Monday 21st July 2008

I am devastated to report that we lost Fieldsofclover at Stratford yesterday. He had been an absolute star for us through the summers and was adored by everyone here at the yard. He was flat out and just took off too early at the fence and paid the ultimate price and with Jack Doyle breaking his wrist as well it really was a wretched day. It is very difficult to describe what it is like coming in to an empty stable in the morning and I hope we don't have to do it again this season.

We have a couple of runners tomorrow at Bangor and both look as though they are in pretty hot contests but they both seem in good order so hopefully they will run well.

Sunday 20th July 2008 - Season Update

Having just brought the jumpers back in, (much to their disgust!), I felt it was time to get a grip on keeping this site updated - could try harder was on my report card after last seasons effort at it! This I hope will be the first of many updates.

Most of the horses have done extremely well over the summer as although it has not been brilliant for us as far as tans are concerned, the one thing about lack of sun for the horses is lack of flies as well! Last year was such a memorable year for all sorts of reasons but obviously the highlight was Crack away Jack winning at the Festival and the likes of Labelthou winning the mares hurdle at Ascot and Bishop's Bridge just getting touched off at Punchestown. Although their were plenty of highs I felt as though we never really got much consistency through the season and I feel that some of that was down to Barry getting injured early in the year and some of the horses not really being at the top of their game.

Timmy Murphy was a very big help to me during Barry's injury and rode as much as he was able but my intention this year is to use Jack Doyle who is very much an up and coming jockey. He is based with Alan King but will come over to me once or twice a week and I hope will be available to ride most of our runners. He gets horses travelling and jumping and with Barry involved as well I hope it is the best team we have had yet.

There have been a few runners through the summer with Fields of Clover putting his best foot forward as usual. If the ground is safe quick ground he runs his heart out, the minute the watering can comes out his breathing comes under pressure and without enough oxygen winning is just not an option for him!

Et Maintenant, Prince Villevert and Tritonville Lodge should all be out fairly shortly and should hopefully run well. The flat horses have also been performing well and after watching Time Loup win a 5f 2 year old seller at Leicester the other day I know they must be in good form! His stable companion Zebrano should run again fairly shortly and I would be very proud to have a 100% record with my 2 2 year olds. Tomina also deserves a mention. Having missed 2 1/2 years through injury to come back and perform as well as he has on the flat has been remarkable and has given his owner and myself immense pleasure. He now goes to Goodwood for a 2m5f race and I hope his run can continue.

As well as some very smart performers from last year returning to the fray we have some really nice new youngsters that have come over from both Ireland and France. Each year I try and improve the quality of the horses and so a couple of the old boys have retired such as Umbrella Man, who has already been placed at his first BE event - what an all round star! Some who just did not do enough to earn their place in the yard have also gone off to alternative careers. A good one costs the same as a poor one to train and it just does not make sense for either the yard or the owners to continue having them in training.

Crack Away Jack looks marvellous and I think will remain over hurdles for the start of this year and see what happens after that. All his schooling was done over fences and so if he doesn't make it to the top over the smaller ones the bigger ones beckon! Labelthou is now out in the field after having a horrible experience in France.

The aim for her will be the same race she won at Ascot last year and then see whether she still enjoys it or goes off to stud. Bishop's Bridge will return at the end of the month having done us proud again this year. He may not be the most straightforward but even off a mark of 140 remains competitive. Blaeberry lost her form towards the end of last year but it transpired that she had a deep infection in her foot and I hope now that it has been sorted she will resume her winning ways.

There are many exciting youngsters but a few to mention would be Paws and Claws who ran extremely well in his only bumper to finish 3rd at Uttoxeter, Red Mile who is from the family of Katarino, Kangaroo Court who was the 2nd top rated 4 year old point to pointer in Ireland this year, King's Forest who finished 2nd in the point to point bumper at Fairyhouse and Global Warming who is a nice King's Theatre 4 year old.

It is as always a very exciting time of year and I hope that this news page will be full through the season of all the horses' successes. Fingers crossed!

Friday 23rd November 2007

At last some decent rain has arrived and although it means the end, for the time being, of the likes of Zero's campaign it does mean the beginning for some of the others.

They have continued to run well and I am very pleased that we look to have some very nice youngsters for the future here and that some of last years babies have fulfilled their promise for this year. Rio de Janeiro has run two cracking races this season in big handicaps and it can only be a matter of time before he lands one. Daltaban although a tad disappointing so far looks to have races in him and Presence of Mind who got very tired in the Sussex National still ran a super race considering he has had so many problems and so much time off. He should be a different proposition next time.

