'He'll keep improving - I'll be disappointed if he can't complete his hat-trick'

This stable tour was originally printed in the Racing Post Weekender on Wednesday, November 25. Buy the Weekender every week for top stable tours and great insight from weekly columnist Alan King.

The Chipping Norton stables of Charlie Longsdon are enjoying a lucrative autumn campaign that has seen the team amass 20 winners for the season, with the majority of the horses running right up to form, including recent Cheltenham winner Castle Robin.

“Yes, they are running nicely and with 20 winners already that is good for us at this time of the year,” says Longsdon. “I would like to think we can double that and possibly pass 40. I know that will not be easy but we have a very good team of horses and I do not see why we should not attain that goal.”

Among the horses the Oxfordshire-based handler will be looking to fly the flag is Vivas, who made a most encouraging start to his cross country career this month at Cheltenham. “I thought turning for home he could win but he faded late on. However, I am told you can expect tons of improvement from a horse after their first attempt over those obstacles and he will be back there again next month.

“Others expected to do their bit for the squad include Castle Robin, Illegal Model, who could make a name for himself and we have a lot of very interesting youngsters who I am hoping will show their potential in the coming months, among them Beyond The Clouds. Going forward it is one of the nicer teams we have had and we are all very happy at the moment with how things are panning out.

“Obviously with some owners cutting back due to covid we have lost a handful of horses, but that was to be expected in such difficult times, but apart from that our horses have been doing very well and if we can keep them in this form we should enjoy another good season with our owners.”

Almazhar Garde
5 ch g Kapgarde – Loin De Moi
He is a nicely progressive youngster who won two novice handicap chases last term and having needed his first run back this season he subsequently won well at Kelso over 2m5½f. I was delighted with that effort and in particular his jumping as he really enjoyed himself. His future is definitely as a chaser and I would expect more improvement to come. He has gone up 5lb to 135, which is fair enough and I would like to think he can win again off this higher mark. There is a race for him at Newbury this weekend but failing that there is a decent handicap chase at Ascot before Christmas.

Ballydine
10 ch g Stowaway – Bealah Essie
He has been a grand old boy but is now in the twilight of his career, as he is not far off his 11th birthday. He was pulled up at Haydock at the weekend, but the main aim is the Veterans’ Final at Sandown in January. He is a wonderful old character and I am hopeful he can win again.

Ballydine (right) has plenty of life left in him yetCredit: Mark Cranham

7 ch g Peintre Celebre – Evening
He is a nice acquisition out of Kevin Ryan’s yard and came here with a rating of 81 on the Flat, having been successful over 1m4f. Following an encouraging debut over hurdles at Stratford, he improved on that next time at Uttoxeter, winning over 2m off a mark of 139. He was raised 6lb for that and subsequently ran well to be fifth in Listed company at Market Rasen last time out. He has had a wind operation since his last run but we will be in no rush to run him again as he would not appreciate bottomless ground. We will continue hurdling with him for the time being but he will go novice chasing next season. I would be hopeful of him adding more hurdling success to his CV before the end of the campaign.
5 ch g Robin Des Champs – Coco Opera
I have always liked him and felt that after a nice summer break he would enjoy a good campaign. After a good third at Warwick, when beaten less than a length, he went up to Carlisle and won nicely over 2m4f and I thought his mark of 119 would make him very competitive at Cheltenham this month. So it proved as he won well over 2m5f and did not have a very hard race. He seems to have come out it in grand order and I would be disappointed if the 7lb extra he has been given stopped him from completing his hat-trick. I would definitely expect him to improve with experience over hurdles but he will want a fence in time. He could run next at Ascot just before Christmas. He has won over 2m5f but he will get 3m in time.

6 br g Stowaway – Prayuwin Drummer
He does not have too many miles on his clock and has done nothing but please since starting his novice chasing career this season. First time back he won well at Huntingdon over 2m4f off a mark of 110. That earned him a 7lb hike to 117 and he again ran very nicely to be second behind Captain Blackpearl at Kempton. He is crying out for 3m and we will step him up in trip. He loves his jumping and right from day one he was a chaser in the making. He is a different horse to last season thankfully, and I am sure there is more to be won off his current mark.

7 b g Tiger Groom – Stone Again
He was slightly disappointing last season having won a couple of novice hurdles the year before. He ended up with a niggly injury which resulted in a long absence but he is almost ready to go again now. He is an entirely different horse now and I am hopeful he can return to his best form. I think he will do well in 3m novice chases and could even get further, while ultimately I could see him evolving into one of those handicappers who goes for the regional Nationals.

6 b g Frammassone – Mille Et Une Nuits
He got his career off to a flying start at Huntingdon 12 months ago when taking a 2m4f novice hurdle. Following that he fell at Newbury but made it two from three when successful at Catterick in February. We brought him back at Wetherby in October where I had expectations of a good run but he ran a stinker and had to be pulled up. We have not found anything wrong with him since, so I am hoping it was one of those days. He unseated his jockey at the second-last at Wincanton last week. However, I remain optimistic about him.

5 b g Yeats – Roseda
It was third time lucky with him after running well in two decent bumpers he won at Wetherby in March. That was actually the last race to be run before lockdown. He has had a couple of funny niggly injuries since, but he is a proper classy big strapping horse who I have high hopes for. He will not be out again until the spring and may go straight for something like the Aintree bumper where I would suggest he could be interesting.

