Horse & Hound Cup Alflora The Shropshire connection dominated the principals involved with the Horse & Hound Cup, for the British-based stallion with the most individual chase winners. Alflora (left, with Peter Hockenhull), who stands at Shade Oak Stud, won for a fifth straight time, but by the narrowest of margins. With ten winners of 17 chases led by Hobbs Hill, he just beat Sir Harry Lewis and Classic Cliche. The award was received by Emma Hockenhull (above).
Queen Mother’s Silver Salver Robert Chugg No leading auction of store horses would be complete without a contribution from Robert Chugg’s Little Lodge Farm, near Droitwich, and top price for the sale would be nothing new – very probably he or she would a descendant of his distinguished foundation mare Laurello, purchased as a yearling 30 years ago. From a farming background, Robert (right) has been one of the stalwarts of National Hunt breeding in the UK, a natural progression from the time that he was one of the country’s leading amateur riders. A few of the older generation will recall his successful association with top hunter chaser Bright Willow, on whom he won the Liverpool Fox Hunters’. Robert is in his fourth and final year as an elected member of the TBA’s National Hunt Committee.
40 THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER FEBRUARY 2009