Monday 8th February 2010

The one thing about training horses is that there is never a moment to be bored and the same goes for living with Barry Fenton! Having retired two years ago in a bid to remain in one piece for the rest of his life it seemed terribly unfair that on a chilly morning a week last Wednesday that he should be back on the ground with a youngster standing on his leg and breaking it. When most people lying on the ground say I think I've broken my leg, you tend to be sceptical, with Barry you know he know's what he is talking about! He ws taken to Basingstoke hospital, who did a marvellous job, and then on up to London where my brother, Jonathon, reaquainted himself with Barr'y leg! There is no keeping a good man down (or Barry for that matter!) and he is already back on the schooling field directing operations - it is obviously a nightmare for him but I have no doubt he will be pushing to get back riding out as quickly as possible.

It has been a really good couple of weeks for the horses and I have run some really nice youngsters as well as some interesting new recruits and some notable improvers. Kilcrea Castle looks a smart prospect - his run at Ascot when 3rd just behind The Sawyer was franked again by the latter winning at Cheltenham. He will go to either Wincanton or Kempton next and depending on the outcome of that we will decide about the Grand National. He is a brilliant jumper and I think that the step up in trip from Ascot will help. He is only 8 and I think he has a really bright future. He was trained in Ireland by Jack's father Pat and is most definitely the apple of his eye - I can understand why!

Easter Legend has done nothing but improve and ran a blinder to finish 2nd in the grade 2 mares event giving her precious black type. She will now head to Cheltenham for the David Nicholson and has more than earnt her right to be there. She is as honest as the day is long and I think should give us a really good day out. I am very taken with her four year old full brother Easter Meteor who will be out shortly and I think he could be even nicer one day.

Of our more recent runners Suntini deserves a big mention. He was the 14-1 outsider of three at Newbury but he jumped superbly, travelled even better and had he not made an error at the last would have beaten Tataniano by a far wider margin. I was absolutely delighted with his run and although the Jewson at Cheltenham is an option, soft ground is essential to him and we may look at some other prizes along the way. I was slightly disappointed to see that he had gone up 16lbs for his victory - they certainly do not encourage you to take on hot pots in novice chases! King's Forest was our next winner and probably one of our more sentimental ones. He was my father's 50th winner as an owner, and as he pointed out, he had not only bred the horse he had also bred the trainer! We worked out that he was the 19th winner I had trained for him so I suppose the next target will be for me to train him 50 winners - I hope he keeps breeding them like King's Forest! He did it really well and it showed how much better horse he is when you ride him from off the pace rather than letting him bowl along in front. We may well let him take his chance in the novice handicap chase for amateur riders at Aintree but have a look at some alternatives along the way.

I ran what I hope is a real superstar in the making at Exeter last week - Court in Motion is the most beautiful horse, with a pedigree and ability to match. He did everything so well through the race, cruised to the front in the straight and then jumped the last well clear. Two strides after the last he stood on his shoe and momentum brought him down. He just didn't deserve that but he has come out of the race really well and hopefully it will be a small blip on the way to an illustrious career. I really do think that he could be a gold cup horse one day - the dream's still alive!! Our last winner of the week was Highland Valley, another Irish import. He is owned by Mark Thompson, who has put a lot of investment into racing and at last it looks to be paying off. Highland Valley is 17.2 hh and has a staying pedigree and so it was a fabulous display from a youngster who should only really come into his own when he is jumping fences. He is as honest as they come and a gentle giant, which is good considering Craig, who is just over 5 foot tall looks after him - they looked a fairly incongruous pair at the races but I was not sure who had the biggest smile on their face after the race!

There are some nice horses entered for the week ahead but as per usual I have a nasty feeling that the weather could play havoc with plans again - At some point Spring will be here!

Wednesday 20th January 2010

At last my fingers have thawed out enough to start tapping on the keyboard again and get on with updating the news!!

The last few weeks with the snow have been incredibly frustrating, extremely cold and made everything much more time consuming. The team here have been absolutely fantastic and everyone has managed to get in every day as early as ever - gritting started at Cottage Stables by 6am with the yard cleared by 6.30 - I think the Council could learn a lot from us! As the grit ran low our local farm supplies started importing it from Spain, so not only do we have Irish sand on the round gallop, we now have Spanish grit down in the yard - very continental!

