JustBookies Racing Club - Latest News, Information, Press Releases
JustBookies DotNet sold September 10, 2011
JustBookies DotNet has been sold from our ownership and justbookies.com ltd no longer manages the horse. Justbookies DotNet ran a lot better on his second start this month, at Lingfield on September 6, when a promising 6th of 13 over six furlongs. It was a marked improvement on his diabolical first run where he was virtually unrideable. We sold our final share immediately after that race due to training frustrations. We wish the horse the best of luck and hope he remains sound. He should win a little race.
JustBookie Dot Com claimed at Wolverhampton July 11, 2011
JustBookie Dot Com ran an honourable third in a seller over 5f at Wolverhampton tonight. Welsh trainer Dave Evans subsequently claimed the gelding for £6000. We wish both the horse and his new trainer all the best for the future. If Mr Evans elicits just a tiny bit of improvement the horse will surely win very soon for him.
JustBookies DotNet runs green July 6, 2011
JustBookies DotNet ran very green on his debut at Windsor, looking about before, during and after the race. He did not show any of the professionalism that has marked his homework. There is no hiding how abysmal this performance was. He has shown ability at home and he is sure to improve hugely for the experience. He will be gelded tomorrow to help keep his mind on the job, though that can not be the sole reason for such a clueless performance.
JustBookies DotNet debuts today at Windsor July 4, 2011
Our two-year-old has his debut run tonight at Windsor. The Kheleyf colt, named JustBookies DotNet, is in a hot maiden but needs to run with promise to justify his entry in the Super Sprint at Newbury on July 16.
JustBookie Dot Com runs at Sandown on Saturday June 9, 2011
JustBookie Dot Com runs in the 2.25 race at Sandown on Saturday. It is a £15,000, 0-90 handicap over seven furlongs. We have booked talented lightweight jockey Silvestre De Sousa. JustBookie Dot Com's first preference had been the maiden race at the evening meeting at Lingfield, but once again we find we have been balloted out. There is a huge demand for three-year-old maiden races at the moment and obviously not enough of them in the calendar. So instead we head to a more competitive event at Sandown. The whole field will be giving weight to our gelding, who was dropped three pounds to a mark of 69 for an unlucky run at Lingfield last time. He got no sort of run from the back in a slow-run race that day but still managed to finish off well to be beaten just over six lengths. A quarter share is still available for sale. See details here and Contact for details.
JustBookie Dot Com buried in the sand March 31, 2011
JustBookie Dot Com ran an abysmal race on Tuesday when 5th of five, beaten eight lengths by the winner. The jockey, so concerned about the kick-back issue at Southwell, failed to tuck in. As a result the horse saw too much daylight, pulled hard early and never settled. But no blame can be attributed to the ride as the horse hated the deep Fibresand surface and Paul Hanagan, who gave some excellent feedback, reckoned we should forget the run entirely. So we have learned something valuable - avoid Southwell. Let's hope the handicapper does his job and drops our horse's official rating significantly. That said a nice little maiden auction race back on Polytrack, if available, would be the best way forward. A quarter share is still available for sale. See details here and Contact for details.
JustBookie Dot Com races on Tuesday March 23, 2011
JustBookie Dot Com will run at Southwell on Tuesday March 29 in the 4.30pm race. The reason for Southwell is because the deeper Fibresand surface is kinder to his immature legs than the very fast Polytrack racetracks. We think it has similarities with the gallops he uses at home, but there is the chance that, like so many horses before him, it will not suit. The race is a handicap, so he needs to be well-in off his official rating of 73 to score. Some days we think he is. Others we don't. It is a bit of a learning curve but I think we need to try Southwell as it could really suit JustBookie Dot Com. If it doesn't then the worst that can happen is the handicapper drops his mark. A quarter share is still available for sale. See details here and Contact for details.
JustBookie Dot Com next race March February 26, 2011
JustBookie Dot Com is likely to race again sometime in March. He has been allotted a handicap mark of 73 and he will take his chance in either a maiden or handicap at Southwell. We are keen to try him on the Fibresand surface. A quarter share is still available for sale. See details here and Contact for details.
