The Blog

January 30th

Cold, dark, bleak and muddy - and that's just my office.....

Towcester had been the plan this morning. We had planned to canter a few on the grass, but having watched a bit of yesterday's racing it became abundantly clear that we should only go there if we were training any of our horses for an ascent of Everest. We are not - yet....

And so we will tip away here this morning - and then head to "leafy" Lingfield with Wickedly Fast in the hope that she can live up to her name. "Leafy" are kindly laying on a free carvery lunch for people with runners and so we shall undoubtedly avail ourselves of their generosity.

Desperate news in yesterday's Racing Post about my old mate Ed Chamberlin, the Sky Sports newsreader. Ed has been diagnosed with the dreaded Cancer and is undergoing treatment. I have not spoken to him yet, but we are all keeping everything very firmly crossed for this most charming and loveable guy.

Another reality check. Another chance to grab a sense of perspective. As Kim Bailey said to me in an email the other day, his father's mantra was to ensure that you did not lie on your death bed wondering "what if"......

We only have one crack at this. Live it to the max. Press the gamble button occasionally. There are some who will disapprove of this philosophy, but they should get a life before they do not have one....

GO FOR IT !!   

January 29th

"Work in progress" is what we are here right now....

Mick and his team putting up stables and hammering in the last nail just as a new horse walks off the horsebox into it's new home. Just keeping ahead of the game. Mick's craftmanship second to none with the new stables looking as if they have been here for years.

And we are building a track out across the fields to the gallops. The fields, rain-soaked and sodden, are in a pretty poor state - and this track will allow the horses a "mud-free" passage to the gallops. This will be a massive improvement.

All this work brings with it an enormous amount of heavy traffic up the drive - there was a moment yesterday when I thought the yard was heading for gridlock as the Shavings lorry, a couple of horseboxes and two lorries bringing hardcore for the track converged upon us at the same time. Some pretty nifty driving (especially from the Sundown Shavings fellow) averted complete meltdown, but Mick may well have to build us our own "Sphagetti Junction" to cope with all this excitement.

I might also set up a toll halfway up the drive......

With traffic and building work comes mud. There is nothing we can do about it - but any of your dear readers who are heading this way soon should bring your wellies (and a fiver for the toll....).

C and I, and Barney and Tallulah, went the 100 yards to our neighbours last night to share a Chinese Takeaway. A gentle stroll across the garden ???

Not a bit of it. If we had walked, we would have arrived like extras out of a First World War trench warfare movie, covered in mud and grime. And so we drove the 75 yards to the top of the drive - not very proud of my carbon footprint.........   

January 28th

To London yesterday and lunch with a team of Alderbed's Owners - Willie Robertson (fresh from the 40/1 success of the Willie Jarvis trained The Mumbo in his colours), his son Max and Eddie Wyvill....

Excellent company and an excellent lunch just off Parson's Green. Willie saw a gap in the market back in the 60's for insuring rock concerts against cancellation (for whatever reason.....) and is the guru of this world. Some good tales.....

And I even got the chance to spin around the back streets on Eddie's scooter - a fine toy.....

No runners today - and so one of those much looked forward to days in front of a pile of paperwork and invoices. C has been working away setting up a system whereby our invoices will be produced at the flick of a button - at the moment, Fi Webber and I spend many a long hour producing them manually. Fingers firmly crossed......

Jockey Paul O'Neill with us yesterday to test drive a potential horse for Owner Peter Hughes. Good to report that Peter, who had such success with Lady Deauville and others last year, is on board.

Wet, wet, wet out there again. Frustrating for many - not least the patient owners of La Patrona who has been ready to go but needs better ground. We really are all at the mercy of the weather Gods....

An email from Kim Bailey yesterday attaching an obituary of that old rogue and bon viveur Dai Llewellyn. Kim reckons his lifestyle reminds him of me - black, pots and kettles spring to mind....!! 

January 27th

A mixed day yesterday.....

A disappointment at Ludlow - and an episode that I shall be taking further today. Friendly King arrived at the Shropshire track, alongside his travelling mate Jungli, in good spirits. Patrick had travelled with the horses, and was leading Friendly King into a stable when the horse suddenly slipped and fell, giving himself a nasty bang...