As much as I am always concerned when we can't get to use the main gallop, I do think that by this time of year the horses are mostly all fit and an easier couple of weeks is no bad thing for them. We could keep them cantering in the school and so freshen them up and they do seem in great order now as Tocca Ferro showed yesterday. The race was certainly not run to suit as they went no gallop and then he and his market rival sprinted in the last half furlong. I was extremely impressed with how he quickened off a slow pace and I really do think he could reach the top. In an ideal world he will have one more run before heading to Cheltenham where which ever race he runs in I think he will perform well.

With Cheltenham only eight weeks away and having missed so much of the season with such poor weather there is a big glut of horses waiting to run and so trying to get the required number of runs into them for various qualifying races will not be easy. There will certainly be no such thing as an 'easy' race to win for any of them for a while and I just hope that I can get enough experience into some of our nice youngsters to allow them to take up some of their intended engagements there.

I am thoroughly looking forward to running some really nice horses at Ascot and Wincanton on Saturday and that the weather will allow us to build up a bit of momentum for the second half of the season - if not I shall start preparing them for St Morritz as the conditions here have been fairly similar!

Thursday 31st December 2009 - Crack Away Jack

I am absolutely gutted to have to say that Crack Away Jack is going to have to miss the rest of the season. He had a little bit of heat in his off fore on Monday and on the scan today it showed that he has some damage to his tendon. It will mean that he is out of action until this time next year which is a huge disappointment to everybody concerned.

Horses like Jack do not come along every day and he has been a massive flag bearer for the yard. His absence from the team for the year is a big blow but hopefully he will be back bigger and stronger for the latter part of next season and we can continue on from where we left off.

Thursday 12th November 2009

Having spent so much of the Autumn praying for rain, I am now sitting in my office absolutely certain that my prayers have been answered - it is hosing down!! It is great news for plenty of the horses although somewhat frustrating for Kangaroo Court who doesn't like to get his toes dirty - us trainers are just never happy!

The past couple of weeks have definitely been a little up and down. Having been so excited to get Bouggler back to the races, it was really disappointing to see him run so badly. It was almost too bad to be true and on his return home there was some thickening in his off fore tendon and although sound his leg did not feel as it should. Fortunately having scanned the leg it all seems to be as it should and so he is back in full training and I hope that is the last of the problem. It was so unlike him to run so lacklusterly - if only they could talk.

The week certainly picked up in the form of R'cam - he may not be one of the stars of the team but he galloped and jumped his way in to the winners enclosure, which is more than his rivals did and gave his owners a really thrilling day. Every winner matters be they large or small and I think R'cam enjoyed the experience as much as we did.

There has been much written about the chase debut of Crack Away Jack where he was exemplary and I could not have been happier with him. He has always looked a chaser and danced his way around Sandown with the minimum of fuss. Immediately after the race my over riding emotion was one of pure relief -having a horse start 1-5 first time out in a novice chase at Sandown was a strange experience although one that I would be happy to have again if I could have another one good enough! He has come out of his race extremely well and the plan is for him to go back to Sandown in December for the Henry V111 - fingers crossed.

They all seem to be running their races at present and I was really pleased with Global Warming at Warwick yesterday. He is a smashing type and looks a lovely chaser for the future. Amore Mio looks likely to start his season on Sunday and from then on the flood gates will open as there are plenty of intended starters for the following week - at last!

I am very aware of the fact that in the current financial climate not everyone is keen to spend their hard earned money on buying horses but I am very relieved to say, that for the sake of the whole team here, some people still are! There are some very exciting new recruits to the horse ranks which is so important for any yards future. I am also delighted to say that Highclere Thoroughbreds are to become part of the team. They are such a well run syndicate that have had such success on the flat and so I am very keen to show them that a Cheltenham winner is even more exciting than a Royal Ascot one!

Let the season begin in earnest!

Thursday 22nd October 2009

Last week was one of those weeks that you just want to bottle and release bits of when everything is going wrong!

