The Blog

April 30th

After yesterday's early start, an even earlier one today...

Two horseboxes on the yard at 5.30. Six horses being loaded right now to head to the delights of downtown Dunstall....

And a grey, grey sky. Could do with some rain for Island Arrow at Huntingdon tonight. Threatening clouds out there give me hope...

must dash !!

April 29th - my Mother's Birthday

"weight stops trains"....

And that was the case with Sparkling Montjeu yesterday. She still ran with credit, battling from the last to past two horses for 4th. Another trip to the Winner's Enclosure - we just prefer to be at the other end....

Off to school two at a helpful local Trainer's premises right now. They are walking up the horsebox ramp right now. So am I....

April 28th

Pleased to see some of that wet, rainy stuff around. A few Racecourses will be relieved. The job of the Clerk of the Course is a desperately difficult one - but it is their call to do the job, and therefore, probably very unsympathetically, I have little sympathy when they get it wrong. Our jobs as Racehorse Trainers are hard enough without turning up at tracks to find them over / under-watered. There is never any recourse to the Clerk or the Racecourse if the ground appears to be not as described - and it is the Owners and Trainers who foot the bills for wasted journeys.....

No runners yesterday. Tribunel's poor effort on Sunday immediately explained after a visit from Jacek, our excellent Vet, and the good news is that we can address the situation and move on. He will be out of action for a while - but, mercifully, a short while.

The "drama" of the day was the collapse of the very smart section of white railings which I had (personally, I might add - being a bit of a DIY legend...??!!) erected beside the drive to protect horses, dogs, children, cars, snails etc from toppling into the ditch. After a few hours of incessant rain, my smart "erection" toppled to the ground - cue one of those ridiculous "wrestling with white anaconda" episodes as I tried (successfully I might add) to repair the damage. And now you would never know.....

Thankfully, my great friend Rupert Rittson-Thomas arrived for lunch to spare me from any further DIY chaos.....

Wincanton today with Sparkling Montjeu. She arrived here as a rather weak and slightly recalcitrant filly - but now her attitude and her battling qualities are becoming legendary around the yard. She has become a real star - and hopefully she can step up to the plate again today.....    

April 27th

Leicester on Saturday for the debut of George Baker. A pity that the jockey by  the same name was banned, but I am sure there will be opportunities later in the Summer to get the treble up. A reasonable first run....

And at least I was given the opportunity to pronounce live on ATR that "the girls in the yard say that they get a great feel off of George Baker"......

I think that just for half a moment even Robert Cooper was lost for words !!

Maddy and Matthew up at Ripon - and yet again she ran her usual honest race. She will never be a superstar - but she is a trier, and I have no doubt that she will pick up a couple of victories through the season and build on this solid third placing.

To Ludlow yesterday - and Tribunel a disappointment in the bumper. He had run well on debut - but this was a frustrating step backwards. He has been showing us plenty at home and this really was too bad to be true - I am sure that something will come to light and we will be able to put a line through yesterday.....

The rare roast beef was a  consolation - as was the company of Owners Nikki and Les of Orbit Performance who were wonderfully pragmatic and understanding afterwards. If only all Owners behaved as magnanimously in defeat as well as victory.....

Plans for the week a little fluid - and a weather watch required. We need a little rain - selectively please God. Dry and sunny here yesterday morning - and the chance for a competitive game of cricket with Barney and Tallulah. As befits the next Freddie Flintoff, Barney has a great eye (and hopefully better knees than the great man) whilst Tallulah is positively Randallesque in the field. My bowling reminded myself of Lillee and Holding in their pomps - and Barney was probably pleased that I was steaming in off my international run-up holding a tennis ball rather than a cricket ball.....

As in my youth at home, the garden is littered with tennis balls. Some people have worry beads or stress balls - I prefer to wander around with a tennis ball, tossing it from hand to hand in the manner of Shane Warne at the top of his run-up. Perhaps the pressures of this game are getting to me......??!!

