The winter jumping season is once again approaching, and we will have many familiar old faces returning, as well as several new ones making their debuts. Over the coming days and weeks I will be providing detailed essays on some of our horses that will hopefully be in the winners enclosure very shortly.
PERFECT MAN. 29 March 2011 Morozov-Garrisker. Owner-
Perfect man arrived at Oakwood Stables via the Doncaster sales in May 2021. He is already a proven performer having won seven of his 32 starts to date, all over hurdles. His dam has been busy as he is the youngest of her seven racecourse representatives, he has also achieved the highest rating of all of his siblings.
Perfect Man has been in three other yards previously, starting out in Ireland, racing for the County Tipperary yard of P. M. Hurley, for whom he ran for on 14 occasions. He unseated at the first fence on his debut in April 2016 in a point to point, and then was quickly turned out again 13 days later, completing the course, although being less than fluent.
He made his hurdles debut at Fairyhouse in October, finishing in sixth, 17 lengths behind the winner over two and a half miles. Stepping back in trip to two miles he finished well down the field on his next two starts, the first being 16 days later, and the other in mid November, earning him his first official mark of 92 (Irish.) He made his handicap debut at Thurles in February 2017, and duly won by three and three quarter lengths on his first try over an extended two miles and six furlongs. Under a 7lb penalty 13 days later he was back in the winners enclosure again when winning over the same trip in heavy ground by a head at Punchestown. He went the wrong way following those two wins as he failed to get competitive in any of his next five starts through until August, when he was given a break. He reappeared six months later in February 2018 where he weakened quickly from three out, but on his next, and what whould be his final start in Ireland he won his third race, this time at Limerick over three miles in heavy conditions again.
Perfect Man next appeared at Market Rasen in August, and now in the care of Olly Murphy, wearing a first time tongue tie on good ground he won a handicap hurdle, taking his new mark to 124. He was possibly slightly unlucky on his next start at Newton Abbot in September when denied a clear run three out, but he still managed a five and a half lengths third place. At Cheltenham in October he finished eighth, and he also failed to get competitive in his next four starts through until March 2019, when he was given his summer break.
He wasn't seen again until November, when he made a winning comeback in heavy going at Chepstow. After finishing fifth at the same track in better company in December, he won again, this time at Kelso in January 2020. His final start that season was down the field at Warwick in March. He was away from the track until returning at Hexham in November for a novice chase, where he finished fourth of the five runners beaten by 22 lengths in what has been his only start over fences under rules to date. His final start for the Olly Murphy yard was a winning one, where with a change of tactics he made all and stayed on gamely at Leicester in December over two and a half miles from a mark of 134 to win by a length and a half.
Perfect Man was on the move again, and was next seen in January 2021 running from the yard of Sophie Leech, where he finished a six lengths fifth at Chepstow. He was down the field in February at Exeter, and 11 days later back at Chepstow he finished fourth, but only five lengths off the winner. He was then down the field in the 'Pertemps Network Final' at the Cheltenham Festival in March, before a trip to Compiegne in France to contest a conditions hurdle where he was pulled up at halfway. His final start for the Sophie Leech yard saw him return to somewhere near his best when finishing a staying on third from a mark of 129. Within days Perfect Man had been purchased at the Doncaster sales by Micky, and made his stable debut for us at Cartmel two weeks after his last race. Racing over two miles and six furlongs on good ground he was beaten eight and a quarter lengths to finish a respectable seventh of the 11 runners. TO BE CONTINUED.
To keep up to date with all the latest happenings at Oakwood Stables, and Sharp Hill, click on 'NEWS' at www.mickyhammondracing.
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