“We feel like fraudsters,” said John Dawson as he and his wife Alice collected a prestigious trophy at last night’s Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s National Hunt Awards Evening at Doncaster racecourse.
The couple picked up the Distillery Stud Trophy (pictured above with Distillery’s Robert Robinson) given to the breeders of the leading British-bred bumper horse during the 2020/21 Jumps season. That horse, I Like To Move It, was trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies to win bumpers at Aintree and Wincanton before finishing second in a Listed race at Newbury, and while unplaced in the Gr.1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper he is an exciting hurdling and chasing prospect for the future.
Interviewed by Nick Luck, John Dawson, one of Britain’s leading point-to-point riders and a champion in the Yorkshire area, told an audience packed with the cream of Britain’s Jumps breeders: “We feel like fraudsters being here – this was the first foal we bred, but it’s all down to the Reveley family, who offered us two mares to get us going [one of which was Nobratinetta, the dam of I Like To Move It].
“We wanted to put our toe in the water and ended up in the deep end – to be here collecting this award is phenomenal. It is especially pleasing because my brother Chris stands the sire of I Like To Move It, Trans Island [at Nunstainton Stud in County Durham]. It’s a small stud doing the job on a relatively tight budget but doing it very well.”
Sadly, I Like To Move It was Nobratinetta’s final foal, but John and Alice have now acquired a filly out of the mare called Cimetta, who might be seen on the point-to-point circuit in the coming season.
Rose returns home
Rose Iland, the seven-year-old mare who won last season’s Jockey Club Mares’ Maiden Series, was led from the ring unsold when offered at Goffs UK’s August Sale yesterday.
The Jim Collett-owned mare is likely to be seen continuing her pointing career with Gloucestershire trainer Jake Slatter.
From a small group of British pointers on offer the Louise Bevin-trained Garthorpe Flat race runner-up Fishing For Likes proved the most valuable when being knocked down for £25,000 to licensed trainer Laura Morgan.
Chaddesley Corbett Flat race-winning filly If I Say made £15,000 to a bid from Tessa Greatrex of Highflyer Bloodstock on behalf of trainer Charlie Longsdon.