Le Commencement winning (in fact just getting to the races!) was a real day to remember. If patience is a virtue then the Frisky Fillies are the most virtuous people that I know (I'll think about that!). From him winning his point to point to making it back to the track took just 920 days - thank goodness he's in the minority! He seems to have come out of his race really well so I am hoping that we will be back to the track a little quicker than last time! R'cam at the same meeting ran pretty disappointingly having been working so well at home but he has a heart murmur which does explain why you can't always predict what he will do when he gets to the track.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable visit from Axom members on Friday - they own both Bouggler and Ouzbeck here and are a really lovely group of people - very understanding when it comes to getting them up to the gallops as 3 were squashed into the boot of one of jeeps without a wimper of complaint which made them far better behaved than the usual incumbants! I really enjoy having my owners down to see the horses, not only do I enjoy their company but I think in the long run it makes my job much easier. People actually get to see the changes in the horses with their own eyes and have a greater understanding of how and why things can go wrong - I have always worked on the principle with horses that if they can they will!

The week ended with Kangaroo Court winning at Cheltenham on Saturday. He really is a smart horse and although the race was run at a crawl he has at last learnt how to relax and settle. He jumped superbly and won with the minimum of fuss. It was both Nick Mustoe and Jack's first winner at Cheltenham and I sincerely hope it will be the first of many.

Tuesday 13th October 2009

Normality has resumed - sunshine! I have had to start backing off a few of the horses recently as the weather is really not helping our cause - they look great but with nowhere to go with them it seems pointless having them race fit so some are just cantering rather than working.

The weekend was a mixed bag of results with Chepstow proving very disappointing. Seymar Lad came home having damaged his check ligament and will rest now until the Spring. Otantique looks to have really lost his confidence over fences and will revert to hurdles to see if we can rekindle some enthusiasm about the game. Bangor yielded much more excitement with Qianshan Leader winning over hurdles - he is a lovely raw 5 year old who should be destined for a big future over fences. He is still weak and so winning over hurdles at this stage of his career was a very positive sign for the future. King's Forest didn't run within a stone of his first run over fences and although his jumping in the latter part of the race was not brilliant his race was over before then. Jack very sensibly coasted home for a distant third but I will give him an easy period now and start him back fresh.

I am pleased to report that Barry is very much on the mend with his kidney stones - it has been miserable for him but he is on the home run. He has had to go to London once a week to have them treated and learnt to his cost that parking in the right place is paramount. Having parked outside the hospital in an area that he thought was for pay and display he went off to purchase a ticket. He returned to find the warden slapping on a parking ticket. 'Wrong place mate' commented the warden 'this is for residents only, pay and display 3 feet to the left'. The argument of I'm from the country didn't work and at £72 was the most expensive 3 feet that Barry had ever paid for. You can tell he doesn't pay the shoeing bill here!!

Friday 9th October 2009

It happened - RAIN! The only problem is that after nearly six weeks of no rain two days of torrential stuff is just not enough - trainers are never happy! To prove that point, although I want more rain, if it could just wait until after the runners at the weekend it would be perfect!

I was absolutely delighted with Mayberry winning at Fontwell, her half sister Blaeberry was such a wonderful servant to the yard and she looks as though she will carry on the tradition. I am not sure if she will be as good but she certainly showed real determination and a set of hurdles and a trip will certainly see her win more races. Tritonville Lodge ran a super race at Huntingdon finishing 3rd beaten 2 necks. They beat the track record by 2 seconds which is no mean feat there. He has now been twice entered in the sales and each time he pulls something out of the bag to save himself! I have trained him now for the last five years and although he is a cheeky chap, he really has become part of the furniture - I will keep warning him about the sales in the hope that he can keep winning!

Bishop's Bridge also ran at the weekend and finished fourth. He has been with me for a good few years and has been an absolute star but he is definitely not as good as he was. Both myself and his owners were very keen that he should not keep running for the sake of it as he owes us nothing and so decided to retire him. He is going to the Willes, who have horses with me and will give him the most wonderful retirement home. It is not always easy to find the right home for horses to go to after racing but so many of them have so much more to give and some of the troops here have gone on to make wonderful riding horses, eventers and hunters.

Tuesday 22nd September 2009

Phew! Kangaroo Court had seemed in very good form and has always promised to be a smart chaser, so there was a large sigh of relief all round when everything went according to plan at Uttoxeter on Sunday. He looked magnificent and jumped and travelled in the way that a good horse should so the dreams remain in tact. It is a shame that good ground is so essential to him as some of the major races during the winter are almost certainly going to be run on ground too soft though if this weather continues at least he will be happy!

