Wishing you a very merry christmas!
With festivities just around the corner, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas!
It’s an exciting time with so much quality racing including the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day and the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on December 27th.
At home, we are absolutely delighted how the horses are going and it was great to pick up a second Grade 2 success in twelve days with Bill Joyce winning the Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown.
That victory was flanked by All The Glory getting back to winning ways at Musselburgh under a lovely ride by Ben Macey and Sayva continuing his brilliant form with his third win in his last four races with victory at Hereford under Richie McLernon.
Last Sunday, saw AJ get his first treble as a trainer with Wellington Arch and King Of Tara winning nicely at Carlisle, an followed up with Hasthing getting up to win at Windsor in the first jump meeting at the course since 2005. It’s lovely to see jump racing return to this wonderful racecourse!
Sales news – We were delighted to have recently secured some really nice horses which we are excited to offer to you if you would like to get involved or if you are thinking of treating yourself or somebody else to an early Christmas present! Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to find out more at joe@oneill.racing.
We wish you all a lovely weekend.
Best wishes and take care,
Jonjo & AJ
Recent Winners
Happy Christmas from all the team!
Our team have been feeling very festive and would love to wish you all a wonderful Christmas.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one one of them for their incredible hard work, battling all climates on top of the Cotswolds. We really appreciate their efforts.
To all of you who have so generously given and sent gifts for our staff, they all say a big thank you. It really is so greatly appreciated!
How Playtogetaway supports The Christie's NHS Foundation Trust
You may have noticed when Playtogetaway wins, that we mention that his prize money is donated to charity.
Playtogetaway is owned by Betfred, and runs in Fred Done’s blue and green silks with all prize money achieved from the gelding’s performances to be awarded to The Christie’s Hospital in Manchester. The Christie charity supports the work of leading cancer centre The Christie NHS Foundation Trust providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS funds.
Fred said “We have been in unprecedented times in the last couple of years and the NHS has been at the forefront of it. I have always supported health charities and thought this was an ideal opportunity to give something back and say a big thank you for all their efforts while providing a fun journey following the career of a racehorse.”
Marie Toller, head of major relationships at The Christie charity, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Fred for this wonderfully generous commitment and support. Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to patients and their families.
His last victory came at Southwell last month under a brilliant ride by Richie McLernon and, as with all of our horses, we are hoping for lots more wins!
The Anderson Foundation Christmas Luncheon
Jonjo and Jacqui were delighted to attend the Anderson Foundation Christmas Luncheon earlier this month, The Nobu Portman Square, was buzzing with enthusiasm and festive spirit during the drinks reception and the afternoon didn’t disappoint, with plenty of laughter and chat, entertainment from the Anderson Foundation Function Band and a magnificent charity auction by, the best in the business, Jonny Gould, raising over £350K!
A huge thank you to Alec Gunn for generously bidding on the visit to Jackdaws Castle for the auction and raising an incredible £18,000!
The beneficiaries of the event, New Life, The Matt Hampson Foundation, MNDA, SHINE, Meals from Marlow and Haven House Children’s Hospice will receive their donations in the new year.
Alec & Justine Gunn, Mark & Amanda Anderson, Jonjo and Jacqui
Employee of the Month
We are delighted to announce Eliza House as our latest Employee of the Month.
Eliza is brilliant around the yard and at the races, as well as being hugely supportive to other team members. She has been a great addition to our team since she joined us full-time in September.
Eliza wins a dinner, bed & breakfast overnight stay at any Accor Hotel of her choice within the UK.
A huge thank you to Chris Ford and Accor for their generous sponsorship of our Employee of the Month which rewards team members with a wonderful experience.
AJ on the Nick Luck Podcast
AJ recently appeared on the Nick Luck Daily podcast, talking about the future plans for the exciting Novice Hurdle trio Bill Joyce, Mister Meggitt and Roadlesstravelled, as well as Springwell Bay and Monbeg Genius.
You can listen to this episode of the podcast here.
AJ’s section is from 15:50.
If you are a keen racing fan, this podcast is absolutely superb and a brilliant listen every day.
Northern Racing School visit
Horses are not the only thing we train at O’Neill Racing. Ensuring our dedicated team of riders is fit and in peak condition is paramount so we regularly arrange training sessions with industry professionals to help our riders develop technique and improve their riding.
This month we welcomed Heather from the Northern Racing School who brought their horse simulator to the yard. The mechanical horse exerciser is a great training tool to help riders understand the best riding position.
Heather coached the team and they got to practice under her watchful eye. Sessions are recorded pre and post-coaching so they can see the difference and improve their riding skills.
The team and a few of our enthusiastic visitors enjoyed having a go, even little Jimmy got onboard!
The perfect Last Minute Christmas Gift!
Our VIP Stable Tours are incredibly popular and make the most wonderful gift for a horse racing enthusiast.
It’s a wonderful opportunity for fans of our great sport to go behind the scenes at one of the most famous training establishments in the UK.
Your day will start at the stunning Lygon Arms in Broadway at 7:15 am, before heading to Jackdaws Castle to watch the horses on the gallops and in the swimming pool, and soaking up the breathtaking scenery of this magical location.
Depending on the day of your visit, you may have the chance to see our top jockeys schooling the horses or observe our resident farriers at work as they prepare the horses.
Your tour culminates with a visit to our Owners’ Suite where you may have the opportunity to meet Jonjo and AJ for a photo opportunity and a chat.
For all the information and how to book, please visit oneill.racing/about-us/stable-tours.
Upcoming Birthdays & Work Anniversaries
Happy birthday to…
Jojo O’Neill
December 24th
Jonjo O’Neill Jr.
January 26th
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If you would like to get in touch and find out more about getting involved in racehorse ownership please call us on 01386 584 209 or email joe@oneill.racing.
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