A GROUP of Newport brothers are on a winning streak – after a chance purchase of a racehorse.

Martin, Alan and Stephen Shinton from Pill purchased seven-year-old See the Sea in June 2019 from trainer Donald McCain after another horse they'd bought wasn't suitable for racing.

“We were supposed to have another horse but it didn’t go to plan, so Donald offered us this horse instead,” said Martin Shinton.

“She was initially trained by Richard Hannon who she ran on the flat for before Donald and she’s won seven races in total for us.”

See the Sea won her first three races under the Shinton brothers, with a number of mixed results and a further win before having an operation in July of this year. Since returning to the field, she placed second in her first race back and has since won three races in a row and broke the course record on two of them.

On October 14, she won over hurdles at Wincanton, setting a course record of three minutes, 22.15 seconds. Eight days earlier she beat the course record by completing the hurdles in three minuites, 30.4 seconds at Ludlow.

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“We expected her to do well as she had already finished in place for Donald," said Martin. "We were meant to have another horse from him but it didn’t work out and he said about this one.”

The brothers have had horses all their lives and used to train them for point-to-point races. They were part owners of Bob’s Law, who won 12 races while they were owners.

They also have a five-year-old horse called Turpin Gold who has placed in national races and is trained by Robert Stephens in Penhow, and have just bought Lindwall, a three-year-old horse trained by Sir Mark Prescott.

On See the Sea’s future, Martin said: “She will run as soon as there is a race for her. She has already gone up nine pounds but will go up again. She likes the ground to be good to firm and she likes to jump.

“She’s also going to be a good breeding mare down the line.”

See the Sea has been ridden on her most recent wins by jockey Peter Kavanagh who he hopes will ride her again.

Martin said: “He is a good jockey who claims seven pounds which takes the weight off her back.”