News 2008 Archive

This News section is for general viewing. If you would like more detailed Club news you will need to join the Racing Club to gain access to the Members Only Area.

31st December: Alan King's office called to confirm the declaration for Aohna at Cheltenham tomorrow, for a more indepth analysis please go to the Members Only area.

Ian Williams confirmed that Panther has taken his race very well and the next target will be in approx. 3 weeks time once we have studied the programmes book.

30th December: 45 Members attended Newbury races yesterday to watch Panther make his hurdles debut. We were based in the Fred Winter Suiite which was an added bonus as it was a fabulous box with private balconies overlooking the winning line.

Panther ran a highly encouraging race to be beaten by approx. 12 lengths by the promising winner, Dave's Dream. This was a pleasing debut and although we have not yet selected his next race it will be in approx. 3 weeks time. For more indepth analysis please go to the Members Only area.

27th December: Alan King rang this morning and confirmed that all is well and we are on target for Aohna's next run at Cheltenham on 1st January 2009.

Ian Williams also rang today and he is delighted with Danetime Panther. The entries for Monday 29th December again look competitive, for more information please go to the Members Only area.

23rd December: Jenny, Mark, Karen and the team would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and successful New Year.

The entry for Danetime Panther has been confirmed today for the 2.10pm Novice hurdle at Newbury racecourse on Monday 29th December. We have organised a box with private balconies overlooking the winning line for our Members. For further information please go to the Members Only area.

Aohna is on track to run on New Year's day at Cheltenham and for further information please go the Members Only area.

16th December: Alan King rang today to say that Aohna, despite working well on the gallops this morning, had a routine scope and he was not happy with the results. As he did not feel she would perform to her best and in the interestes of the filly we decided to scratch her from tomorrows race. We have tentatively pencilled in 1st January 2009 at Cheltenham racecourse as the next suitable target. For further information please go to the Members Only Area.

15th December: 40 Members attended the Friends and Family Day at Horsehay Farm where the mulled wine and mince pies proved very popular. In his introduction, Mark recalled some of the fabulous stories of winners that he and Jenny have experienced during their careers. Karen explained about the complementary services that they offer in the Equine Therapy Centre for the many racehorses and competition horses that pass through. Diriculous being a good case in point as after he left Karen's went on to win 7 races in the 2008 flat season.

11th December: Jenny, Mark, Karen and the team will be at Cheltenham racecourse for the next two days and look forward to meeting new and old friends for a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie.

Alan King rang this morning to say he has confirmed Aohna's entry today for Newbury on Wednesday 17th December. We have arranged a private box overlooking the paddock where we will all be based for the afternoon.

Ian Williams rang today and gave us a very good report on Panther's progress. He has had several schooling sessions and has taken to jumping hurdles like a natural. We have tentatively pencilled in an entry for Monday 29th December at Newbury. For further details please go to the Members Only area.

5th December: It has come to Jenny and Mark's attention that there are a number of horses available for lease due to the current economic climate. A lease can be arranged for either one race or for several years. For more details please go to the Members Only area.

27th November: Ian Williams rang today and is delighted with the way Panther has settled in to his new regime. Alan King informed us that Aohna has taken her race really well and it's all systems go for Newbury on Wednesday 17th December.

We have 25 Members booked to attend the Members Friends and Family morning at Horsehay Farm on Sunday 14th December. If you are interested in attending please remember to let us know by the 5th December as we have to confirm numbers for the pub lunch at the Ben Jonson.

20th November: 25 Members attend Warwick races yesterday to watch Aohna make her debut. We had a private box overlooking the parade ring which gave us all an ideal base with great views of the day's action. We were very pleased with Aohna's first run and she came a creditable 4th out of 18 runners. For more information please go to the Members Only area.

Danetime Panther is now back in full training with Ian Williams and if all goes to plan Panther should be ready to run over the festive period. Here is Panther taking his first jump at Karen's yard under Mark's instruction:

18th November: Aohna is a confirmed runner for the 3 year old National Hunt flat race at Warwick tomorrow with Robert Thornton booked to ride. For further information on Alan King's comments please go to the Members Only area. We have secured a private box for the day and we are all looking forward to Aohna's debut.

Jenny, Mark and the team had three successful days at Cheltenham with the trade stand last weekend and welcomed many new members to the Club.

13th November: Alan King phoned this morning to report Aohna in flying form and confirmed the entry for Wednesday 19th November at Warwick. For further information please go the Members Only area.

Panther has enjoyed a couple of weeks R&R and this morning had his first schooling session over some poles where he looked a natural.