6 b g Stowaway – She’s So Beautiful
He is another very lightly raced horse for his age but is one I would hope will make up for lost time this season. He made his debut in a Lingfield novice hurdle over 2m7f last January when running out a seven-length winner. He then enjoyed his enforced holiday this summer and I thought his opening handicap mark of 130 looked fair. He started off back at Uttoxeter over 3m last month where I was pleased with how he ran, taking third. Without doubt his inexperience cost him there and with more runs under his belt he would have won. But we have a nice horse on our hands who will only get better and is one I would suggest readers keep on their side.

6 ch g Camacho – Obsessive Secret
He gave us a wonderful start to the season when running up a summer four-timer in handicap hurdles. Those efforts saw his very favourable opening mark of 99 shoot up to 129, which is fair enough after winning four times. He really appreciates hearing his hooves rattle and the ground is going against him now. His last two runs have been well below his best form, but the ground has gone against him and his mark is pretty tough now. We will bring him back in the spring and I think he could do well when he goes novice chasing.

8 br g Morozov – Enistar
Very much an out-and-out stayer who won over 3m 12 months ago at Hexham and earlier this month at Uttoxeter over 3m2f. He needs every inch of 3m2f now and we will be heading back to Kelso for the Borders National next month, a race in which he finished second last season. He is in top form and I would expect him to go extremely well again, although he will not want it too heavy. He is a big and slow chaser, but despite his physique he does not appreciate the ground too soft. He could not be in better form.

5 ch g Salutino – Don’t Fall
A lovely young horse who has a nice future ahead of him. He made his debut at Uttoxeter in a bumper in July where he learned a great deal when finishing fourth. The following month he put that experience to good use when easily winning at Stratford. His schooling over hurdles had been encouraging and I thought he ran a lovely race when second to Chazza at Bangor on his hurdling debut in September. He is still a real baby and we are not going to rush him, but he will improve with experience, that is for sure. He is a big-race fellow and we have been very patient with him. Hopefully he will have his second hurdles outing some time next month, when I would expect him to be very competitive.

4 br g Sea The Moon – Maraba
I like this fellow a lot and he was pretty smart on the Flat when with Ralph Beckett, when winning over 2m off a mark of 91. He has taken well to his change in surroundings and I was very happy with his hurdling debut at Kelso last month when fourth over 2m5f. I can assure you there will be loads of improvement to come when you see him again, possibly in the next fortnight. He was slightly wrong when he came back after Kelso. I think he will be best at around 2m4f on soft and should be winning soon.

10 b g Midnight Legend – Whichway Girl
He has only won twice in his career, which on reflection could so easily have been more with six runner-up finishes, but the unluckiest was last time at Huntingdon when he jumped the final fence in front only to blunder and give Paul O’Brien no chance. The handicapper has put him up 4lb to a mark of 120 after that run and it will not be easy for him off his new rating. We will bid to qualify for the Veterans’ series final at Newbury at the end of March. There is a qualifier at Doncaster next month that looks the right race for him.

4 b g Mount Nelson – Queen Soraya
This fellow is a half-brother to Snow Leopardess, and each of his other two siblings were also winners. Parramount is a nice horse who covers his ground quickly and is very much one for the future. He has a nice way of going about him and is almost ready to start his career off in a bumper. He has been working nicely and I would expect a good show from him on his debut.

3 b c Dansili – Key Point
He was a winner on the Flat with Andrew Balding and I can see him doing well as a juvenile hurdler. He is a fine big athletic horse by Dansili and not only should he do well over hurdles but I think he will develop into a decent chaser in time.

6 b m Saint Des Saints – Dalina
He got his head in front on his final start last season in a 2m4f handicap hurdle at Ffos Las on heavy ground. I thought he had a decent chance of backing that up first time out this season when we took him to Leicester last week, particularly as the horses all seem to be running so well. He was probably the most unfortunate runner-up we have had this term as he would almost certainly have won but for his jockey losing his stirrups two out. That is a little harsh on Tom [Buckley] as he made a Horlicks of the penultimate flight and he did well to keep him going and he was literally collared in the final strides. I would expect him to right that wrong next time, which will probably be back at Leicester shortly. We will stick to 2m4f for the time being but he will get 3m.

5 b g Aizavoski – Jessaway
Successful in a point-to-point 12 months ago, he ran a lovely race on his only start last season when third in a Wincanton bumper. This term he has been hurdling and quickly got on the scoresheet when winning at Hexham last month (2m4f). Things went a little wrong last time at Ascot as they never want a good enough gallop and he was very keen early on. He has been dropped 1lb to a mark of 115 and I would be disappointed if he could not win off that before we go over fences, which will be his forte.

8 gr m Martaline – Queen Soraya
She has a great appetite for the game and is clearly loving being back after prducing a foal. Her first two runs this season were very encouraging and we had high hopes of a big show at Haydock last weekend in the valuable 3m handicap chase and she put up the performance of her life. Her tenacity saw her get up in a thrilling race, but it was clearly a war of attrition and I will give her plenty of time to recover. That said she was fine the next morning. I have no specific plan but I would imagine she will be out again over the Christmas/New Year period with races like the Tommy Whittle, Mandarin or even the Rowland Meyrick as options.