Royal winner's foal gives pedigree a timely boost

Jennies Jewel registered a first success as a broodmare today as Tommies Call landed Fairyhouse's Baroneracing.com Winter Festival Handicap Hurdle for the Royal Ascot heroine's same connections, owner Andrew McIntyre and trainer Jarlath Fahey.

The second foal out of the 2016 Ascot Stakes winner, Tommies Call had shown promise when finishing third on debut in the Tattersalls Sales Bumper at today's venue in Easter 2023 but today ended a poor run of subsequent form.

Racing prominently under jockey Aidan Kelly, the son of Shirocco led before the second-last and scored by five lengths from Hatfield Hammer

Fahey, who trained Jennies Jewel to win eight races, reported “Tommies Call's half-sister is in the sales next week, in foal to Vadamos, so it's a timely boost for the pedigree. It's great to get a win with him as he promised so much on his first start.

“We thought we had a lovely horse going forward and gave him the summer off. We thought we did everything right, but when he came back he wasn't able to put one leg in front of the other. We couldn't find a whole lot wrong with him, he had niggly little bits and pieces but nothing major.

“We just decided later in the summer to train him from the field and it seems to have worked.

“In every other race he was off the bridle from the start, couldn't go the pace at all no matter what trip we ran him over. His jumping was always okay, that wasn't a factor, but he just didn't seem to be doing anything right. Today he popped off and was a different horse. He travelled, jumped and stayed going, which he hasn't done before.”

He added “I'm disappointed we had to be down in a 0-95 race but it's great to get the win. If you'd told me months ago we were going to get a win out of him I'd have been thrilled with anywhere. Hopefully that will give him confidence and he'll go forward.”

Quotes from Gary Carson