3rd November: The Stud visit was a great success and several members commented that they enjoyed it more than the Stable visits as it gave them an insight into a different aspect of the Racing industry. An interesting part of the work at North Farm Stud run by Grace Muir is her work with HEROS the rehabilitation of ex-racehorses. We actively support HEROS which is a registered charity and Grace has produced some fantastic Xmas cards amongst other gifts. These will soon be available via our website. Monsignor was put through his paces and members were able to take photo's with him:

31st October: Alan King phoned this morning and informed us that Aohna will make her debut at Warwick on Wednesday 19th November in a Junior bumper over 1m6f.

28th October: A dozen members attended Kempton races yesterday in anticipation of a good run from Danetime Panther. Things did not go to plan as the very fast early pace clearly suited horses that were held up. Panther took the lead 3 furlongs from home and in hindsight this was a mistake as he got tired inside the last furlong. After running very consistently throughout the season we have decided to give Panther a well deserved holiday. On the plus side, all the Members had a fabulous day and can't wait for Aohna to make her debut shortly.

26th October: The Club Members that attended Alan King's stable visit all had a great time and were very impressed with the professionalism of Alan's operation. The facilities at Barbury Castle must be some of the best in the country and several members even commented that the stable visit alone was worth the annual subscription fee. Aohna worked well and it was obvious to everyone there that she is a filly showing a lot of potential. She will be making her debut within the next few weeks and Alan added that he wanted everyone to reserve 17th December as that is the date that Aohna will run at Newbury.

We took a team of 30 plus Members to Newbury races after the stable visit. The weather held off and some of the Club Members had a profitable day on an afternoon when winners weren't easy to find.

Danetime Panther will be running at Kempton races at 2.10pm in a 1m2f handicap race. For a more indepth report on Panther's chances please go to the Members section.

18th October: We had a fantastic response at Cheltenham and are delighted to welcome the new members that signed up at Cheltenham to our Club. Everybody seemed really enthusiastic and looking forward to the forthcoming events and Panther's next race which will be on Monday 27th October at 2.10pm at Kempton racecourse.

16th October: We are delighted to report that Panther ran a blinder at Leicester on Tuesday evening, finishing a very creditable 3rd beaten less than 2 lengths by the winner. Neil Callan gave him an excellent ride and reported back to us that he thinks the horse has a lot of ability and cannot believe that he has only won one race so far. He is sure he is a winner waiting to happen and his last 3 solid runs bear testimony to this. Those Club Members who rang Mark for his opinion were again rewarded when he advised to back Panther each way. His price was as big as 22-1 and if you had taken this price you would have had over 4-1 about your money.

Karen and Mark went to Alan King's this morning to see Aohna on the gallops and for more information go to the Members Only Area.

13th October: Danetime Panther is declared in the 5.10pm Iveco All Blacks Handicap race at Leicester where there are 17 declared runners. For a more indepth analysis of the race you will need to go to the Members Only area.

9th October: We have discussed the possible entries for Danetime Panther and have entered him for the 1m2f Iveco All Blacks Handicap on Tuesday 14th October at 5.10pm at Leicester racecourse. For more information please go to the Members Only Area.

7th October: Paul Cole has called today and says that he is impressed with Danetime Panther and how tough he is, as he is absolutely bouncing at the moment. Paul is currently away at the sales and on his return tomorrow will go through the programmes book and discuss with Jenny and Mark the options available for his next run.

Alan King has also phoned and is very pleased with Aohna's progress in training and we are looking forward to the Stable visit on Saturday 25th October.

We have sourced our merchandise for the Racing Club and we are just waiting to take the first delivery. This will be available via the website on a new section called Shop Online. We will also have a trade stand at Cheltenham for the two day meeting on the 17th & 18th October and we look forward to welcoming old friends and new. Jenny, Mark, Karen and Carole will be at the races.

30th September: Danetime Panther made his debut for the Club at Windsor with Frankie in the saddle. They finished a very creditable 4th out of 16 runners in this competitive handicap. Panther has taken this race very well and he looks like a winner ready to happen and we look forward to his next appearance. For full details on the outcome of this race please log into the Members Only area.

26th September: An exciting addition was made to the Racing Club this morning when a deal was completed to add Danetime Panther to our stable of horses. He is due to race on Monday 29th September at Royal Windsor and Frankie Dettori has been booked to ride. For full details on this exciting news please log into the Members Only Area.

19th September: We have had a call from Alan King this morning and he is delighted with Aohna's progress, she is coming to hand beautifully after the summer holiday and we will be looking for her to make her debut in approximately 6-7 weeks. We have also organised a stable visit to Alan's on the 25th October, full details can be found on the Members Only Area.

Mark has hit the target with his first prediction to Matchroom Bets.com when he advised punters to lay Denman for the Hennessy Gold Cup. This has proved right as it was announced today that Denman is to miss the Hennessy, so all punters who laid Denman for this race are onto a winner.