I spend the summer dreaming about the novice hurdlers going chasing and hoping that they will be as good if not better over the larger obstacles, so it seems crazy that when the time comes I am a bundle of nerves and totally incapable of doing anything until they have jumped the first and then I start to relax. I am so glad that under the circumstances we do not have the same technology as formula 1 as I would be no help to the jockey in his ear in any way at all!

With the weather remaining so dry, runners will remain few and far between but they are all coming along nicely and from what I have seen so far, I think that we are very much on the right track.

Wednesday 16th September 2009

As a few of you have pointed out, the updates have definitely been lacking recently and so I will now try to correct that rather unfortunate situation! To start off with I felt that with so few runners there was not a huge amount to fill you in on and then things started to get so busy that I never seemed to have the time to start updating - at least it means there should now be a fair amount to keep you entertained with!

The end of August witnessed our annual owners day which was a super day - the staff worked tirelessly to make sure that everything looked immaculate and Neil, my head lad, who has been winning with his show roses all summer had all the flowers around the yard looking perfect. I have tried all year to get him to give some of his beautiful roses to me but as it is the middle of the show season and he would not even use any of them at his own wedding, it would appear that I was fighting a losing battle!

The beginning of September saw the most important event of the year. Neil and Paula, after a ten year romance, got married. It was a fabulous day and was beautifully done. I would say that judging by the dancing that went on, it was a good job that no one was expected in on Sunday for work! They then disappeared off on honeymoon to Barbados and returned yesterday looking brown and happy - not a day too soon as far as I am concerned as the 5 o'clock feeding job in the morning definitely does not agree with me!

While we were all dancing the night away at the wedding poor Barry was being operated on in hospital in London. If the breaks that he endured race riding were not enough he has developed kidney stones and has been in absolute agony. I am told that it is the closest pain that a man will ever get to child birth and having seen what he is going through I am starting to feel that children are just not for me! He sees the specialist again tomorrow and hopefully he will have at least passed some of the stones and he can see a light at the end of the tunnel as it really has been hell for him.

If all of that was not enough Flossie, our black labrador, gave birth to 8 gorgeous puppies - she has turned out to be a wonderful mum as is mine who is dutifully looking after them ably assisted by my father who appears to have developed a real soft spot for Flossie - I am just hoping that I will be able to claim her back! I am hoping you are now getting the gist of why the updates have been few and far between!

On the horse front all seems to be going along nicely - King's Forest was the first runner of the main season horses and ran a smashing race. I was very disappointed that for a novice chase at Bangor in September that a 145 rated hurdler was running and then 3 others all rated over 125 over fences. No such thing as an easy race these days! He jumped the last in front but just missed it slightly when he was beginning to tire and was beaten only 2 lengths in a time 3 seconds quicker than standard. As a guide to where we are, I am more than happy....

With everything going on we have been incredibley busy which has been both exciting and exhausting - the team here have been superb and if their dedication, humour and team work is anything to go by during this busy period then we really should have a great year.

Monday 27th July 2009

At last - having had plenty of seconds and thirds we got off the mark for the 2009 flat sesaon. Zebrano had threatened many times to win a race and finally delivered at Chepstow on Friday night - much to the absolute delight of his very loyal owners! In fairness to the horse he had shown that he handled any ground and though he is bred to get further 7 furlongs does seem to be his trip.

With Zebrano winning on Friday it seemed natural using the London bus theory that we should have another winner on Saturday - oh how I wish training was that straight forward! Canongate had been showing plenty at home and we thought that he would run a big one at Newmarket. In fact he behaved in a thoroughly ungentlemanly manner - having been fairly strong in the pre- parade ring, when Liam Keniry went to get on in the paddock he waved to his adoring fans with his front feet while doing a jig on his hind ones - impressive to look at though uncomfortable to be sitting on!! The race was run at a crawl and from start to finish and things just did not go our way. I have no doubt that this horse is a nice horse, it may just have taken the run to get a rather large amount of freshness out of him.

Runners remain few and far between at present as we carry on getting the jumpers fit but there are still a few nice flat horses to run and hopefully now flat winning ways have resumed we can build on the tally.

