Gressington also had his debut run which was a winning one! It was fantastic to see him run at Southwell and he ran a very impressive race to win with ease, he is a quirky character and it is great to see him channel this into winning!

This week sees Dream Final running tonight at Newcastle under Callum. Other entries we have are:

Sea The Dream at Doncaster on Thursday

Quantum Leap at Doncaster on Friday

Arkendale on Friday at Chester

Sea The Dream and Frankendael on Sunday at Doncaster

Lerwick at Musselburgh on Sunday

These runs are ground dependant and we are looking forward to hopefully seeing the horses run throughout the week!