19 November 2010 Stable Tour: Nick Pearce
by Carolyn Tanner
Nick's stable star PEADAR
photo: Christina McElhinney
Nick Pearce is embarking on his fourth season as trainer to Simon Tindall, whose string based at Lake Street, near Mark Cross, is the largest in the South East area. Nick's three seasons in the post have to date yielded 32 Point-to-Point winners, and one Hunter Chase success.
Nick himself has 75 victories between the flags to his name, plus seven under Rules and one on the flat, and his ambition for the season is to reach a career century. He has been quick to grasp the nettle with regards to the new riders' sponsorship scheme, and is being supported by well-known clothing company Joules.
Nick has settled back into the training routine after what he describes as "a very good fun holiday" with several colleagues in Ibiza, although at the ripe old age of 27 he has decided that he will be too old to repeat the break next year! Time will tell.....
One of the most promising youngsters seen out last season was PEADAR, whose low-key campaign yielded a hat-trick. "He's very active so you could do too much too soon with him. He needed to learn," explained Nick, who intends to have a lot of fun plotting races for the seven-year-old. Larkhill's Military races, in which Nick is eligible to ride - his father was an Officer in the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars - are on the agenda.
Getting LORD SNOW on a course has been quite an achievement. A broken pelvis incurred in Ireland led to a two-year absence, and in 2008 he broke down after winning at Detling, so he has managed just three outings in four years. If the TLC he is receiving works the oracle he may be out in February, the month which may also see the seasonal debut of the home-bred SCHOLAR GEORGE, who was badly virus-hit after scoring at Detling on his sole appearance in 2009/10.
The useful LETTERMAN is another who was only seen once last season. He cracked his hoof when scoring at Godstone and needed a metal plate to hold his foot together. Farrier Jim Cooper's ministrations have been "awesome," stressed Nick. He is pencilled in to return at the first meeting at the Surrey track.
Home-breds feature large in Simon's string, with his winning mare Cadbury Castle, dam of the useful Chaser King Edmund, responsible for three of them. The "very honest" FLORENCE MARY, who needs soft ground, will appear in January, but there are no definite plans for her unraced four-year-old half-sister MINNIE MARY, who could pass muster as a show horse. She hunts very well, and Nick is pleased with what she has shown him to date.
The third of Cadbury Castle's offspring is an unnamed three-year-old by Silver Patriarch who was broken in the summer and has done plenty of pole work. He may have a run towards the end of the season.
Another trio of three-year-old home-breds are also learning the ropes. Their breeding is, respectively, by Erhaab out of Dusty Too, by Alderbrook out of Granny Smith, and a filly by Milan who is a half-sister to OUR POPPY DAY. The latter has strengthened and grown up and is reported by Nick to have "fire in her belly." She is due for an early start to the campaign at Cottenham, which is also the possible venue for the Pointing debut of the maiden SAN SIRO, who Simon shares with Philip Mitchell.
Five-year-old GOSPEL OAK has bucked Simon's trend of naming the majority of his home-breds after his grandchildren! He has been ridden by Nick when whipping-in to the Southdown & Eridge, and could go to Barbury in December. He was broken in as a two-year-old by Nick's predecessor and now licensed trainer Chris Gordon, and is described by his handler as "not very bright." (The horse, not Chris.)
Two returning after a year off are JACK'S PRESENT and SAY GRACE. Jack's Present, who had a tendon injury, will be aimed at the Novice Riders' contest at Detling, while the home-bred Say Grace was just a week off a run when she picked up a pelvic injury. She has benefited from plenty of flat work with Nick's girlfriend, event rider Georgie Strang, who has recently returned with a team silver medal from South Korea, where she represented Great Britain in the World University Equestrian Championships.
The "easy to train" LOUISTHENINETEENTH was bought as a three-year-old at the Irish Derby Sale. He is an Irish Maiden winner who was with Ian Ferguson last year and is also Detling-bound.
The only horse in the yard which does not belong to Simon is three-year-old LADY ROSE, by Tamure out of Oatis Rose. She belongs to Nick, who bought her at Ascot in the summer from breeder David Redvers. She may have a run in the spring, although an eventing career could be an option.