Friday 10th July 2009

For a horse that started off at Ballydoyle and as a three year old was running in the St Ledger, you would certainly not have excpected him to turn up at Uttoxeter in the middle of the summer running over 31/2 miles but that's horses for you and Fire and Rain never read the script! Having taken time to come to himself the moment he started jumping fences Fire and Rain took on a new lease of life and has now won four of his last five starts. His jumping at Uttoxeter was superb and to win a £60,000 handicap at this time of year was a real bonus, it seems the momentum has ceratinly carried on from last winter.

With only a few flat horses on the go and not that many national hunt meetings at present, we have been pretty quiet with runners, which is just as well, as the troops are all back in and requiring plenty of work. I felt that with the British weather being so unpredictable I would get them in a little earlier this year and be ready to go as soon as the ground comes. They were also all getting fed up out in the field with the heat and flies and were taking their frustrations out on each other and the trees in their paddocks much to the chagrin of my landlord!

The horses look fantastic and so hopefully they will continue to deliver and most importantly stay healthy.

Monday 22nd June 2009

June is one of my favourite months of the year. We are always pretty quiet for most of it, the sport on television is wonderful to watch, the weather this year has been mostly lovely and it is the time of year that we are able to go to the sales and buy some exciting horses for the future. It may not be March and Cheltenham but there are still plenty of things going for June!!

The runners that we have had have all continued to do us proud. Sweet Seville winning at Worcester was one of those magical moments where you go with no expectations and come back with a 33-1 winner - what does the trainer know! Seymar Lad bounced back to form at Stratford much to the delight of his owner and we only just got touched off at Salisbury with Outlandish on the flat and so things really do seem to have continued on nicely from last season.

I have been in Ireland a couple of times over the last few weeks and we have bought a nice number of new horses. A couple have come over here already but the rest will stay over there and have a season pointing before starting training here with a little bit more experience under their belts. It is the Derby sale at Fairyhouse this week and then France next week so hopefully a few more will join the string for the coming season.

With everything being a bit quieter here and on the back of a super season it seemed only fair that we should have a day out to celebrate and so last Thursday the whole yard set out for Thorpe Park. We had a really great day - roller coasters, water rides and an extremely unhealthy lunch of 'all you can eat' pizza meant that everyone returned home dizzy and slightly sick feeling and I am sure that was not soley due to my driving! Throughout my news column I have spoken about how important the team here are and it was a pleasure to spend the day with everyone, relaxed and enjoying going upside down at speed, getting soaked to the skin and eating unhealthily - just a normal day at the office really!

Monday 1st June 2009

Fresh off the plane from a wonderful family trip to Thailand it is now back to business!

It would appear that the team here can manage admirably without me (I am not sure whether to be happy or sad about that!) but Oceana Gold ran beautifully while I was away to win a decent handicap hurdle at Stratford and Seattle Storm put up a really decent effort to finish second at Huntingdon both came back home in great shape and should more than pay their way through the summer. Sadly the Jolly Spoofer bled when running disappointingly at Stratford - this job is just never straight forward and so it is back to drawing board for him.

The boys and girs all look wonderful out in the field and seem to be really enjoying the beautiful weather - usually by this time of year it is pouring with rain and they all look wet and bedraggled. I think they think we have emigrated! It won't be long before some of them will start to come back in as I am keen to have them ready early this year to try and get some early confidence boosters into them (and me!).

We have done a little bit of purchasing of new stock but we still have a few more new inmates to buy which is exciting - They have a lot to live up to after the performance of last years youngsters!

Thursday 7th May 2009

It's all over! It has been a fantastic year for us and with so many lovely youngsters I am hoping that it is just a stepping stone to an even better season to follow.

There have been so many highlights through the year from Crack Away Jack and Seymar Lad both winning on the opening day of the main season at Chepstow, to Bouggler winning at Aintree and then finishing third in the grade 1 at Punchestown and with Kangaroo Court, King's Forest, Pause and Clause, Chariot Charger and Tocca Ferro making big names for themselves to name a few, it really has been a season to remember. It is never possible to achieve these things alone and were it not for having a fantastic team working here and also some brilliantly enthusiastic owners none of this would have been possible, so a big thank you to everyone.

One of the things that I love is that the yard has gathered a real following both locally and further a field and it always makes me chuckle when we pass people riding out who want to stop and chat and dicuss the previous days runners and to find out where they may go next - it gives you a sense of community which is so often lacking in villages now. The Fox has also been a focal gathering point - thank goodness Chariot Charger has given us plenty to talk about!