We have plenty of runners over the next few days of which Marcus has his debut over fences at Exeter today and Labelthou tomorrow. Two days of keeping my eyes shut!! Both have schooled well and as long as the ground is soft enough for Labelthou and not too soft for Marcus both should have good chances. I run two lovely young horses in the novice hurdle at Ascot today and one very unexposed one in Talenti and I would hope all should run well. It is never my intention of running horses in the same races but the conditions suited and so hopefully we can have the 1-2-3! Najca de Thaix runs at Towcester on Sunday and he again should have a chance - he seems in great order and should have his ground.

We had one very disappointing result in that Stern having been working so well and who had looked so good at Ascot last season has sadly picked up a career ending injury. For him I would think he is delighted as he will be spending the rest of his time hacking in the New Forest but for us it is a huge disapointment!

Friday 9th November 2007 - THE SEASON SO FAR

Firstly I have to apologise profusely for not having given you any updates for a while - we have been so busy bringing in the winners that I keep forgetting to warn you that they are running!

Considering that we have had very little rain and that plenty of the horses are standing in their boxes waiting for it, I could not be happier with how the runners that we have had, have been performing - some of them have actually looked really exciting.

Otantique has won his two starts this season and will be out again very shortly. He is a real galloper and jumper (so long as you forget the last at Huntingdon the other day!) and looks a horse with a bright future. He is only 5 and has gone up to a mark of 127 but I think that he is still on the upgrade as long as he gets his favoured quick ground. Blaeberry could not have been more impressive in winning at Stratford - her jumping was superb and she will head for another novice chase carrying a penalty possibly at Folkestone, before we take a look at stepping her up in grade. She again would prefer quicker ground but she looks a very nice prospect over fences. Zero is another who looks a nice type and his performance at Ascot was smart. He is now rated 125 and so he will start to step up in grade a little now. It is amazing the difference a step up in trip can make and having Barry riding them! Bishop's Bridge yesterday was a good result especially as he came back this morning with a septic corn in his foot - he may not be the most genuine but to have performed with that brewing in his foot was a credit to him. He may now go for an extended 2 mile race at Cheltenham in ten days or wait for Newbury at the beginning of December.

There were some lovely performances from some of the youngsters such as Phar Again who at this stage seems more talented than his ill-fated brother Phar out favorite and I think could be a serious horse in the future. It was a taking performance by TowerofCharlemagne who just seemed to need the race a little but has recovered very well and also Sir Laughalot who ran a lovely race first time over fences at Huntingdon. There were one or two disappointments as well - Opus Cafe we thought should have won at Chepstow but seemed to show no battle when it counted and sadly Palua did himself some damage when running disappointingly but I could not end without commenting on Tana River who ran a blinder at Chepstow when finishing second to horse that he gave 11lbs and 4 years! I had run him there using it as a prep race for the Marathon chase at Sandown at the beginning of December, a race he won last year. He seems as good as ever and although he will have to carry an awful lot of wait it would be truly wonerful if he could do it again.

We have three runners tomorrow all of which have chances (I hope!) and with some lovely horses waiting in the wings I hope we can continue the season the way that it has started.

Monday 8th October 2007

The runners have at last started and on the whole the horses have all run well. Palua has now run twice and both times has finished fourth. He has run his race both times but I think that at the age of ten nearly eleven he may not be as quick as he once was and could do with some relenting from the handicapper! His jumping remains brilliant but he remains at the mercy of a quicker finisher. The King and I has had a couple of runs on the flat back with us and has again run well. He got beaten a neck first time out and then a length to finish fourth on his next outing. There are races in him and I think a change of tactics could help. Rio De Janeiro had his first run of the season at Salisbury and although got a little tired seemed in really good form in himself and should be bang on for his first jumps start of the season. Tweed River ran on the most glorious day at Goodwood and although found the 1mile 6 furlongs a little beyond him stamina wise, looks a smashing horse for the future. Zero also had his first run of the season and finished second. I was marginally disappointed as we did in all honesty expect him to win but I am afraid the blame rests firmly on me as he needed the race very badly! He is a light framed horse and does everything very easily and so I probably left him a gallop short. Look out for him next time!!

This week sees a few runners that are probably slightly ground dependent. Opus Cafe could go to Exeter on wednesday and seems well as should a nice novice in Regal Quote. Otantique could line up and will love the ground and No Way Back who again will love the ground is trying an extended trip which I think could suit him. The Jolly Spoofer is a likely starter on Thursday and he shows plenty at home as is Invention who has form on the level and if he settles could be a decent performer. Premier Hope could start if the ground has enough give in it - she looked a nice filly on her last run last season and has improved through the summer.