My favourite "tennis ball story" (?! - don't you all have one....??) goes as follows. Staying in a house in the hills above St Tropez a few Summers back, I had decided to turn in for the night, leaving a motley crew still talking rubbish on the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean. After a while, C came down to our room and announced that they were heading up to Gassin for a drink. I grunted and rolled over......

But as I heard the engine of the Nissan Navara, which Jimmy Brecknock and I had driven down, start up, I suddenly felt that I was missing out. Throwing on my clothes, I ran down the drive behind the truck and, when the team stopped to allow the electric gates to open, I threw myself into the boot (separate from the main cab in these vehicles) - undetected.....

After the short drive up the hill to the magical village of Gassin, as the vehicle came to a halt I flew out of the boot, ran 50 yards and stood stock still - bouncing a tennis ball slowly up and down.....

The team fell out of the truck, giggling and laughing - and then caught sight of me......

Their faces will be etched in my memory forever - that is what people look like when they see a ghost.......!!!

April 25th

Feeding at silly o'clock, four lots watched, several entries made, weekend runners declared, emails replied to, invoices paid, letters posted, M40 by 10.30, Marks Club for lunch with Balthazar Fabricius, Jon Aismith, John Breslin, Gulls eggs followed by pink lamb cutlets, onto the M4 by 3.30, screaming blue murder down the telephone as Steig gets done a head at Wolverhampton, Chepstow by 6.00, the Blacksheeps and Valerie in the Owners and Trainers Bar, time for a settling pint of John Smiths, saddle Island Arrow, down to the last, momentary hope as he jumps the second last, an honourable third by the time he passes me, a quick debrief drink with Blacksheeps and Andrew Tinkler, Charlie Longsden with us and deciding on dinner options (he opted for the Golden Arches - I am ashamed to say it was a KFC in a service station for me), onto the M5 by 8, home by 10.30, a quick review of the entries and 30 minutes with the Programme book - and then BED........

Just another normal day.......

The horses running fantastically well - better to be hitting that crossbar than the corner flags...... 

April 24th

Very pleased with Massams Lane's second at Uttoxeter last night. This fellow is pretty slow and will probably struggle to win - but a second placing, albeit in a different parish to the winner, was a bold showing.

Candida and I not at Uttoxeter as we were at a Birthday dinner for a great friend, Georgia Daventry. Billed as a "gentle supper with a few family", we eventually made it home at 2.00 in the morning. Those Daventrys are dangerous....

To London now - and then onto Chepstow's evening meeting. Steig on a reconnaissance mission at Wolverhampton and sure to tighten up after today - Island Arrow in good order after Bangor at the weekend and heading back to Wales tonight.

Runners all over the place at the weekend - that treadmill requires some new batteries......   

April 23rd

Just back from Manchester - a swift run down the M1.

United always appearing to be "on the bridle" last night - 2-0 in the end, and the Premiership surely in the bag....

A ticket stamped "Guest of Sir Alex Ferguson" is a pretty reasonable way to the start the evening - and ten minutes, one on one, a couple of hours after the final whistle were moments to savour. Entertaining. Fascinating. A privilege.....  

April 22nd

If only I could paint......

A magical scene this morning. A thin sliver of mist hanging inches from the ground in the paddock, six pairs of horse's ears poking over the top of it. All ears pricked, watching me, hopefully, as I pass them by with the feed barrow. Sorry boys - you will have to make do with that spring grass...

Blimey. That football game is beginning to become a "must watch". What a remarkable game that was last night between Liverpool and Arsenal - was that the end of Liverpool's challenge, despite playing like champions apparent? How they let in four goals is beyond me - not sure whether the keeper actually made a  save....

And the drama of the Premiership continues at Old Trafford tonight. I will be there, Patrick and I heading up there to meet our new Owner. A real chance for Manchester United to pull clear again - but I cannot help feeling that there is another twist in the tail......