Kheleyf Colt 2yo broken, ridden, entered for Super Sprint February 26, 2011
Our new Kheleyf Colt has been broken and is being ridden out. We have taken it slowly with this youngster, after all there are no races for 2yos until the end of March, so why hurry with an immature horse. Frankly, if you have them ready for the Brocklesby you are unlikely to get much longevity. We are aiming to debut the two-year-old in June. We have half an ambitious eye on the £200,000 Weatherbys Super Sprint in July, for which he has been entered. One quarter share remains for sale. See details here.
JustBookie Dot Com second at Lingfield December 5, 2010
JustBookie Dot Com was second at Lingfield on his first run after a long break today. It was an honourable performance and he had a good blow afterwards, so hopefully he will come on a ton for the race. He is likely to race again in January. A quarter share is still available for sale.
JustBookie Dot Com has Sunday date at Lingfield November 30, 2010
JustBookie Dot Com runs for the first time in seven months at Lingfield on Sunday (1pm race on Sunday December 5, 2010). Let's hope he is not too ring rusty but it is the first step on what will hopefully be a long season. Latest pictures of our hero in the snow on Facebook. It is also worth noting that one quarter share remains for sale in our new yearling colt. Contact for details.
New Yearling Colt - For Sale or Free Lease! October 16, 2010
We have just purchased a new yearling colt. He is by top sire Kheleyf out of a dam that has produced five winners from five runners. Half of this colt is for sale (update: 25% remains for £2000+vat). JustBookies.com will retain half the ownership. For full details, Click here.
Yearling Sales start next month - join us! July 10, 2010
The yearling sales season starts at Doncaster towards the end of next month. It's amazing how quickly it comes around again, and it carries on until December. I think we proved we can buy a nice horse. Our first purchase JustBookie Dot Com was runner-up last time on only his second start. He looks a nice prospect. We knew he was nice before we started bidding. He was such a 'stand out', to our eyes anyway. He has been rested in advance of what we hope will be a long, fun and profitable three-year-old campaign.
Why not join us in a new horse? We are going to purchase another speedy sort at the yearling sales. If you want a share then please contact us.
JustBookie Dot Com gelded today and rested, May 25, 2010
JustBookie Dot Com came out of his last race with a touch of sore shins. Instead of soldiering on and trying to work around this niggle, we have decided to geld the horse today and give him a break. Four months in a field should allow him time to strengthen, mature and come back in good physical shape for an extensive three-year-old campaign. The Polytrack all-weather surfaces are certainly fast and can take their toll on young legs. I guess all the complaints about the level of kick-back over the years means the surface has got thinner. Southwell's Fibresand is known for its deeper / slower track but the complaint there relates to the level of kick-back. More kick-back please.
JustBookie Dot Com fast-finishing second today, May 17, 2010
JustBookie Dot Com was a fast-finishing second over five furlongs at Wolverhampton today. The 2007 champion jockey Seb Sanders confirmed the obvious impression, that the horse ran green and needs further. It was a deliberate ploy to drop the horse in and let him run at horses this time (though not to give that much ground away at the stalls!). After his rotten break, he needed every inch of the 5f 20yds to get second close home and was the fastest finisher of the eight runners. It was not a strong event (which is why we ran there) but it marked a public improvement from JustBookie Dot Com. His homework is better than that. There is more improvement to come, particularly over further. Update: The form is now looking much better than at first glance with several subsequent winners coming out of the race.
JustBookie Dot Com runs at Wolverhampton May 17, May 15, 2010
JustBookie Dot Com is running at Wolverhampton on Monday (May 17). There are just eight runners and it looks a weak race on paper. The main issue may be this tight, turning track which I don't think will suit him, but it should be a learning 'curve'. He was 10th of 16 at Warwick first time and did not enjoy the rain-softened ground. I was surprised, when I saw his action completely go on the ground and undulations, that he was beaten as few as eleven lengths by the winner. He also ran too free too early that day. One good sign, Seb Sanders took some time to pull him up. The horse does more at home than he did at Warwick. He looked very green and I fear the same story at Wolverhampton. But it is a bad race and I know if he ever showed on the track what he does at home he would win a moderate race like this with ease.
JustBookie Dot Com entered for Warwick May 8, May 4, 2010
JustBookie Dot Com has been entered for the two-year-old race on Saturday (May 8) at Warwick (6.20pm). He will be trainer Louise Best's second runner and her first two-year-old runner. This race is over five furlongs and is part of the yearling bonus scheme. This means that if JustBookie Dot Com were to win he would receive an extra £10,000.