15th September: The Jenny and Mark Pitman Racing Club are delighted be part of Matchroom Bets stellar list of contributors with an exciting link between the two companies. The knowledge that we have in Horse Racing from our respective careers is second to none and members of the Jenny and Mark Pitman Racing Club will get exclusive video and written advice on all the big race meetings through the partnership.

MatchroomBets.com is a unique sports betting advice website from Matchroom Sport, one of the world’s leading suppliers of sports programming.

The MatchroomBets.com website offers expert views on all the major sports with some of the biggest names in the business providing video tips and opinions – with regular contributors Steve Davis on Snooker, Barry Hearn on Boxing, Rod Harrington on Darts, Ray Parlour on Football and Min Patel on Cricket. The site also films one-off videos at Matchroom Sport events, with an impressive line-up already on the site – from the Football world they have spoken to Lee Sharpe, Chris Kamara and Alan McInally and in Snooker they have previewed the last World Championships with Ken Doherty, Mark Williams and Willie Thorne. Ahead of a busy summer of Cricket they have the views of Mark Ramprakash, Ali Brown, Ed Giddins and Gladstone Small and Darts coverage on the site is second to none with Phil Taylor, Peter Manley, Wayne Mardle and Peter Manley all featuring.

8th September: We have been informed by David Nicholls that Machinist's injury, although not career threatening, will rule him out of running again this season. We are in discussions with a number of people over a suitable replacement and details will be announced shortly. Our National Hunt filly, Aohna, continues in good form and we are looking forward to taking Members to Alan King's for a stable visit in October to meet the her and see Alan's impressive training establishment.

31st August: Everyone was very disappointed that Machinist could not take his chance at Ripon yesterday, particularly as he looked to have a good opportunity of winning. Obviously all plans are on hold at the moment until we assess the injury.

We are delighted to announce our first National Hunt recruit for the Racing Club. She is a 3 year old filly called Aohna by Astarabad (USA) out of Touques (Fr) and she will be in training with Alan King. Alan has proved himself to be one of the country's foremost trainers and we are excited to have a horse with him. We will be looking to have a stable visit at Alan's in the early part of November to give Club Members the chance to meet our new horse. For further details please go to the Members only area.

29th August: Machinist is declared to run tomorrow in the 3.50pm 6 furlong Handicap at Ripon. For more information on Machinist's chances, please go to the Members only area.

26th August: Members enjoyed a fabulous days racing at Warwick and despite the disappointment of Machinist not running by and large Members had a very profitable day backing plenty of winners. Members enjoyed a terrific 4 course buffet lunch in our Pergola which was situated in the centre of the racetrack about 100 yards from winning line.

Machinist has been entered in the 3.50pm 6 furlong handicap at Ripon on Saturday 30th August and David Nicholls reports that the horse is back to form and has shown no ill effects from his bruised foot.

23rd August: Good news, Machinist has recovered well from his bruised foot. We have discussed the options with David Nicholls with regard to his next entries so please go to the Members only area for further details.

We will be announcing our first National Hunt horse within the next 7 days. We are very excited about this new addition to the Club. Mark and Jenny have carefully selected this horse after travelling up and down the country looking for potential winners.

21st August: We have been informed by David Nicholls that Machinist has bruised his sole so he will miss his intended target at Warwick on Monday 25th August. We are discussing the options for the next entries and for more information please go to the Members Only area.

18th August: The search for our first National Hunt horse is ongoing. Jenny and Mark have viewed several horses in the past couple of weeks but unfortunately for one reason or another they have not proved suitable for the needs of the Racing Club. Obviously selecting the right horse for the Club is one of the most important decisions that Jenny and Mark have to make and they are doing everything possible to ensure that the horse fills the right criteria.

We have been attending many trade shows this year including the Royal Windsor Horse Show, the Royal Show in Warwickshire and the CLA Game Fair at Blenheim Palace. This helps to raise the profile of the Club and many of the general public have enjoyed meeting Jenny and Mark and have joined the Racing Club. We will also have a stand at Blenheim Horse Trials and the Newbury Show in September so please feel free to come and see us and meet Jenny and Mark.

4th August: A superb day was had at Glorious Goodwood when Machinist ran a terrific race to finish 4th in the Stewards Cup. Members enjoyed a fabulous lunch before a top class afternoons racing. Machinist appreciated the softer ground and stayed on really well in the final furlong and we are going to try him over a bit further in his next outing. Those members that rang the hotline and took the advise to back Machinist eachway certainly had a good day when 25/1 was available.

David Nicholls reports Machinist in good form.The next race will be on the 25th August at Warwick Racecourse. It is a 7 furlong contest and Machinist is favoured by the race conditions.