It will certainly make a change from the normal fare that I am used to watching at Loftus Road...

First lot getting earlier and earlier as dawn allows us to get up and running. A decent team of riders in yesterday -  but still enough horses for six lots. A few of the 2-year-olds really coming to themselves, and a few entered yesterday for the 2-year-old trophy at Redcar in October - you certainly have to think ahead in this game. And with a solid team of Summer jumpers, we are going to be busy under both codes....

I am pretty sure that yesterday saw the largest number of horses ridden out to the gallops so far. During a reasonably scary economic situation, it is gratifying to be bucking the trend just a little. But we are all aware that we live in fragile times - and so will leave the "resting on laurels" to others....

April 21st

The Spring grass is here - and many of the National Hunt team are now in the paddocks around the house enjoying their holidays. A fine sight - and enriched by the presence with us for a month or two of Kew Green.....

Kew was a superstar when in training with Paul Webber - and we were lucky enough to own him for his final season having bought him off Peter Jensen. When his racing days were numbered, he headed off to the British Racing School to teach the next generation of Frankies and Hayleys. Peter and Sue Jensen have always been extremely fond of Kew (they had a magnificent portrait done of him) - and it was actually they who received the first call from the Racing School saying that Kew needed a bit of R and R......

He has tweaked a suspensory - nothing dramatic, but the real issue is that he is not a ride for the inexperienced at the best of times. The BRS have asked us to give him a holiday and then manage his initial comeback - before returning him to Newmarket ready to carry on with his job. A privilege. He looks magnificent - and I can see him now, as I write, in the paddock in front of the house. With him Albany, Friendly King, Harellie, a Best of the Bests 4-year-old and Wingull - impart to them your wisdom please Kew...........!!!

That weather girl was absolutely spot on yesterday. Phew - what a scorcher....

And a first last night as we headed off en famille for a ride around the lanes. Me on "Mr Bombproof" Jungli (although he had a couple of "moments" just to keep my mind on the job), Tallulah and Barney on their ponies, C drawing the short straw on her feet minding Headley (Greyhound-tempted by rabbits and lambs) and Ghillie (spaniel - too overweight since her puppies to scare anything).

Speaking of greyhounds, we are about to get involved with a dog at Coventry racetrack. A good excuse for some good fun nights out for the team - not that we seem to need much of an excuse, as winners tend to be pretty enthusiastically celebrated in The Antelope or elsewhere....

H Findlay has named some of his better horses after his favourite greyhounds (Big Fella Thanks being by the far the most important dog in his life). We will do it slightly different. Our first team dog will go by the name of MUSIC BOX EXPRESS.......    

April 2oth

"A fine, dry week ahead for most of us..."

So says the BBC weather girl in her "interesting" purple coat. Mist hanging above the fields as I look out across the paddocks - and a cloudless sky above. Feeding the horses just now without the need for a coat or a hat - Summer on the horizon....???!!!

Bangor on Saturday appeared to attract a massive crowd, the smell of barbecues hanging in the air, the course producing excellent ground and rewarded with competitive sport. A decent step forward from Island Arrow after his "pulled-up" at Warwick. If he had not been stopped dead in his tracks by a horse struggling back through the field,  he would definitely have been in the three.

As it was, a fourth placing was a respectable showing - and I am sure there is plenty more to come from this enormous stamp of a horse....

A happy gathering at lunchtime yesterday with my ex-Wedd Durlacher / Swiss Bank colleagues Nick Collings and Richard Lilley here with assorted family members. The three of us used to sit in a row in various dealing rooms of the City, a scary number of years ago - if somebody back then had said we would all be having lunch etc etc etc............ 

Nick a supporter of ours from Day One - and still a part-Owner of Excellerator who carries many of our Summer dreams. Richard about to become an Owner - obviously (Morning, Mr Lill !!!)....

A gentle start to the week on the runners front - and so it will be back to that exciting pile of paperwork for me.......