'We thought we'd do something different' - Canter Banter Racing revelling in warm spell for Seven Barrows team

The Canter Banter Racing syndicate is a good example of quality over quantity, and for co-founder David Fehily it has been quite the journey. 

He and Katie Croft were among the full-time head staff at Nicky Henderson's all-conquering stable in Lambourn, before leaving last summer to focus on their own yard, and it is with him that the syndicate have their horses. 

Fehily and Croft run Canter Banter alongside a pre-training business and currently have around 15 horses on their books. They still go into Seven Barrows to ride out the Canter Banter runners.

Their small but select racing team is headed by the high-class Theatre Glory, who went unsold at just €4,800 from the Tattersalls Ireland August National Hunt Sale in 2020 but has belied that by becoming a dual Listed winner among six victories in all. 

David Fehily rides work on the dual Grade 1 winner Chantry House at Seven BarrowsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Fehily said: "I got into racing when I was young, I come from Ireland and went point-to-pointing quite a lot. A few years ago we thought we'd do something different and set up a syndicate just to see how it would go. 

"It's gone on from there with a few members. It's been quite hard but once you get the hang of it you start rolling as you meet a lot of people. In Spring Note and Theatre Glory we've got 20 shares, and in Either Or there's 12."

Theatre Glory has been a tremendous servant carrying the dark blue, orange seams and striped cap of Canter Banter Racing, her Listed strikes coming at Cheltenham in April 2022 and Warwick last February, when she beat the smart Molly Ollys Wishes by 11 lengths. 

The daughter of Fame And Glory was also Grade 2-placed in Sandown's Select Hurdle last spring, and more recently in the Ascot Hurdle in November. She is due to head back to the Berkshire track in search of a first Graded score. 

Fehily said: "Theatre Glory's been fantastic and the plan next is to go to Ascot on January 20 for a Grade 2 mares' hurdle over three miles."

Spring Note canters to a 16-length victory at Newbury recentlyCredit: Edward Whitaker

The syndicate recently had another commanding winner – their tenth in total – in the form of Spring Note, who gave her mares' handicap hurdle rivals a 16-length drubbing at Newbury on Challow Hurdle day over the festive period. 

The Mahler six-year-old did not escape the attentions of the handicapper for what was her third success, being raised 13lb, and she could now attempt to emulate her stablemate in securing some black type.

"She's come out of that race very well," reported Fehily. "We ran her at Ascot in November over three miles and she just didn't stay from the second-last, so we thought we'd drop her right back in trip and make plenty of use of her. 

"The handicapper's been fairly hard on her so we might look for some black type; she's rated 123 now so winning another handicap might be a bit tricky."

Canter Banter also looks to have another promising prospect on its hands in Either Or, a point-to-point winner at Lisronagh in February for Robert Tector. 

Theatre Glory strikes at Cheltenham in 2022Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The daughter of the exciting Affinisea was second to subsequent Listed fourth Rula Bula at Warwick in November and is set to make her hurdling bow sooner rather than later. 

Fehily said: "She's lovely and we got her around this time last year from an Irish point. She ran well in a bumper; we'd never really planned to go for a bumper but to go straight over hurdles, however we thought we'd try to nick one. 

"She just bumped into one really and could now head to Lingfield for the Winter Million meeting, as there's a mares' novice hurdle on the Sunday over two miles which is worth a lot of money."

With the likelihood of Theatre Glory heading to the paddocks, Fehily is on the lookout for more talent to add to the racing string. He is determined to keep numbers at a manageable level, however. 

He said: "I'm pretty sure this is going to be Theatre Glory's last year so we'll be looking for a couple more. We won't have ten or 15 racehorses but we'd look to have four or five on the go."

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