HOLLINS 15 April 2004 Lost Soldier-Cutting Reef Owner-R D Bickenson.
Over the years the yard have had a lot of success with horses bought out of the Luca Cumani yard, via the Newmarket sales, that is where Hollins arrived from.He is a very well bred horse, being by American sire Lost Soldier, out of a Kris mare, with a best Racing Post Rating of 108.
Hollins was too backward to run as a youngster, so was sold unraced. He made his debut for us in a bumper at Wetherby in March 2008, and despite whipping around and unseating before the start, ran on to be a very respectable second.He disappointed at Ayr the next time, but was later to have found to scoped badly.He made his flat debut at Newcastle in May, once again finishing well to be runner up, over what looked an inadequate 12 furlongs, and when stepped up to one mile and six furlongs at Catterick, he just failed to give 15lb of weight for age to the Howard Johnson trained Woody Waller. His final two starts of his first season were both well below par efforts, with Paul Hanagan reporting that the gelding was unsuited by the heavy ground.
He was put away for the winter, and was not seen until the following July. The break had done him good, as under Frederick Tylicki, he stormed home by three and a half lengths, from a mark of 70. He had another three runs on the flat that Summer, without success, and then made his hurdles debut at Hexham in November, finishing a moderate third. A month later at Kelso, he showed the benefit of that debut, when getting off the mark over jumps by 10 lengths. His next run also at Kelso in February 2010, saw him finish third under a penalty, receiving an official mark of 122. His next race gave his owner a big day out, as he was allowed to take his chance in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, where he finished a very respectable 14 lengths, behind that years winner, Menorah. Back on the flat at York in May, from a mark of 70, he was back in the winners enclosure, coming home by six lengths in good to firm ground.He went to Royal Ascot for the Queen Alexandra, going under by ten lengths, and then it was on to Glorious Goodwood, where under Frankie Dettori, from a mark of 85, he finished sixth of the 20 runners.
He started the 2011 season back over the jumps at Kelso, and Cheltenham, but off marks in the 130's wasn't getting competitive. A return to the flat in June, saw a revival in form, with a solid second placing at Pontefract, before a return to Glorious Goodwood on July 27th, where Hollins would have his greatest moment, in winning the prestigious 'Goodwood Stakes' over two miles and four furlongs, under Paul Hanagan. He was down the field in the Cesarewitch trial at Newmarket in September, before making his chase debut at Mussleburgh in November, unfortunately showing very little inclination for this new discipline.
After his winters break he returned to the flat in April 2012, but finished well down the field on all four starts. In December he had a second go over the fences, failing to complete in three of his four attempts, before finishing second at Catterick in March 2013.He had two more races for us, without success before being sold at the Doncaster sales to the Stafford-shire trainer, Tony Forbes to continue his racing.He enjoyed a 17 race career for his new yard, finally coming good over fences on December 13th, 2013, from a mark of 99.
Hollins was a great servant for the yard, winning at Glorious Goodwood, as well as running at Royal Ascot, and The Cheltenham Festival.
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