Patrick was appalled at the quality and level of the bedding and is convinced that the lack of cover on a slippery floor caused the horse to fall. The vet who came to see Friendly King was similarly appalled. The net result is that we have a sore and stiff horse today, a wasted and expensive journey and a winning opportunity gone.

I love Ludlow as a Racecourse (especially after Double Dash's recent victory), but I do need to highlight to the Racecourse executive what happened to our horse to prevent any recurrence in the future.

Luckily, downtown Dunstall came to the rescue as La Diosa scooted home in the seller on her first outing for us. A cheap (3000 gns) purchase at Tatts in November, she is no superstar but, having looked in trouble down the back straight, she came home in some style under a power-packed Chris Catlin ride.

We retained her at the subsequent auction for 4,250 Guineas and will be keeping her to similar company in the weeks ahead.

And so a reasonable excuse for a beer or two in The Antelope last night with the team......

January 26th

The "World Exclusive" on the front pages of yesterday's News Of The World.......

You, of course, dear one reader, got the news a day earlier. Just a shame that the "true" tale was not that Abramovich is sending us loads of yearlings....

Ludlow and Wolverhampton today. Friendly King, the apple of many an eye here, runs at the former (obviously...) and I am very hopeful of a big run. He remains in good heart - but is a horse who will not reach his full potential for a year or so. We hope for another progressive run.

I bought La Diosa cheaply at the Horses-In-Training Sales at Tatts in October and I am hopeful that we have found the right race for her this afternoon. She is no superstar - but should not have to be to get involved today.

A fantastic afternoon of sport at Cheltenham on Saturday. C and I there on a "Busman's" with no runners over the weekend, and great to be able to watch some quality racing. You just don't get this sort of thing at downtown Dunstall....

And a new Owner or two gained through the afternoon - one especially high profile. We would be very fortunate to have him on board, and I am looking forward to visiting his set-up in the next week or so to hatch a cunning plan or three.....

The Festival on the horizon - but still a long time before the black mornings lighten up. The novelty value of the pitch dark worn off long ago - I can tell you that when I am feeding the horses in the warm dawn of a Summer's morning, I will not be taking it for granted.   

January 24th

To Doncaster yesterday and, although we were heading up there with just the one outsider, it was great to be back racing on turf after a recent overkill of downtown Dunstall.

I have made no secret of the high regard in which I hold Wingull - and yesterday's run was a further progressive step. A big frame of a horse, he is still learning his trade and has a lot of growing to do both physically and mentally. Jumping in the main very well, he travelled well on the heels of the leaders until just able to plug on up the home straight. He has a patient team of Owners who fully understand that he is a long-term project - he will reward that patience.

Doncaster is another track that deserves great credit for the way it looks after Owners - a delicious Gammon roll and a bowl of leek and potato (I think...) soup is not hard to produce, but is much appreciated.

A Cotswold pub crawl last night with Barney and Tallulah. To The Fox in Great Barrington for a beer with Blacksheep, Bender and Beardie (Last of The Summer Wine eat your heart out....) and then onto the Kings Head in Bledington for an excellent dinner with Team Loder.

Along the way I heard that Shergar had been found, Prince Harry has been caught "playing away" and has been ditched by Chelsey, Roman Abramovich is sending me 10 yearlings and Gordon Ramsey has been signed by QPR to play in central defence - apparently one of the above is true.  You heard it here first........

January 23rd

Chasing fairytales is always liable to end in disappointment.....

Vanilla Bally's madcap adventure took her to downtown Dunstall yesterday evening. Usually very speedy from the stalls, on this occasion she fell out and it was "game over" from that point on. She was pretty sore and stiff afterwards - but I hope she will have learned a ton from the whole experience. This particular tale is not completely dead and buried yet.....

Kangrina needs a break. She has been on the go for too long and I pushed her a bridge too far yesterday. A good breather - and then she will return fresh and bouncy on good ground in the Summer. She is one of my resolutions for this year - I am determined that she will win, and at the back of all our minds is a spot of Summer jumping. She deserves a break and a grassy field beckons.

Wingull, one of the most exciting horses in the yard, heads to Doncaster today and is dismissed as a 66/1 shot. This horse is still weak and immature - but he is one with a decent future and we are hoping for another progressive step today. Time, and fences, will be the making of this fellow.

And I am off to Lingfield with Mile High Lad, a gorgeous horse who will be having a break after today with a view to coming back with an ambitious Summer programme in mind.

