Paul Rowland Racing :: News

The Carolina Cup

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:11:39 +0000

March 29 donned cold and grey in Camden, SC this year. With 5 horses running in back to back races, it promised to be a busy day. Bullawayo started the day off in the Training flat race. With visiting Irishman John Sullivan aboard, Bully had a quiet trip around and finished fifth. The race was a preparation for his return to timber.

Running in blinkers for the Camden Plate Maiden Hurdle, Rainbows for Luck again ran green, struggling to find his striding to the fences, and eventually pulled up with Robbie Walsh.

Across the Sky made his third start over timber here in the Allowance Timber and finished fourth in the 3 mile race that wound it way around the track. Sky made a few mistakes in the race, and tired at the end but held on for fourth and came out of the race well.

Big is Best was next on the roster, running in the $30,000 Woodwark-Kirkover Sweepstakes Allowance Hurdle over the cup fences. Big is a very large strided horse and the larger cup fences suit him well. This was his first race of the season and he ran a strong one, looking set to win until a close jump at the last left him a bit flat footed. He recovered and held on for a third place finish with Paddy Young aboard.

Swimming River ran in the Grade II Novice race, the $75,000 Carolina Cup. The rain that had threatened all day chose do make itself felt as it began pouring while the horses were in the paddock, and cars departing the infield delayed the race for a good 10 minutes. The rain did not slow River however as he ran a very strong race and finished third.

2008 Little Everglades Steeplechase

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:43:45 +0000

We took 2 horses down to the Little Everglades Steeplechase, this year running as a non-sanctioned meet, Rainbows for Luck and Swimming River, and came home with two second place finishes. This was the first meet of the season for the stable and both horses were ridden by Robbie Walsh.

Rainbows for Luck ran in the $15,000 Maiden Hurdle, his first start with Paul. His lack of experience over fences showed as he gave every fence plenty of air, but he closed strongly for a solid second place finish behind Bounding Cat.

Swimming River returned to the site of his 2007 maiden win in fine form for the feature race of the day, the $35,000 Founder's Cup Hurdle. He ran a very strong race, pacing the favorite Hip Hop around the course. A bad jump at the fourth from home cost him some ground but River did not let the mishap phase him as he quickly recovered, coming in second behind Hip Hop.

Swimming River Wins Again

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:09:20 +0000

Stepping up a class, Swimming River handles the new competition with ease, once again leading wire to wire in the Strawberry Hill feature hurdle with Paddy Young aboard. This was River's second win of the season, and his first attempt at this division.

Across the Sky Wins at Aiken

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:03:23 +0000

Across the Sky wins the maiden claiming hurdle at Aiken March 24, 2007. After a dissapointing 8th place finish in Florida earlier in the month, Across the Sky comes back with a resounding win, leading at one point by 15 lengths, and finishing with jockey Robbie Walsh aboard 7 1/2 lengths in front of the field.

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Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:42:23 +0000

Swimming River Breaks Maiden

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:00:00 +0000

Swimming River started the 2007 season off with a bang, breaking his maiden at Little Everglades in the $15,000 George Sloan Memorial maiden hurdle. The 5 yr. old bay gelding came to Paul in 2006, as a flat horse who did not like the starting gate. On the recommendation of Ned Allard, John and Monica Ryan contacted Paul about turning River into a jump horse. River ran a couple of races over fences in 2006 but was very green. This year he returns as a much more mature and focused horse, leading wire to wire and fending off all challengers.

Hall of Angels second in stake

Sun, 09 Oct 2005 10:20:00 +0000

Hall of Angels was second at Gensee, in the Genesee Valley Hunt Cup. He really did not like the ground which effected his jumping and he finished exhausted. The winner, Albert's Crossing, relished the heavy going. This is a reverse of the 1 - 2 finish from our previous start, so this is starting to become a nice rivalry.

Strike takes second Grade Two

Sun, 02 Oct 2005 09:41:36 +0000

Preemptive Strike collected his second grade two win of the year with a wire-to-wire win at the Meadowlands in the $75,000 Somerset Medical Center Stakes. He held off McDynamo by five lengths at the wire. He was thirty lengths clear at one point, but seemed very relaxed and jumped gamely while on the lead.

SteeplechaseTimes: Preemptive Strike rolls at Meadowlands

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Another win makes it 3 for 5 this weekend

Tue, 27 Sep 2005 16:44:11 +0000

UK Limey continued our bright start to the Fall season by taking the non winners of two, conditioned claimer, at Foxfield. He won by a head under another inspired ride from Robby Walsh who has now moved within two wins of the jockey's race.

All in all a great weekend with three wins from five starters and a stakes win. We ran the entire barn.

Here is Steeplechase Times Foxfield report.

Fall Season Begins on Good Note

Sun, 25 Sep 2005 13:08:19 +0000

Racing returned at Shawan Downs and we had three runners.

Hall of Angels returned to an excellent win in the feature race of the day, the $25,000 Ski Roundtop Stakes, a Timber Stake. He sat about 2 - 3 lengths from the lead, but quickened up nicely going into the second last to draw clear by four lengths. A typically nice ride from Robby Walsh.

Preemptive Strike began his fall campaign with an easy four length win in a training flat race. We are hoping this will set him up nicely for the $75,000 stake at the Meadowlands next week.

Our third runner, For Bravery, was making his first start and ran an excellent fourth. He was a little 'green' but should really come on a lot for this race.

Full coverage of Shawan Downs appears in the Steeplechase Times: Angels Can Jump.

Special coverage about Halls of Angel's victory also appears in the Baltimore Sun: Hall of Angels rallies for win at Shawan

Preemptive Strike training and getting ready for ...

Wed, 20 Apr 2005 22:46:51 +0000

Now that we have our grade 2 victory behind us, it is time to plan out a campaign to get Strike ready to challenge the grade 1 folks he has been so competitive with over the last year. We avoided the Keeneland race, won by Hirapour, with Sur La Tete second. This was the one-two in Strike's previous outing, a game third in the Carolina Cup (a race he won last year).

Preemptive Strike strikes at Atlanta

Wed, 20 Apr 2005 22:44:45 +0000

Preemptive Strike made light work of the Grade 2 Georgia Cup, winning by a comfortable four lengths. This was a nice confidence booster for strike to get him ready for a strong campaign ahead.