Horses in Training
Meet our stable stars
We train racehorses that win at Mark Bradstock Racing. With an attention to detail which is second to none coupled with fantastic facilities, our experienced staff know how to bring out the best in every horse we work with.
Our triumphs over the years are testament to our ability to choose, breed and develop each horse into successful and often winning athletes.
Carruthers
Born: 2003
Sire: Kayf Tara (GB)
Dam: Plaid Maid (IRE)
Carruthers is one of the stars of our stables, and started racing at the age of four. Since then he has exceeded all of our expectations. He is a talented racehorse who also happens to be wise, kind and a character with incredible charm. He won over thirty thousand pounds in five starts over hurdles. His wins over fences include the Reynoldstown Novices’ at Ascot and the Mandarin Chase at Newbury. He put up a brave fight in the 2010 Gold Cup where he was narrowly beaten for third and ran a very gallant second in the ToteBowl Sport Chase at Aintree. After a season laid low with a stubborn virus that affected his muscle function, the fairytale continued when he was a heroic winner of the Hennessy Gold Cup in 2011 at Newbury.
Carruthers has continued to be a wonderful servant teaching Lily Bradstock the ropes on the point to point field before finally retiring aged 15. He comes back to the yard in the winter and is multi-talented. He still loves to lead the schooling but is also happy to give any owner’s children rides around the yard!
Coneygree
Born: 2007
Sire: Karinga Bay
Dam: Plaid Maid (IRE)
Coneygree is the second star at our stables and half-brother to Carruthers. While Coneygree is not as clever as his big brother he is just that bit braver and better on the racecourse, something he proved with the huge 2015 win at the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He’s had eight career wins to date with over £437,000 in winnings and was recently named Leading Chaser and Leading Novice Chaser of the 2014/15 National Hunt season at the inaugural Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA) awards. Lady ‘Chicky’ Oaksey received both prizes on behalf of Lord Oaksey, her late husband, who bred Coneygree.
Coneygree has suffered four different fractures since his wonderful all conquering season. We have nursed him back repeatedly and he has continued to do us proud, finishing second in the Betfair Chase at Haydock, third in the Punchestown Gold Cup and came back after yet another fracture to finish a gallant running-on third under top weight at Cheltenham this season! We have always been guided by him and he made it clear to Nico at Ascot this Spring that, although he was happy bowling along in front jumping superbly, he did not feel able to change up the gears when asked and it was immediately decided that he would be retired. A lot of well-respected trainers such as Willie Mullins have kindly complimented us on retiring him when he is still sound enough to have an alternative career and that is exactly what he is learning at the moment. He loves parading and people looking at him, and very much enjoys doing a bit of RoR showing although he is still not completely certain about standing still! He has also enjoyed a spot of team chasing but it was a bit hard on his old injuries so he has stopped that now and is very happy just being King of All He Surveys! His favourite occupation is posing for his fans so there are plans to set up a fan club for him and Step Back. If anyone is interested in helping us support these old heroes with regular news and visits on offer, please do get in touch.
Flintham
Born: 2009
Sire: Kayf Tara (GB)
Dam: Plaid Maid (IRE)
Flintham suffered from a tendonitis after he was cruelly robbed of the Reynoldstown by Big Bad John who beat him by a short head. There is no other sport where it is possible to win by breaking a rule (Big Bad John’s jockey was given the maximum ban and fine for misuse of the whip). So our little hero was robbed of his biggest win. It has been made even harder as he has been disappointing during the ’17 –’18 season and the probable reason for this came to light after his latest run at Chepstow where he was found to have damaged a tendon. An impressive win at the first time of asking point to pointing on his comeback was very encouraging, but the leg injury reoccurred when he was very much enjoying a spin around Cheltenham in a Hunter Chase, and he has now retired.
Jaisalmer
Born: 2012
Sire: Jeremy (USA)
Dam: Shara (IRE)
Jaisalmer is by Jeremy out of a flat bred mare and he won two novice hurdles before becoming an ultra-consistent handicap hurdler who won in most seasons. Fences on the track were slightly too much effort so he has been running over the smaller point to point fences more recently and has been a great schoolmaster for our much-valued stable lass Lexie New and has won three times.
Step Back
Born: 2010
Sire: Indian River (FR)
Dam: Stepitoutmary (IRE)
We bought Step Back from the May ’17 sale at Cheltenham relatively cheaply, considering that he had won three point to points in Ireland. I suspect that he was in our price range because he is not an imposing individual and has very flat feet, but what a star he has been! He is difficult to train with the mixture of his flat feet and fragile muscles, but he has won every season and finished his novice year with a fantastically impressive victory in the Bet 365 (previously the Whitbread) at Sandown.