Most of the horses are now out at grass and extremely happy and although we will have a few to run through the summer it will be fairly quiet here for the next month or so. With that in mind both the trainer and assistant are going on tour for a few days with 2 labradors and a cocker spaniel in tow - look out Ireland is all I can say!

Monday 6th April 2009

It is a good job that I am writing this and not trying to speak it as there is very little of my voice left after shouting home Bouggler on Saturday! It is a shame that my father is not a practicing ENT surgeon any more as I am sure that the people standing in front of me at Aintree would be in need of his services for their hearing! It really was a memorable meeting in so many ways and to see Bouggler stretching his neck out to win was fantastic. Bishop's Bridge started the meeting off and having been very calm about him jumping the big fences all the way through, about half an hour before the race my heart was doing cartwheels - we had walked the course earlier and the watered ground was always going to be a bit soft for him but even though the fences have been modified it is still a tremendous test for both horse and jockey. (And me walking around it after such a big breakfast on the way up!) He jumped superbly until his stamina gave way just before the third last and having walloped that he then got home in his own time having had a little rest on top of the last! Judging by the beaming smile on Jack's face I think it really was a thrill. I would love one day to have a runner in the National so fingers crossed at some point I will have something that is suitable. Pause and Clause was our other runner on Friday and he ran a typical race of a horse who had had a hard race at Cheltenham. He was never really travelling and then having got badly hampered just cantered home. He has come out of the race fine and will now have a long holiday before what I hope will be a very fruitful campaign next season.

Saturday saw the yard having more runners in a day than ever before. Seven hit the race track with one at Aintree, one at Wolverhampton and five at Chepstow. It worked out pretty fairly between Barry and myself with him at Chepstow and me doing Aintree and the 7.20 at Wolverhampton! Bouggler was sensational I just felt a little guilty that I had sent Jack to Chepstow thinking that our most likely winners were there and booked Noel to ride at Aintree but a winner and two seconds for Jack at Chepstow meant that it wasn't all bad. To win a championship race is tremendously exciting especially with a horse that is so inexperienced over hurdles - he really could be anything.

Chepstow saw a rather fresh Oceana Gold pulling too hard and just running out of puff at the end to finish second, De Welsh Wizzard winning well and Chuquicamata, under an inspired ride from Jack, running a far better race to also finish second. Zero seemed to run his race in one breath but at least came home sound and Panda Bay confirmed he is much more of a mud lark than a top of the ground horse in failing to let himself down in the bumper. A sad post script to the day was that De Welsh Wizzard struck in to himself during his race and has significantly damaged his tendon and so at this stage we are not sure if he will make it back as a racehorse but he will certainly make someone a fabulous riding horse. There is no getting away from the fact that horses really are great levellers.

It is usually around this time of year that we get a few college students coming for work experience and I laughed when Phillip Hobb's youngest daughter Diana asked to come. She is a lovely girl but it will be interesting to see who is trying to gain more information, her about the yard here or me about the in's and out's of her father's yard!!

Monday 30th March 2009

Having been extremely slow in updating the website last time I have tried to pull my finger out and get on with the job this time - it may also have something to do with the fact that I have a couple of days with no runners!

I was reminded last Friday on a stable visit that having updated the news I had missed out on commenting on one of my spectacular winners earlier in the month - I apologise unreservedly to Axom and more importantly to Bouggler for not having mentioned him!!! He is the most gorgeous horse and could not have won any more easily and so on the back of that I have entered him for Aintree on Saturday in the 2 1/2 mile novice hurdle. Ideally I would give him one more run in a straight forward novice but with ground conditions on the fast side it may be that we have to run in a better race on a track that will have been sufficently watered.

The last week has been a really good one. Fire and Rain carried a penalty to victory at Ascot and at last looks as though he is getting the hang of being a racehorse and Kangaroo Court was impressive in winning at Lingfield on Saturday. It was a lovely confidence boost for him as he didn't get the ground at Cheltenham and had come up against Karabak at Ascot so to win in the manner that he did helped the trainers nerves as well!!

In a couple of weeks several thousand complete lunatics choose to run 26 miles in aid of charity. I am in awe of these people but feel very comfortable donating money from the comfort of my own home - I was never gifted in the running department! With this in mind I have had a letter from a couple of friends of mine who are running in aid of Racing Welfare, an extremely good charity which supports all those who have over the years formed the backbone of racing in all areas from yard staff to racecourse staff. If you felt able to donate and have not been caught by other runners the site is www.justgiving.com/lambournrunners.

