At Kelso on Saturday afternoon Foster'sisland won for the third time over hurdles under a good ride from the much underrated, and much underused Emma Smith-Chaston whose 7lb claim is a gift.
Foster'sisand was sent off at 5/2 favourite for his seasonal debut over two miles and one furlong on good ground last month at Carlisle, but needed that race to put him straight. Stepping up in trip to the extended two miles and four furlongs proved no problem this time as he stayed on powerfully up the stand side to win unchallenged by four and three quarter lengths.
This was written prior to Foster'sisland's seasonal debut last month.
FOSTER'SISLAND. 12 April 2015. Trans Island-Mrs Eff. Owner-The Oakwood Nobels.
Foster'sisland is by the Group 1 placed Trans Island, and is the first progeny of Mrs Eff, a three time hurdles winner in 2013.
Foster'sisland made his debut at the North Yorkshire point to point track of Heslaker as a four year old, representing the yard of Chris Dawson.He finished third of the five runners, beaten under two lengths, gaining valuable experience.
He was transferred to Oakwood Stables for his rules career and made his debut in a bumper at Haydock on December 30th, 2019, finishing third, after racing prominently throughout, he was outpaced from two furlongs out, and only weakened from the furlong marker. The winner of the race Ask a Honey Bee, had won his previous race, and would win again, before finishing down the field in the Cheltenham Festival bumper.
On the face of it, finishing sixth at Wetherby in February on his next start, looked a shade disappointing, but he received a higher Racing Post Rating than he had at Haydock previously.Once again the winner of the race was Ask A Honey Bee, who was 3lb worse off, but Foster'sisland had narrowed the winning margin from 20 lengths at Haydock, to 14 lengths at Wetherby.
He raced on one more occasion in his first season, finishing second at Catterick to the Jamie Snowden trained Anythingforlove, with a previous winner 13 lengths back in third.
Foster'sisland had the summer at grass, and returned to make his hurdles debut in a novice at Wetherby in October. Hopes were high after showing very decent form in his three bumper runs, but he didn't jump with any fluency, but still was able to put in a challenge from two out, but lack of a run saw him weaken quickly, and Joe Colliver pulled him up. He returned at Sedgefield a month later, where his jumping was a lot better, he managed to finish a distant third, beaten by 38 lengths in a hot looking novice, where the two ahead of him have both won since. Foster'sisland was back at Sedgefield in December, and was very keen over the two and a half miles, and he disappointingly trailed in sixth. He received a handicap mark of 91, and raced in handicap company for the first time at Musselburgh 17 days later, he was keen again, and after a mistake three out, eventually pulled up.
Foster'sisland next appeared in February 2021 in a jumpers bumper at Newcastle, and with no hurdles to get in the way, he showed that all his bumper ability from the year before was still there by finishing third.After a 20 day break he returned to hurdles at Carlisle from a mark of just 89, which was well below the rating his bumper form suggested he should have. Dropped back to two miles, enabling him to settle better, he never came off the bridle, to win easily by 21 lengths. It was just five days later under a 7lb penalty when Foster'sisland made a quick winning reappearance, he was two lengths in front at the last and would have probably have won anyway when the second horse fell, leaving him to stroll home by an eased down 20 lengths. The handicapper was of course quick to react and he was raised a whopping 18lb for those two successes taking his new mark to 107. Back at Carlisle in March he was a staying on third beaten by four and three quarter lengths, with the race perhaps not being run to suit. His final start of the 20/21 season was at Sedgefield in April where he was once again third, but this time 12 lengths off the winner, the combination of a faster surface and a long season probably contributed to the slightly below par effort. TO BE CONTINUED.
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