Insightful Horse Trainer Analysis 2021 (Richard Fahey)

Perfect Power - The best 2yo this season 💯 @RichardFahey

Very exciting horse for next season 🏇 pic.twitter.com/QSD5hoDQuq

— Jake Russell 🏇 (@JakeRuss1000) September 25, 2021

This time of year there may be a lack of two-year-old horse racing but that doesn't mean I put my feet up and whistle in the wind.

Out of season, I start my mammoth horse trainer analysis.

I do all this manually, which may seem a laborious way to work in these days of data retrieval and platforms which do all the calculating in a few clicks of the mouse, rather than pay for a monthly subscription. I would rather update the info and assess it from my own perspective as it helps build a better picture. 

It's a working knowledge: looking at horses rather than data alone.  

I wouldn't say it is a labour of love but more a task to complete. With each trainer reviewed I have a better understanding of how they work. It is simply a way of finding answers to questions. Without this knowledge you are searching for the unknown and that's similar to looking into the distance without a reference point. It's much quicker to find an answer to a question and appreciate what it is saying. Each to their own. It might seem too much like hard work. However, if I asked you to give me a brief understanding of let's say Richard Fahey's two-year-olds for last season, would you be able to detail anything of real note? You may rush to the Racing Post and look at his statistics there and feel you know everything you need to know. Truthfully, you know something but it's the same info which everyone can assess which doesn't help separate you from the crowd. 

My assessment of each and every trainer details information that is freely available, with a bit of work, but in all honesty, is probably understood by less than 1% of all punters. They don't know the information because they either haven't thought about finding the answers or the thought of the work is off-putting. 

It's surprising how many trainers are out there vying for trade. All hoping for the next wonder horse to come their way. 

From the one-man band to the colossus of the leading trainers. 

In fact, there are several hundred horse trainers of two-year-olds. Most lucky to train one winner, even a lowly nursery, but they all have hopes and dreams. It's what keeps them going on cold, winter mornings. 

I completed my stats for Richard Fahey's two-year-olds. The study run from the start of the 2021 Flat Turf season until its conclusion in early November. 

Fahey is a very capable trainer of juveniles. To be fair, last year wasn't one of his best although Perfect Power didn't let the side down with his Group 1 successes and total earnings of £385,943. 

However, from the 72 two-year-old debutantes just four tasted success of their racecourse bow. And even more surprising that just six two-year-olds won on their second start, the biggest odds being 4/1. 

This information details the difference between knowing the facts and simply saying: ''I think Richard Fahey had a decent year!''

When you consider from 72 two-year-olds he had just 10 winners for both first and second starts, it just shows how difficult it is even for the most successful stables to win a race. 

In truth, this is just the tip of the iceberg of information you can glean from any horse trainer. Never forget the strength of data and what it tells you. It helps predict the future. A couple of hours work can help you appreciate the strength and weakness of stables. This tells you where the winners start and the losers end. True, data can only tell you so much. It simply helps you look in the right direction. Any horse can defy the odds. That's why 100/1 shots sometimes win. 

Wouldn't you rather bet with understanding or is finding answers to questions too much like hard work?

By all accounts, it's time well spent. 

Author: Jason Coote

Cool as you like, Majestic Sands Heads to Royal Ascot 2019

In a week when all the talk was about the Epsom Derby and who will win one of the world's most famous races of the year, a Kodiac colt running at Leicester may not have been noticed by many race fans. The horse in question is the Richard Fahey trained 2-year-old breeze up horse Majestic Sands who was bought for 90,000 guineas as a yearling by the famous Cool Silk Partnership at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up sale. The well-backed 3/1 favourite won by just under a length from the other Cool Silk runner Cool Sphere after wandering about in the final furlong. The word is they could both be heading to Royal Ascot which would be great for owners Cool Silk Partnership. The owners love a breeze-up horse and have had a few good horses over the years.

The British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes is won cosily by Majestic Sands, with @bazmchugh taking the ride for the @RichardFahey yard 👏 pic.twitter.com/fBbCxZOheF

— Leicester Racecourse (@LeicesterRaces) May 28, 2019

Five-year-old Prince Of Lir was a great purchase, bought at Goffs Breeze up sale in 2016 for £170,00 and trained by Robert Cowell, he won his first two races including the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Ascot and finished his career with a rating of 102 and now stands at Ballyhane Stud. 