My last piece of news for the week concerns me a little. Having announced earlier in the year that Neil and Paula were getting married, Heather, my travelling head girl, and Wayne Kavannah got engaged over the weekend. I am hoping that there is nothing in the water around here as we may not be able to have any runners at weekends through the summer as all staff will be at weddings!!

Monday 23rd March 2009

Where to begin? Yet again I have to apologise for not having updated for a while but at least that does mean that there is plenty to update on!

It seems incredible that we have to wait another year before Cheltenham again - it really was a fantastic meeting and although from their perspective the reduced crowd numbers were a negative from ours it had never seemed more comfortable! The racing was superb, it really is a golden era for jump racing and it is very nice for us to think that we have got some members of the team capable of competing with the best. Five left Hatherden for Cheltenham this year with Kangaroo Court and Crack Away Jack starting the assault. Sadly the ground was too slow for Kangaroo to handle but Jack ran an absolute 'blinder'. He finished splendidly to be beaten 2 1/2 lengths in the champion hurdle. He really is a star and to have come away with a rating of 166 proves that he is top class. Fences here we come! Wednesday bought the appearances of Amore Mio and Pause and Clause. Amore Mio showed what we all suspected in that he wants a step up in trip and Pause and Clause having only the fourth hurdle start of his life ran his heart out to finish 3rd in the Coral Cup - beaten only 2 lengths he really will be a force to reckon with for the future. His attitude is secong to none and he has been a joy to train this year. Our last runner was Chariot Charger on the Friday. We fancied him to run a big race in the Albert Bartlett but he sadly burst a blood vessel which put an end to his run. I think that probably it was just a reflection of a fairly busy year rather than being anything more serious and a holiday and a season of jumping fences next term should see him give his extremely excited owners another good year (and more importantly the trainer and assistant many more excuses for a good party!).

This really has been an exciting time for everyone here as the quality of the horses in the yard has never been better and although Cheltenham is now behind us there are still plenty more races to be run and won! King's Forest was extremely impressive when winning at Kempton by 16 lengths and became our 5th novice hurdler of the season to be rated above 135 - it was also my father's 49th winner so the pressures on to make it 50! Fire and Rain put his best foot forward and won really well over fences and certainly looks happier now that the ground has dried up. Another lovely prospect for next season is Tocca Ferro who won his bumper with the minimum of fuss, he really could be anything. Nice One Eric finished fourth that day having pulled for a mile and a half and though finding the ground too firm yesterday also looks a class act for next term. There are plenty of youngsters still to run and with the likes of Bishop's Bridge, Zero, Otantique, Oceana Gold and Seymar Lad coming back for the better ground there is still plenty to play for.

Having been a fantastic servant to the yard for the last few seasons, one horse who we will sorely miss is Blaeberry. She is heading off to stud having picked up a very slight tendon strain. She is now a black type filly, who has won on the flat, over hurdles and fences. She has been so honest and I cannot wait to see what she produces as it certainly won't lack attitude or ability!

I can't end this update without mentioning some other rather excited owners in the yard. While we were eyes fixed on the Gold Cup they were all at Lingfield with Mystic Touch! Having only his second start on the flat he ran a smashing race to finish 3rd behind an 80 and 78 rated horse. He was cheaply bought and looks as though he should pick up some prizes through the summer which guarentees the arrival of doughnuts on Saturdays!

Next update to follow soon - I promise!!!

Thursday 12th February 2009

At last normality has resumed - we are no longer snowbound, waterlogged or frozen so for the first time in a while first lot pulled out this morning at 7.30am and worked on the straight gallop - it was poetry in motion!

In actual fact as far as the fit horses are concerned the enforced break has probably not done them any harm and Pause and Clause's performance at Kempton confirmed that. He could not have been any more impressive having jumped beautifully and been given an extremely good ride by Jack who dictated it from the front. All in all it was a more than satisfactory prep run for Cheltenham and if the bouquet of flowers that I received from Robert after that run are anything to go by, I can only assume that if we win at Cheltenham that I will be unable to enter the office for flowers!!