In 2019 he was frustrated, like so many, by the lack of soft ground and lost a shoe when running a fine race in the Classic Chase at Warwick before running in the National. His right-handed bias reappeared at Aintree, but it was not affecting him too badly around the first circuit where he jumped brilliantly and looked to be enjoying himself! We were all getting quite excited as stamina is his strong suite, but he lost his action and bruised a foot crossing a path when the field had to be diverted around the first fence, after which he jumped violently right before being pulled up at the Canal Turn. The right-handedness is very frustrating because he never does it at home and not always at the racecourse (he won very well at Fakenham!!). He proved that a RH track really helps him when running another brave race in the Bet 365 although the ground was too fast, and his feet were hurting him.
He bounced back to form in the Autumn of 2020 with two good wins under the conditional jockey Jack Tudor and looked back to his best. However, having been nursed back to full potential the inevitable wear and tear got to him and he suffered a minor tendon strain when running a good race in the Cross Country at Cheltenham in January 2021. He came back from that injury a little reluctant to let himself go so he has been enjoying some point to pointing finishing a good second to the season’s leading pointer before winning at Edgecote. He has been asked to be the horse ambassador for Sandown and will also continue to run in point to points as well as joining his good friend Coneygree in a Club for his fans.
Mr Vango
Born: 2016
Sire: Ocovango
Dam: African Miss (IRE)
We bought Mr Vango for very reasonable money having seen him win extremely impressively at Horseheath point-to-point. He was easy to buy because he was a six year old but considering that he is nearly 18 hands, I truly believe that the COVID delay that had prevented him from running as a 5 year old was to his benefit. On his arrival, we spent quite a lot of time teaching him to be balanced and strong in the school before he set foot on the gallops, and that extra time was rewarded when he won first time out over hurdles at Haydock beating the highly regarded, Lucinda Russell trained Innis Oirr.
Any win over hurdles was a bonus, as he is a staying chaser through and through and he showed his potential in fantastically impressive fashion in the 2023 2024 season when he won the Devon National by an incredible distance of over 60 lengths before finishing third at Cheltenham Festival beating all other English contenders. (The Mullins trained winner Corbetts Cross went on to prove that he has true Gold Cup potential when finishing third in the Aintree Bowl less than three lengths behind Gold Cup second Gerri Colombe.)
Mr Vango is at his best on heavy ground so he will be aimed at the Welsh National in 2025.
Smugglers Haven (IRE)
Born: 2019
Sire: Elusive Pimpernel (USA)
Dam: Our Grace (IRE)
Smugglers Haven was another horse spotted winning on the pointing circuit. She is a big filly who finished a good third at Stratford in 2023 before being hindered by the extremely wet winter. She was turned away after a disappointing run at Chepstow early in 2024 when the ground was still far too soft for her, and she will be back early in the Autumn 2024 having grown and strengthened for her time with us. Closely related to Limini, she was bought with the hope of replicating the Plaid Maid fairy tale but there should be many races to win with her before she retires to breed future Champions!
Kalipso (IRE)
Born: 2020
Sire:Tamayuz
Dam: Alors Quoi(IRE)
Bought in 2023, who was ready to run in March 2024 but did not make it to the track as the ground was still ridiculously wet and we thought he would gain more for a good summer out rather than waiting endlessly for it to stop raining. He has shown us plenty of ability on the gallops and is an absolutely brilliant jumper, so we are very much looking forward to getting him on the track in the Autumn 2024. He is now on the market and has shown every sign that he can live up to his black type pedigree. He is for sale as a whole or in shares so please do come and see this incredibly athletic fellow who is hard and competitive and ready to win over hurdles straight away.
Batsman
Born:2019
Sire: Jack Hobbs
Dam: Maid of Oaksey
Batsman is the latest recruit out of Maid of Oaksey, a sister of Coneygree and Carruthers, and he is the first out of the mare to look like he will live up to the high expectations of this incredible family. He has been slow to mature but ran in a couple of point to point bumpers, winning on his second outing and showing an impressive turn of speed. He will start over hurdles in 2024 and should have no trouble being the first out of Maid of Oaksey to make the winners enclosure on the track.