It really is all systems go now and so a drop of rain and the winners should be flowing!!

Tuesday 25th September 2007

At last we have some entries and it really does feel like the season is properly starting! I have Fieldsofclover in on Thursday at Fonwell, back over fences, which he should enjoy. It is such a shame that he did not get to run all through the summer as he started the year in such good order and it has been very stop start for him since then. He does seem well and so fingers crossed that he performs well again. Palua is then in on Friday in a 2mile chase at Lingfield. I would think there will be a few more people there than they have had all season now that it's a jumping fixture! He again is in great order but it seems that January is usually his winning month of the year and so we could be going a tad early!! He has done plenty and if he can get an easy lead he should run really well. I also have a runner at Wolverhampton in the 9.20pm - for that alone it is always worth having an assistant!!! The King and I was with me as a 2 year old and then went off on his travels but has since returned and looks marvellous and so I would hope can run well.

They are all coming on and the drop of rain that fell at the beginning of the week has at least allowed us to pop some of them so the steady trickle of runners should within the next couple of weeks become a large flow!

We had to say goodbye last week to Claire Allen who has spent much of the summer riding out for us. She has headed back to start the defence of her point to point title and we all very much hope that she is successful at it - (if not we may not invite her back for next year!) It is definitely quiter without her - though we do miss her singing!!

Wednesday 12th September 2007

Having been so quiet for the last couple of months, runners now seem as though they are just around the corner. We should have one at Stratford on Sunday, No Way Back. Stratford may not be his ideal track but there are so few opportunities for him at present that he will have to go and take his chance regardless. He seems very well, as do the rest of them so it will be nice to get back to the races!

There are plenty of horses just on the verge of being ready and so a little bit of rain on the horizon would not go amiss. As soon as that happens it should business as usual and the season begins.....

Friday 31st August 2007 - Owners Day

As I said last Sunday, I am sincerely hoping that we have not used all our good luck up for the year by having about the only sunny weekend of the summer so far for our owners day! It really was a smashing day and we were delighted to see so many of you there. The horses behaved beautifully, as did the staff and I didn't think that my co-host was too bad either! I have to say that I was very proud as each horse walked up and down the yard as they do look at this stage like a super bunch of horses and definitely the strongest lot I have had in so far. Much of the credit for that goes to both the staff and to Barry but also to both Gerry Hogan and Claude Charlet who have been instrumental in helping me find the new Irish and French inmates.

I know it may seem that we have disappeared momentarily with so few runners but we are not far away from changing all that! Having kept so few horses in during the summer, it means that the majority of horses are just not ready yet but within the next three weeks there should be plenty ready to run and we should be back in action with a bang! Fingers crossed anyway!!

Monday 20th August 2007

There is a definite buzz around the yard and at this stage I am not sure as to whether it is to do with the owners day or the start of the season! All the horses are progressing well and it appears that the fitness of the staff is improving as well, especially when we weigh them on Mondays! The holiday makers have returned and so now we are just waiting on the injured on e and we will be back to a full complement of people and a few of us will be able to take a breath again....

Although we have had very few runners of late, it will not be long before we unleash a few of the early types and at this stage they look a lovely bunch..... it's still that dreamy time of year!

There will be an option to view the Owners Day next week for anyone that sadly could not make it .. fingers crossed for the weather

Thursday 9th August 2007

I am sorry for the delay in the news page update but over the last few weeks my feet seem not to have touched the ground! Now the storm seems to have passed - nearly all the horses are back in and all the neighing from one field mate to another has ceased (thank God!).

This is almost my favourite time of year - all the horses look wonderful and all seem to be natural athletes with at least twenty potential Cheltenham runners and ten plus winners - reality has yet to kick in! I think that we have some beautiful youngsters as well as some of last years stars and some new handicappers that could be starting here at the right end of the weights so there is a really good atmosphere around the place and much expectation.

The three runners that we have had over the last week have all been a little disappointing for different reasons - for Invention the ground was too quick, Fieldsof Clover too slow and No Way Back ran his race in the lorry on the way to Market Rasen - People will start to think that this trainer has an excuse for everything (nearly!) but as it happens at least all three have returned in fine fettle and everything should start to fall in to place from now on.

We have had one very sad loss so far this season in that Harrisburg, who had just one run for the yard in a bumper at Kempton earlier in the season finishing a very nice second, was diagnosed with cancer and had to be put to sleep. His loss has left a big hole and was a massive disappointment for his owner Mark Thompson who has been wonderful over the whole sad episode. I very much hope it is something that we will not have to go through again.

The horses are nearly all cantering now so the excitement builds............