There are 39 entries so a full field of 17 runners is expected. JustBookie Dot Com only needs a couple to drop out ahead of him at the declaration stage to get a run.
JustBookie Dot Com targets May 8 debut, April 16, 2010
JustBookie Dot Com, our two-year-old colt, is being aimed at a race at Warwick on May 8. That is Plan A. It may come a bit soon but unless he has a setback then the month of May will see his debut.
Ziggy given racecourse gallop and a new name, March 9, 2010
Ziggy, our Fath 2yo colt, has had a racecourse gallop at Lingfield on the all-weather track. We expected him to be green in the new environment but he took to the Surrey racecourse well. He was surprisingly professional and it was heartening that he handled the Lingfield bend into the home straight at speed. We had a bigger older horse accompany him and sit on his outside to stop any potential wandering but Ziggy never looked like being wayward. We had a Southwell Maiden Auction race on March 31st in our sights. It is one of the first 2yo races of the season but we have decided not to rush him and his likely first run will on the turf in May.
Ziggy has now been named "Justbookie Dot Com". It doesn't exactly trip off the tongue but it has been designed to promote our websites. With prizemoney levels low at the bottom end of the UK's racing pyramid, marketing money should be welcomed into an industry that employs so many. Without the added appeal of promoting our commercial interests we may not be in this ownership game at all.
Louise Best granted trainer's licence, February 22, 2010
Ziggy's trainer Louise Best has finally been granted her trainer's licence after what has felt like a never-ending process. The light at the end of the tunnel sometimes seemed very distant, if it was there at all. In fairness, all the courses, form-filling and BHA due diligence is laudable. The barrier to entry needs to be set high to ensure competence, integrity and professionalism within the sport. It is lucky for some of the long-established trainers they got in the game while the going was easy.
Ziggy (Fath colt) doing gallops work, February 16, 2010
Ziggy, our Fath 2yo colt, has been cantering since early January. It took a while for the penny to drop and we had to be patient to win him round. He got going before Christmas but was then held up by extreme snow. It felt like going back to square one once we could use the gallop again. He has been going up the gallop six days a week since January. He has learnt that it is great fun and his attitude on the gallops is now very professional. On most days he is doing three times up the four-furlong, uphill, all-weather gallop (a gallop responsible for preparing various Group 1 sprint winners). Ziggy can do it all now. He is used to being behind, in front and working upsides. We think he has ability and as he has been merrily carrying 12st up the stiff uphill gallops half the time, he will feel he is running loose when he hits a racetrack with just 9st on his back. Click for latest pictures.
Ziggy (Fath colt) broken and hacking out, November 20, 2009
Our stunning Fath yearling colt (stable name: 'Ziggy') has been broken and is hacking out on the roads. He is a sensible individual who was easy to break, a situation probably aided by the excellent groundwork that had been done at his stud. Prior to being broken, he was allowed to settle into his new environment and lunged daily. He is likely to encounter the gallops next week when he will do some first canters with a rider on board. Shares are still available.
Yearling Bonus Scheme: Good, bad and ugly, November 13, 2009
We have paid the owner's instalment for the Yearling Bonus Scheme on behalf of our Fath colt. This needed to be done prior to December 15 to keep his eligibility live. This scheme means that if our colt were to win a maiden race as a two-year-old he would receive a £10,000 bonus. The Yearling Bonus Scheme is innovative but it is a sad state of affairs that the pockets of owners and breeders have to be picked to fund an acceptable level of prizemoney. All maiden races should have a minimum value of £10,000 as standard. But that would mean the Levy would need to be raised from its current paltry 10% of gross profit on UK horseracing betting revenue. That would never do.
We purchase a yearling colt, October 16, 2009
JustBookies Racing Club has purchased a fabulous yearling colt at the Newmarket sales. He is strong and well bred on both sides of his pedigree. If you would like to know all about him including his breeding, looks and costs involved then please see this page for details.
Attending the sales, October 12, 2009
JustBookies Racing Club is attending the Tattersalls Newmarket October yearling sales this week to purchase a sprint-bred yearling colt. We have instructed one of the country's leading bloodstock agents.