Crack The Kode’s Naming Day

With the start of the Flat season less than two weeks away, the excitement continues to build at Kevin Ryan’s yard, and went up another notch on Saturday as owners gathered for Crack The Kode’s naming day.

Our complimentary naming days at the stables are always events to remember as owners meet as a syndicate for the first time and see their horse in action on the gallops.

We were initially greeted by thick fog at Hambleton Lodge, but that did little to dampen the spirits of owners, old and new, who made their way from far and wide to be with us on Saturday.

As usual, the Hambleton team were on hand to welcome owners into the yard, and many made a beeline for mobile baristas The Drink Stop, who provided delicious, sweet treats and much needed warm drinks, with the weather having not quite realised we are now in springtime.

Once the riders had saddled up their mounts, owners headed up onto Kevin’s historic gallops to catch a glimpse of their new pride and joy in action.

Thankfully, the fog lifted just in time as last year’s winner Sound Reason led the string, closely followed by the young pretender in front of an admiring audience of Kevin and his owners.

It came as little surprise to see our two-year-old behave like a true professional as he went about his workout, and his owners were delighted with what they saw as he easily extended up the gallop under Kevin’s watchful eye.

With the exercise complete, owners returned to the yard to see their horse at closer quarters as Hambleton’s photographer, Louise Pollard, took those much-treasured naming day photos.

Once everyone had taken a good look around the yard, getting up close and personal with the Hambleton horses, owners made their way down to the nearby award-winning Carpenter’s Arms for lunch. As ever, the catering at the Carpenter’s was of the highest order and made for the perfect location in which for owners to find out the racing name of their youngster.

There was a great atmosphere throughout the day, and plenty of laughter too, as old friends got together, and new friendships were formed ahead of what we hope will be a successful season on the track.

It was certainly a day to remember for longstanding owner Gordon, who had made his way down from Scotland for the occasion, as his name Crack The Kode was announced as the winner of the vote.

The winning name received a rousing round of applause, as owners relaxed and looked forward to the season ahead with their exciting two-year-old.

Crack The Kode’s naming day proved a really enjoyable occasion for his horse racing syndicate and there are more similar events for us to look forward to in the weeks ahead.

Attention now turns to our upcoming naming days at David O’Meara’s and Archie Watson’s along with our Owners’ Day at Doncaster’s Lincoln meeting, which all whets the appetite for what we hope and expect will be another exciting and successful year of racing.

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