An invitation to join Barrow Street Racing Club
2023-2024
Low Cost, Fun & Sociable Horse Racing
Kindly sponsored by
After a relatively short 2022-23 season, Barrow Street Racing Club is already preparing and looking forward to a full season in 2023-24.
We will once again be running two horses in point to points, primarily, but not exclusively, in the Wessex, Devon & Cornwall and West Mercia regions but we also go further afield for the right opportunities. If everything goes to plan, we may also run in hunter chases.
Our Open horse last season, Gran Paradiso (aka Spud), unfortunately suffered an injury in the four miler at Kingston Blount in February. Although he has responded to treatment and care very well, there are no plans to run him in the coming season.
Our two horses for the coming season will therefore be the very exciting Happy Day Emery (aka Ernie) for his second season with us and the recently purchased Rocky Creed (aka Reggie).
Happy Day Emery is a six year old, purchased privately from Monbeg in the summer of 2022, a striking grey standing over 17 hands. He ran three times for us last season, all at Larkhill, winning his Maiden first time out, then unseating the jockey at the last next time out when leading and looking very strong. He made amends when returning to win the Restricted at the South & West Wilts meeting at the end of February. As a relatively green youngster, we always envisaged him having a light season, but he suffered a superficial flesh wound which prompted us to finish perhaps one race early. Fortunately it healed perfectly.
Happy Day Emery (FRA) 2017: Sire – Voiladenuo (FR), Dam – Day Lily (FR) (Centennial)
Our second horse for the coming season will be Rocky Creed, a five year old also purchased from Monbeg, but this time at the Doncaster Spring Sales. He has run once in an Irish point to point at Grennan in May 2023, where he came a good third, so remains a Maiden with plenty of promise for the seasons ahead.
Rocky Creed (IRE) 2018: Sire – Leading Light (IRE), Dam – Lucky Leela (IRE) (Oscar)
The very experienced jockey, Martin McIntyre, took all the Barrow Street Racing Club rides last season, but the yard also put up Chad Bament, a very promising young West Country jockey for a couple of outings. Previously we have also been fortunate to secure the services of Tommie O’Brien and George Hiscock, but are happy to give others opportunities should they be required.
Bea Coward will continue training from our base at Barrow Street, near Mere on the borders of Wiltshire, Dorset and Somerset. Bea has access to superb grass gallops on the local downs plus a great ménage and schooling fences here. She also uses the all weather gallops at Milton Harris’s yard a few miles away. The horses continue to benefit from Bea’s personal attention, adding her dressage and eventing experience to her racing knowledge. The horses want for nothing with great attention to detail, their routine includes regular water treadmill sessions and physio visits.
The first horse to run in the Barrow Street Racing Club colours was Arcal Fifty who ran 22 times for us, recording eleven top three places, including two Larkhill wins. He retired at the end of the 2021-22 season but has remained here with Bea now taking him eventing.
Barrow Street Racing continues to be a means of being directly involved in point to pointing at a very reasonable cost. There is no capital outlay and the maximum of twenty members pay a fixed monthly fee of £100, this covers all running costs including training, keep, grazing, stables, transport, shoeing, vets, entries, gallop fees etc. We plan to run in a few of the pre-Christmas meetings, so training and therefore costs will start early September. Prize money will go towards a summer social event.
We provide regular updates by e-mail, WhatsApp and Facebook, with Bea deciding where and when the horses run. Owners’ passes will be drawn by ballot and we provide members with refreshments on race days. We will also keep you informed about other horses in the yard.
There are still a few places available, so should you wish to join and have a real interest in the next season with a very sociable group, or if you need more information, please contact the club administrator:
Will Shields
Tel: 01747 860665
Mob: 07780 335925
E-Mail: c5wgs@aol.com
