Xpo at his party Sept 20
Curley at Hexham May 2022
CLUB RACING was founded in 1994 by Peter Steveney, following a successful career with the Jockey Club. In his last seven years, as Senior Stewards’ Secretary, he undertook a high-profile role in the maintenance of the integrity of British Racing and in the training of local Stewards throughout the country.
Club Racing was initially set up as a specialist racing promotion company providing single day ownership of racehorses in specific races. It produced runners on request in the Grand National, at the Epsom Derby, Royal Ascot, Cheltenham, York and Goodwood Festival meetings amongst many others including at Navan in Ireland when Marionnaud, won by a short head. Trained by Jim Bolger, the filly was leased by Club Racing for the day on 17th Oct 2001 to the winners of a draw promoted by the Irish Sun.
Following those successes, Club Racing moved into running private partnerships of friends and other racing enthusiasts and achieved success at all levels, predominantly throughout the North of England and Scotland. Many of these runners were trained by Ferdy Murphy at Middleham and continued when he had relocated to Senonnes in the Loire Valley in France. It was not long before he found us Xpo Universel, who provided us with several memorable trips to Paris, where we enjoyed the benefits of excellent racing and generous prizemoney.
In December 2017 we brought Xpo back to the UK when Ferdy retired and sent him to Becky Menzies, who had by then moved to train near Sedgefield. Xpo settled in well and won the Margaret Sexton ‘Moment of the Year’ award at Cartmel in August 2018, under a brilliant ride from Aaron Anderson, finally fulfilling some of his undoubted potential. This was confirmed in early December when, again ridden by Aaron, he won two further races by a total of 33 lengths. His final win for us was at Sedgefield in January 2020, since when the old boy has shown that the inevitable rise in the weights he was expected to carry has blunted his enthusiasm. His final race for us was at Perth in July 2021, after which we reluctantly made the decision to retire him from racing while he is still young enough to enjoy a second career. As he has great presence and loves showing off, he seems a natural for competing in dressage competitions.
OUR CURRENT HORSES
- Xpo Universel. 12 yr old gelding by Poliglote, out of Xandie Bliss. 4-time winner over hurdles and earning over £103,000 prize money in France and the UK to date and now enjoying a new career.
- Curley Finger. Beautiful chestnut 6yr old gelding (28th Feb 2017) by Getaway, out of Tooreen. Has recently started out over the hurdles, coming in third in his first race at Kelso and now with other wins in the Novices’ Hurdle over 2m 4f at Hexham and most recently in the Brindisi Breeze Hurdle Series Final over 3m at Musselburgh on 24th March 2023.
- Insolente. The most recent addition to our stable, Insolente is a fine looking 3yr old bay filly (22nd March 2020) by Harry Angel, out of Fatal Attraction. She has run twice for us so far, most recently winning the Our Honest Charlie Wood Selling Stakes over 5f at Beverley on 16th May 2023. Insolente, who was leased, left us in August 2023 after her race at Catterick and returned to her owners.
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