GRANGE RANGER 19 April 2012- Gelding Kalanisi-Grangeclare Flight Owner-Oakwood Rainbow
Before racing was brought to an abrupt end, we had a number of horses who were primed to go very close on their next run, and no more so than the lightly raced Grange Ranger.
When you have a horse that is bred for chasing, you have to be very patient because you probably won't start to see the best of them until they reach seven years of age. Grange Ranger has just turned that age, and has only seen a racecourse under rules five times. He started his career in an Irish point at Ballindenisk and would have won if not for coming down at the last. He was then transferred to Jamie Snowden for his rules career, and after a promising forth over hurdles on debut, made no show in his next three attempts, including his debut over fences. Before being transferred to us, he had one more go in the point field last December when finishing second.
On February 25th he made his debut for us at Catterick over three miles and one furlong off a BHA mark of 109. Had he not made a mistake two out he probably would have won, but he ended up being a very creditable second to Ask Paddy who was completing a four timer, there was 33 lengths back to the third horse,so the handicappers assessment of a six pounds rise seems fair.
Grange Ranger has a brother called Present Flight in training with Lucinda Russell who achieved a Racing Post rating of 127 at his peak. His mother Grangeclare Flight only saw the racecourse twice, but did win a bumper for Nicky Richards on debut. He is a lightly raced horse on a handy mark with loads of improvement still to come.