29th July: The latest confirmation stage took place on the 28th July for Machinist's entry in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood on Saturday 2nd August. Machinist is 22nd in the list so he definitely gets a run. David Nicholls has called this morning and is bullish about the horses chances for Saturday.

The search is ongoing for a National Hunt horse and we will keep you posted on developments.

We are arranging a weekend of racing and golf in Mijas, Spain on the 21st - 23rd February 2009, for further details you will need to log into the Members only area.

5th July: Mark has made several stable visits viewing potential National Hunt prospects. He has viewed some horses that have run on the flat that have good pedigree's with the potential to make top class jumpers. He has also viewed several unraced 3 year olds that have been in training but are unraced and unnamed at the moment. Negotiations are ongoing and we will keep members posted of developments.

8th July: We are delighted to announce that Rex Johnson & Sons, the jewellers, will be our sponsor for the next twelve months. David Johnson is a big supporter of racing and we are very excited to have David Johnson and his company, Rex Johnson & Sons involved.

Rex Johnson & Sons have been established for over 35 years, gold buyer and jewellery retailer and have served generations of families across the West Midlands and have become a landmark at the centre of both Birmingham and Dudley. Specialising in fine antique jewellery, silverware and diamonds, the business is also renowned for its willingness to buy all manner of jewellery, coins and scrap gold at particularly generous prices. As a result, customers have flocked to sell their goods to them, both in the 1980-1981 gold boom and more recently, as gold prices have hit an all-time high. Customer loyalty and media interest have ensured that Rex Johnson & Sons are the most prominent and trusted gold buyers in the Midlands.

Family-run throughout its history and now being managed by the fourth generation of family jewellers, Rex Johnson & Sons continues to offer value and unrivalled service to every single customer - whether they are buying a diamond engagement ring or selling their unwanted and broken gold jewellery. The business has also built them a reputation for collecting items of historical significance. Items were purchased at the Duchess of Windsor sale in Geneva and the auction of Jackie Kennedy's estate in New York. Most recently, in 2006, Princess Margaret's treasured racing binoculars were acquired at Christie's in London.

7th July: The Club had a stand at the Royal Show in Stoneleigh for four days from the 3rd - 6th July and the response from the general public was very encouraging. We held a competition, with the winner receiving the first 12 months membership for free. A Mr John Walker from Newark in Nottinghamshire was the lucky winner and is now a fully fledged member. Jenny, Mark, Karen and Carole attended and manned the stand at the Royal Show and Jenny drew the winner at 4.30pm on the Sunday as the show was coming to a close.

The latest information on Machinist from the trainer, David Nicholls, is that he is in very "good form" and ready for his 6 furlong run in the Stewards' Cup at Glorious Goodwood on Saturday 2nd August. For more information you will need to log into the private Members only area.

23rd June: Club members enjoyed a fabulous day at Royal Ascot on the 21st June when Machinist was the first horse to carry the Club colours. The Wokingham Handicap is traditionally one of the hardest races to win. Machinist, despite missing the break in the stalls, ran an excellent race staying on strongly to be closest at the end beaten just over 3 lengths by the winner. He has come out of the race in great form, he has an entry at the Stewards Cup on 2nd August at Glorious Goodwood and this will probably be his next target unless the trainer, David Nicholls, feels that there will be a suitable race that he can win before that.

One of the highlights for Club members is the opportunity to join in the hospitality at the races. At Royal Ascot on Saturday our members were able to witness the victory of the The Queen's homebred colt, Free Agent, winning the first race of the day. Her Majesty's delight was obvious and all club members felt priviledged to be part of the occasion.

16th June: Pitman is one of the biggest brand names in racing and Jenny & Mark have now launched their Racing Club.  This is an exciting new venture for both of them as this first time Jenny has become actively involved since her retirement.  Mark is also returning to the front line having been based in Spain for the past two years.

The aim of the Club is to bring racing to the general public and give members an insight into what goes on behind the scenes as well as enjoying days at the races.

The Club is available to everyone and for your one off payment of £195 per year you can enjoy the benefits of following the Club’s horses in training without the large capital outlay that purchasing and training a racehorse involves.

Jenny and Mark will source horses that are capable of giving the Club members regular visits to the races.  The experience they have gained during their racing careers will ensure the best possible chance of success.

Our first horse, Machinist, trained by David Nicholls, is entered at Royal Ascot on Saturday 21st June 2008 in the Wokingham Stakes. He is also entered at Glorious Goodwood on Saturday 2nd August 2008 in the Stewards Cup which is a great opportunity for our members to enjoy the unique atmosphere and meet Jenny and Mark at the races.