Vanilla Bally's Owner / Trainer Oren Sada with us this morning to ride out. A little different to the sand dunes of Ramle...!!  

January 22nd

At about 5.30 this evening, a quite extraordinary and remarkable tale will reach it's conclusion....

Oren Sada lives in the multi-cultural community of Ramle in Israel, a built-up residential area. He works the night shift for the local council in the Refuse Department, allowing him time during the day to train his one racehorse, Vanilla Bally.

Behind his family plot of land, there is an area of sand dunes which Oren would harrow each morning to create a makeshift gallop. He would trot and canter her for hours, bringing her to a peak of fitness for the irregular racedays laid on by the Israeli Jockey Club.

Vanilla is the Zarkava of her homeland, winning 7 of her 9 races despite some pretty blatant team tactics being employed by her rivals. Cut across and barged into, she would invariably pick herself up and come fast and late to mow down her opposition (Youtube - enter "Vanilla Bally", and you will get a flavour of what she has been doing).

Sadly racing in Israel is in a state of flux. Despite the good offices of Paul Alster, formally a race commentator and journalist in the UK, the sport is in turmoil. But there are some green shoots of hope - and Vanilla Bally's trek across the Middle East and Europe has created vast interest back home and across the world. Only yesterday The Washington Post were ringing for news. Racing is the sport of all peoples and races in Israel - Arab and Israeli mix happily and with genuine enthusiasm at the racetrack, and her exploits are being followed by both communities.

At a time of desperate difficulty in the region, it would be ludicrous to imagine that the exploits of a racehorse could be of any relevance, but there will be Arabs and Israelis huddled around their laptops and mobile telephones together as the final race runners enter the stalls this evening.

An extraordinarily brave gesture by Oren to allow his filly to be part of this epic adventure. To be apart from his pride and joy has been difficult and it was fantastic to see her ears prick up as he walked onto the yard yesterday afternoon to give her a huge hug.

My great friends James St Johnston and Dean Atkins have been massively supportive of this tale and their support has allowed us to come to this day.

How will she run ?? I genuinely find it difficult to know. Some days she works better than her rating - on others she looks pretty ordinary. We cannot equate her form in any way - but she is tough and hardy. She clearly does not shirk a battle.

Whatever happens today, this has been a hugely brave call by all involved. As we sat in The Antelope last night with Paul interpreting between Oren and myself, Oren told me that when she is ready she will not touch her feed.......

For the last two days, Vanilla Bally's food has lain untouched........      

January 21st

Watching the highlights of yesterday's inauguration the other side of the pond - apparently there have been a huge number of naming requests to Weatherbys for various derivatives of the President's name. The end of the "George Dubya" era. A new President. He looks a pretty sound fellow....

And obviously a man and First Lady with stamina - as I write they are apparently dancing at the 8th inauguration ball which they have attended tonight. Two more to go...!!

My tooth saga came to a pretty sore conclusion yesterday morning - but at least the Medieval gap-toothed look has gone. It went down a storm at William Fox-Pitt's party - people were very impressed that I had gone to the length of yanking out a tooth to get into Medieval "character".

But the tractor saga rumbles on. The cabless, lightless wonder is not exactly the lap of luxury in which to harrow those gallops. And as I had to do the gallop extra early yesterday before heading for the Dentist's chair, it was pretty much pitch black. Apparently the team found some interesting "patterns" on the gallops for first lot, indicating that I had not always been heading in the straightest of lines...

Matthew Davies has arrived from Mick Channon's and, together with his girlfriend Emma, have settled into a cottage in Lighthorne - handily situated right next door to The Antelope. He has ridden many times for us already - but will have first ride as our apprentice tomorrow at Wolverhampton. Where else.....??    

January 20th

As Mick Channon says, "This game will tame lions..."

The yard on Saturday morning abuzz after two bumper winners in two days. These races not easy to win and highly competitive - but Double Dash and Shut The Bar showing themselves to be potentially out of the top drawer with convincing victories at Ludlow and Catterick respectively.

But then the mood and the day are gone in an instant as in a moment of ghastly, tumbling melee poor Confederate's life is taken on the gallops. His final steady breeze before a race yesterday at Wolverhampton for which he would have been a short-priced favourite. Nothing more than a pipe-opener. But a pipe-opener that was to be his last.

Mick is absolutely correct. This game is some leveller.....