Easy Mover…
There are high hopes for La Zoubida, a beautiful filly that is set to start her racing career this spring, writes Jason Fildes
I went up to Greystoke, near Penrith before Christmas to meet up with trainer Nicky Richards and have a look around his historic yard full of 80 horses.
Nicky had recently been to Ireland and had come back with the most beautiful three-year-old filly. Her sire is Authorized, the 2007 Derby winner, ridden by Frankie Dettori.
Authorized has been a superb sire of middle-distance horses and Nicky rang to say that La Zoubida is one of the best of his offspring that he’s ever seen.
As you can imagine, with all the buzz about her, I was very much looking forward to seeing La Zoubida in the flesh so was thrilled that the sun was shining as we arrived in Cumbria.
Nicky’s yard is only 10 minutes from the M6 but it feels worlds away as Greystoke is a lovely, picturesque village, overlooked by Greystoke Castle and estate. Nicky trains his horses on gallops that are on the estate and I have yet to see a more stunning place to train racehorses. There are gorgeous views across to Ullswater and the northern Lake District, as well as the Cumbrian Fells.
We saw La Zoubida do two canters up the purpose-built, all-weather gallop and what a fluid, easy mover she is.
She hasn’t run in a race yet so the plan will be to get her fit and ready to make her debut in March or April. Nicky will start her off in a National Hunt flat race to get her used to racing. If all goes well, he’s already earmarked a Mare’s Bumper at Cheltenham late April that would be her target for the early part of the year. She would then have a summer holiday before being brought back into training ahead of going novice hurdling in the autumn.
I must say I haven’t been as excited about a National Hunt horse for a long time – and this wasn’t written after the excellent lunch we had in the Boot and Shoe pub in Greystoke afterwards! She has everything you’d look for in a young horse – presence, perfect conformation and a lovely nature. She makes covering the ground look easy!
Nicky wanted to keep 10 per cent of her so I bought the other 90 per cent and we’re going to divide the ownership into 10 shares. Please give me a call or send an email to the details below if you are interested. I’m pleased to say that Live Ribble Valley’s MD Tedd Walmsley has been to see her and is going to be involved so we will be following La Zoubida’s journey (and that of her owners) as she starts her racing career later this spring.
Fildes Racing
fildesracing@gmail.com
07721 311778
