Still dark when the alarm goes off - but now finishing the morning feed in the half-light of dawn. Fresher this morning - and a few forecasters mentioning the dread word "snow". Please not.....
The morning round of the horses a real "wake-up call" - I doubt if professional boxers sparring in the ring have to be as agile as me in the morning. Steig always trying to take a lump out of my shoulder, the Domedriver colt as bouncy as Tigger, Orpens Art almost clambering over the door in search of his feed, Firefly Mustique requiring a "David Duckham sidestep" (remember him...??) from me to avoid a flailing hoof, Shut The Bar all ears back and grumpy and looking for the chance of a swift nip of the arm and Highland Storm seemingly intent on redesigning his lodgings with some well-directed kicks....
Stratford on Saturday with the enigma that is Oujamaflip. A fantastic workhorse, as he was previously with Carl Llewellyn, he ran very well for a long way. I am sure that this horse has races in him - but understandably his patient team of Owners, lead by Phil Dixon, have been standing at the bar of "The Last Chance Saloon" for too long. When I first met Phil, he told me that he had not had much luck with horses - that has to change at some point, and I promised Phil that I would not mention Frascati Park again...... OOOPs !! Sorry mate !!
The upside to Saturday was the Spring sunshine. A happy gathering (at least pre-race) of assorted Owners and Children, and sitting on the grass in the Sun with a pint in hand was not all bad....
A day at home yesterday. Some of that tedious paperwork stuff consigned to the rubbish bin in the morning - and then just the four of us around the table for some excellent Roast Pork. As it was Mother's Day, I would like to pretend that I did the cooking - but as Candida reads this once in a blue moon, I might just struggle to get away with that one.....
To Plumpton today. Some decent chances, I hope, and we travel there hoping that the ground description of "Good" does what it says on the tin...
And news that the website overhaul is nearly complete - and we may see the new "all singing, all dancing" site up and running by the end of the week. Neil Clements has been a legend on this front, and we all look forward to seeing what it is like. Apparently the site will have loads of new features - the chance to win a ride in The Grand National, an opportunity to win £1,000,000 per month for life, a "Spot the Jockey" competition and loads more. Can't wait...!!!
Fantastic double today, I backed them both!
Will be following Divy in the future. Thanks, keep up the good work.
Posted by: Tristan | March 23, 2009 at 05:59 PM