Pedigree

                                                                      Sadler's Wells
                                        Black Sam Bellamy
                                                                      Urban Sea
Houxty Reiver
2017 bay mare
                                                                      Mtoto
                                        Izons Croft
                                                                      Sticky Money

The family

Houxty Reiver is a daughter of the Mtoto mare Izons Croft who was placed a couple of times in Point-to-Points. Mtoto is, of course, the sire to the top class NH sire Presenting.
Izons Croft was raced by owner/breeder Bill Aitchison who bred this mare.

Bill also bred the full sisters by Native Ruler, Bonny Houxty and Maid Of Houxty, who have also been in training here at Dodlands. Bonny Houxty had been placed 7 times, while Maid Of Houxty has won and been placed 4 times over fences.
The 2nd dam, Sticky Money has bred 3 winners over jumps, the best of which has been Magic Money a 6-time winner over hurdles and fences, who was also listed placed over fences.
A little further back in the pedigree under the 3rd dam Cover Your Money can be found the Grand National winner Red Marauder and his brother Red Striker who won both The Dipper and Peter Marsh Chase.
A stout pedigree!

About the sire

Black Sam Bellamy (bay horse, b 1999), a big, strong close-coupled type, was trained by Aiden O'Brien in his 3 seasons on the track from 2-4. Of his 4 wins, two were Group 1 affairs - over 12f at San Siro and the Tattersalls Gold Cup (10f) the following season.
He achieved a Timeform rating of 121 at his peak.
Of course, it is his pedigree that has proved an even better attraction to breeders. One of 9 black-type performers out of the great broodmare Urban Sea, Black Sam Bellamy is a full brother to the immense Galileo and a half-brother to Sea The Stars.
Retired to stud in Germany in 2004 where he stood for 5 seasons as a Flat Sire before he relocated to Shade Oak Stud in 2009 to start a new career as an NH Sire at a reasonably priced £3k per cover.
Amongst his best progeny have been Graded chase winner The Giant Bolster, Graded chase/hurdle winner Sam Spinner, Mildmay Chase winner Sam Brown & multiple Grade 1 winning French hurdler Galop Marin. He died in 2018 but the string of high class progeny will flow for years to come.

Form Summary

Season 2023-24 outlook

Houxty Reiver was well held in each of her 2 runs last season in bumpers. She took a fairly strong hold on the first of these on the turf track at Newcastle in December and was struggling entering the home straight a month later on the AW at the same track.

So, a bit to prove but the mare will be schooled over hurdles with a view to making a hurdling debut towards the middle of the season. Houxty Reiver could be well suited by a trip over hurdles like her sisters Bonny Houxty and Maid Of Houxty.

Profile....

We're indebted once more to owner-breeder Bill Aitchison who sent along "Bella", a lovely, study filly by Black Sam Bellamy out of his broodmare Izons Croft. The filly is now named Houxty Reiver.
She arrived at the end of November '21 and was fairly far forward as she has been in pre-training for several weeks prior to coming here. Houxty Reiver was close to an outing in a bumper that season but the ground dried up so she was put away for the 2022-23 season.

The mare had been coming "Up-the-Middle" in pleasing fashion each morning with her companions early on in the 2022-23 season but didn't show much on two bumper runs at Newcastle either side of New Year.

Season		win	2nd	3rd	4th	other
2022-23	NH Flat					2
2023-24	Hurdles					1

Current Season Form

5 February 24 Carlisle : 2m 3½f Mares' Novices' Hurdle (Class ) soft (Henry Brooke) - pulled up

Raced off the pace, mistake sixth, pushed along after, struggling when mistake next, pulled up before 2 out

Previous Season Form

31 January 23 Newcastle : 2m ½f NH Flat Race (Class 5) standard to slow 14 ran (Craig Nichol) - 11th (beaten 62l)

Settled in midfield, ridden and struggling 4f out, finished well behind

A bumper run on the AW surface at Newcastle. Houxty Reiver was unable to show any improvement from her debut run.

26 December 22 Newcastle : 2m 1f Mares Only NH Flat Race (Class 5) soft 16 ran (John Kington) - 13th (beaten 82l)

Settled in midfield, ridden and lost place 5f out, behind final 3f

This could well prove to be an above average mares bumper with the winner Blue Baloo making her experience tell over a couple of highly touted newcomers. Houxty Reiver was keen early, soon settled but couldn't find any more from the bottom bend in quite testing conditions.