Sands Of Mali was bought at the Tattersalls Ireland Ascot Breeze-Up Sale in 2017 for £75,000 and trained by Richard Fahey, he won the Gimcrack Stakes as a 2-year-old and won three Group sprints as a 3-year-old and is currently rated 118. 

Charming Kid is another who was bought at Goffs Breeze-up sales in 2018 for £105,000, he may not of hit the heights of the other two I mentioned but contested some good group races and will be hoping for another couple of wins this season. Midnight Sands is a 90,000 Euro Breeze-up purchase who is now with Doug Watson and won at the Dubai Carnival in March this year. The future looks bright for the Cool Silk Partnership and looking ahead next week they have a couple more 2-year-olds ready to run. Moon of Love a Kodiac filly who is trained by Richard Fahey and was bought in April for £130,000 at Goff sales. She is entered in a couple of races this week, first at Nottingham on June 5th. Over the past four seasons, Richard has a decent 27 percent strike rate with his 2-year-olds in novice and maiden races over 5 furlongs at Nottingham. Moon of Love is also entered on June 5th at Ripon where Richard has a 19.2 percent strike rate with his 2-year-olds in novice and maiden races over 5 furlongs. 

The next is Flaming Princess, this Hot Streak filly who is trained by Richard Fahey and was bought for £60,000 at the Tattersalls sales back in April and is entered to run in the same races as Moon of Love at the early stages. One for later in the season is Sands Of Giza, this Kheleyf colt who again is trained by Richard Fahey was bought for £67,000 in August last year at the Goff sales. Thanks for reading and good luck.

2019 Brocklesby Stakes Winner: Show Me Show Me (The Money!)

Well, after the long wait for the flat season and more importantly for me the first 2-year-old race of the season, the Brocklesby, it was over in a minute, well 1 m 0.35 seconds to be exact, which by the way is the quickest time since My Boy Bill won in 1 m 0.14 seconds back in 2012. 

I've been telling myself that this year will be different, no more impulse bets just for the sake of it but previewing races on my blog makes this a little more difficult. The Unibet Lincoln was the first race I wrote about, so even though all week the only horse that was getting mentioned was the Charlie Appleby trained Auxerre who was apparently a group horse in a handicap race, I decided to have an each way bet on Humbert which at the time of writing this could still be running and of course the heavily backed Auxerre pissed it. 

I also previewed the Brocklesby and decided to play the waiting game to see which horse was backed as the winner had been well-supported in previous races. I was still in two minds whether to have a bet or not but as four o'clock came I ran around the bookies and still not knowing what horse to back but knowing Show Me Show Me (pictured) had been backed steadily since early morning. Two minutes till the off I put my win bet on the Ontoawinner owned Show Me Show Me. 

The race was pretty straightforward as he broke well (which is always the worry with unraced 2-year-olds) before taking it up a furlong out and staying on well under a great ride from Paul Hanagan to win by just under a length from the expensive George Scott trained Strong Power. So, what did I take from the race, well after winning a few quid on Show Me Show Me, I probably won’t bet on him again this season. The second-placed Strong Power ran a great race who was also well-supported and I imagine well thought of and will be worth keeping an eye out for next time out. The sixth-place Mick Channon horse Birkenhead who was an 11/2 shot could be well worth following and is declared to run in the 2.30 at Lingfield tomorrow, I will check the betting before deciding whether to have a bet or not. 

Another I will be looking forward to seeing again is the Kevin Ryan trained Coast of Dubai, who opened up a 10/1 shot and was well backed before the off into 5/1(I was worried by this, to be honest) before missing the break and struggling to make an impact, definitely one to note. The downside to the race was the fatal injury to Anna Fallow who fell just over one furlong out, a sad day for connections. 

Just a quick word on my preview for the 3-year-old Novice race at Doncaster yesterday, as I mentioned in it Fox Champion was very well entered as a 2-year-old last season and although I didn’t bet yesterday due to the fact that I did a 19 miles marathon training run in the morning and couldn’t walk for the rest of the day, it was good to see the Group horse information I talked about come good again as he stayed on well to win at 9/4. Thanks for reading and good luck if you have a bet this week.