Zara Tindall’s much-loved mare A Little Something continued her impressive progression over fences with a commanding victory in a handicap chase, extending an already remarkable record for the royal-owned horse.
The seven-year-old bay mare, bred and owned by the King’s niece, powered to a 12-length success under jockey Ben Jones after making virtually all of the running.
Trainer Emma Lavelle’s charge took control of the contest from an early stage, jumping fluently throughout before pulling clear of her rivals to secure her second consecutive victory.
The win was another significant milestone for A Little Something, who has now finished in the first three on nine occasions from just 13 career starts.
The mare’s consistency has made her one of the most reliable horses to carry the Tindall colours in recent seasons. Before her latest back-to-back victories, she had already finished runner-up twice and third twice, demonstrating admirable consistency throughout her short career.
A Little Something also boasts a notable royal pedigree. She is by Dartmouth, one of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s most successful homebred racehorses, and was bred by Tindall out of Somethinaboutmolly.
Her sire, Dartmouth, won the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2016 and was one of the late Queen’s favourite horses before retiring to stud.
Trainer Emma Lavelle believes the switch to fences from has transformed A Little Something’s fortunes.
She told the Racing Post: “A Little Something seems to really love chasing and she’s got very sure of herself with her jumping.
“I think going over fences has been the making of her. The trip seems to be right and she loves this better ground, so you’d be hoping there’s a bit of improvement to come.”
The trainer indicated that another outing could come quickly, with a valuable race at Stratford already under consideration.
“Hopefully the handicapper won’t do anything too ridiculous,” Lavelle added.
“There’s a race at Stratford in a couple of weeks that’s a 0-100 and it’s worth a bit more money, and that’s been our plan. We’ll keep running her until she tells us she needs a break.”
Tindall, an accomplished equestrian and Olympic silver medallist, remains closely involved with her horses despite her busy schedule.
The former eventing star was travelling to Bramham Horse Trials while A Little Something was competing but remained in regular contact with connections.
“Zara’s a massive racing enthusiast, she’s involved and we stay in contact a lot,” Lavelle said.
“She was on her way to Bramham Horse Trials today and I’d say she’d love to take the reins on A Little Something, especially with how she’s jumping now.”
With two wins from her last two starts and her confidence continuing to grow over fences, A Little Something appears to be developing into another success story for Tindall’s carefully nurtured breeding operation.