Diamond Tiki
Born: 2018
Sire:Diamond Boy
Dam: Belle Tiki
Diamond Tiki is a six year old that we bought a couple of years ago having finished second in a bumper to a hotly touted horse of Georgie Nicholls called Patanita. He is extremely fast on the gallops and we are very much looking forward to getting him to the track having endured a long and frustrating time getting there with endless minor immaturity niggles. He is ready to run now but he wants to go right handed so we are being slightly hampered by the lack of racing that way round at this time of year.
Escape The Grape
Born: 2021
Sire: Cityscape
Dam: Sancerre (IRE)
Escape the Grape has recently joined us having been very disappointing on the flat for Tom Ward. He is immature and sore, so we are hopeful that some rest before retraining him as a jumper, will inspire him to fulfil his potential on the racecourse.
Freddy
Born:2020
Sire: Soldier of Fortune
Dam: Fairytale Theatre
From the same sale as Kalipso came a four year old by Soldier of Fortune out of the half sister to Champion Hurdle winner Flakey Dove. This fellow is a smashing big horse who we have not done a lot with as he has never stopped growing but what he has done has been fast and fluent and he could be really classy. He is currently for sale so please get in touch if you are interested in him.
Our Ponies
Heidi
Heidi is a delightful miniature Shetland who has been with us since Alfie and Lily rode her in gymkhanas where she was rarely beaten. There was one particularly memorable incident at the local village show, when Mark was in charge of the lead rein. Alfie was just four years old and under Mark’s guidance they made a flying start to the apple bobbing. Mark hurled Alfie to the floor to retrieve his apple and although Alfie wasn’t quick they were still in with a chance, so Mark grabbed the child, threw him in the air and flew for home with Heidi scuttling behind him. Mark shrieked with delight as he crossed the line until he realised there were roars of laughter around him – Alfie was sitting on the ground at the other end of the course.
Soon afterwards Heidi retired from competitive life and became a travelling companion for the racehorses. Horses are herd animals and it makes a huge difference to them to have a friend both in the horsebox and in the racecourse stables.
Point to Point Horses
Step Back has joined our team of older point to pointers because he is a very special character whose feet are so flat that there is not really any alternative comfortable life for him since he retired from racing. Lexie New won on him at Edgecote and he ran a very good race at Larkhill behind the champion pointer, both of which he enjoyed as much as his day at Sandown, entertaining the crowds in his role as horse Ambassador for the course.
We have previously won a maiden with Crawford and a point to point bumper with Batsman so our strike rate on the pointing field continues to be exceptional. There are still some vacancies in the pointing yard if anyone would like their horse to be looked after and trained like a Gold Cup winner! Anybody interested in catching up with the Irish can join us in buying four year olds to win maidens. Just give Sara a call to enquire on 01235 760780.
Southfield Lily
Born:2016
Sire:Yeats (IRE)
Dam:Chamoss Royale (FR)
Lily is one of our favourite, quirky characters who can be very difficult at the start of a race as she decides whether, and when, she might want to join the race! Her new trick recently, has been showing off by giving the rest of the field a good 3 furlongs start and only being beaten by a matter of lengths!!
However, a coup0le of years ago, having worked with her and sweetened her, she won four point to points and finished that season the leading horse in our area. This 2023 2024 season has been more frustrating as she hates the soft ground and so had been in training without a run for a long time when she misbehaved at the start at Kingston Blount. We have conquered her vagaries of temperament before and after a good holiday, I am sure that we can do it again!
Southfield Theatre
King Kev, as he is known in the yard came to us having lost his way completely with Paul Nicholls. Thriving with the extra attention and TLC that we have time to lavish on him, he has repaid us a million times over and has won over twenty races. He was the oldest Champion point to pointer at 14, two years ago and finished last season with a fine win at Lockinge aged no less than 16. He is cuddly and sweet in the stable but stir crazy on the gallops. He lives his life at a million miles an hour so we will continue to let him do what he loves for as long as he wants to.
Myth Buster
We bought Buzz for a new owner who wanted a hunterchaser to ride at the biggest meetings. He came from Henry de Bromhead’s yard where he had had his back operated on, but continued to disappoint as he is a half brother to Kicking King and was an expensive store. He is a sweet, kind horse who has also enjoyed the attention in our smaller yard and won the Scottish Champion Hunter Chase in Musselburgh in his first season. He is great fun for all involved, with good placed runs at Cheltenham and many pointing wins, although the original owner decided not to ride him in the end. That decision was Lily Bradstock’s gain and she has helped him enormously by strengthening his back through riding him with a correct outline every day.
Does the thought of owning a racehorse and watching it in training appeal to you, then why not discover how you can become an owner with the Mark Bradstock Racing team?
Contact Us or call us on 01235 760780.
