WALKONBY. 01 March 2017. Sixties Icon-Shadows Ofthenight. Owner-M D Hammond.
There are many offspring of the 2006 St. Leger winner, Sixties Icon, who are named after pop songs from the 1960's, and we have just acquired Walkonby, who up until now has raced solely for the Mick Channon yard.She is the first produce of his dam who raced 22 times over two seasons, winning once at Chepstow over two miles, and appearing to have a preference for top of the ground.
Walkonby appears to be just as tough as her dam, having raced eight times as a juvenile between July, and October.She made her debut over seven furlongs at Ascot, with the Racing Post comment noting she was leggy, she came home in sixth place.Her next start 10 days later was on the All Weather at Kempton, where she weakened from over one out over a mile.Just four days later at Newmarket she opened her account winning a seller by 3/4 length, over seven furlongs, and being bought back in for £5,800.She made her handicap debut at Salisbury two weeks later, and won again, this time over a mile, from a mark of 61.She was then third at Thirsk 15 days later, again in a nursery, before going to Pontefract at the end of September, and winning for the third time off a mark of 68.She stepped up to Class 2 at Nottingham in October, over 10 furlongs on soft ground, but was on the retreat from two out, and under similar conditions at Newmarket two weeks later, she finished forth, of the six runners beaten 15 lengths.
Walkonby wasn't seen on a racecourse again until June of this year,returning at Haydock over 10 furlongs, and winning her forth race, getting up on the line to win by a nose under Silestre De Sousa.From a new high mark of 77 she went to Newmarket later in the month, being sent off at 5/6 favourite, but finishing a very disappointing last of three beaten 26 lengths, over 12 furlongs on good to firm ground, the trainers representative said she may not have stayed, and the ground may have been too firm.She under performed again at Sandown in July, and after missing the break at Haycock in August, she never got on terms. Her final start before joining us was at Doncaster on October 23rd, when in first time cheek pieces she returned to somewhere near her best, gong down by three and a half lengths over 10 furlongs.
Walkonby has a lot of talent, and as long as she can stay interested in racing she will more races.She has been bought as a dual purpose horse, and is probably best at 10 furlongs, on good ground.
Walkonby has been given her first entry for us at Wetherby next Wednesday.