Both Easter Legend's owners and I are feeling a little guilty that we made her run at Plumpton on Monday. The ground was as close to unraceable as any I have seen and I am not sure that had it not been for AP going for his 3000th winner that Plumpton would have been racing. Although none the worse for the experience it was not one that she would choose to repeat and so better ground and the mares EBF final at Newbury will be her next port of call!

The biggest piece of news this week has been the arrival of Craig and Karen's baby boy. Craig looks after Crack Away Jack and so it goes without saying that his name is of course Jack! I went to see him last night and weighing in at 6lbs he has every chance of being a jockey, he also seems to have extremely large feet and you know what they say about that!

Tuesday 3rd February 2009

The climate of this country seems to go from the sublime to the ridiculous! Having been dressed as an Eskimo for the first part of January as we got down to temperatures as low as -10, I was then forced to become Noah's mate as I started building my Ark with the rain continual for the second part of January. Now though as February starts I am about to host Ski Sunday from the top of the gallops - I feel an office job coming on! The show has to go on though and with many of the team over the past couple of weeks succumbing to flu it has been tough going but they have all battled on and got the job done and the results have continued to prove that.

Chariot Charger has proven to be a really smart novice this season and on the strength of his win at Taunton has certainly earned himself a couple of Cheltenham entries. Kangaroo Court proved that soft ground is really not for him but still ran a blinder at Ascot to finish 2nd - both Barry and Jack have for a little while felt that he may be better over 2miles as he has so much pace and so consequently we may look at the Supreme Novice with him if the ground is decent or head to Aintree if not. Amore Mio is another that will have an entry at Cheltenham after his gutsy win at Sandown on Saturday. He is such an honest little horse and jumped superbly although the softer the ground the better. With King's Forest, Pause and Clause and Vagrant Emperor all holding entries for races, and of course Crack Away Jack it is certainly the biggest entry that we have had before. There are still plenty of nice youngsters that have not run yet and plenty of others that are standing in their boxes waiting for better ground and laughing at the rain falling!

One thing that I should report on is that after a 10 year courtship Neil Duncan my head lad proposed to Paula Drinkwater my yard Manager (and my general life organiser!) and she very sensibly accepted! We have had the toaster and hat in and out of the cupboard for the last few years waiting on the edge of our seats as to whether it was going to happen and so with a date set September is already going to be a good month!

Tuesday 6th January 2009 - Happy New Year!

2009 has definitely started with a somewhat arctic note - although we have not missed a day on the gallops, schooling has had to go on the back burner as unless we are training for St Morritz the ground is a little firm! As I write this it is now snowing heavily outside, Wolverhampton, officially all weather, has succumbed to the elements and my cold and I are shortly heading back under the covers!

We finished off 2008 in the way that I hope 2009 will continue. King's Forest who I think could be a smashing horse won at Taunton and looked as though 2009 could be a much better year for my Fathers racing interests! There has also been a definite improvement in the bumper runners from the yard and the last two to run, Global Warming and Priors Glen certainly look like lovely horses for the future. Both are big weak babies but both with natural progression could be stars of the future. Zarrafact ran green when finishing second on his debut over hurdles but I don't think will take long to make amends and Vagrant Emperor looked a nice type when finishing second to Bensalem at Leicester. I think that Suntini winning at Exeter after having had eighteen months off was great reward for the patience of Favourites racing.

Hopefully when the temperatures decide to warm up slightly and racing resumes 2009 will be a year to remember for the right reasons and not just because of the credit crunch!

Monday 15th December 2008

It never rains but it pours - how true is that statement when you look back at the weather of Saturday! It was so disappointing for everyone involved and although I did volunteer to buy armbands and flippers, I think that Cheltenham made the only decision possible! I am relieved that they are pretty sure to put the race on, either this weekend at Ascot or back at Cheltenham on New Years day as it really is going to be a true test for Jack and Jack!

It has been a super week for the yard as long as you take the weather out of it - there has been a large rise in chill blains and red noses (only humans not equines!) - the weekend runners such as Talenti and Migwell all ran smashing races and although the ground was a little soft for Pause and Clause I have no doubt he has plenty of races to win. The early part of the week was pretty quiet with frost putting off plenty of the fixtures but after a slightly, 'will it won't it' Leicester was on and Phar Again made his debut over fences. He could not have jumped better or travelled better through the race and won well. His owners have been very patient with him and he does look as though he could have a decent future over fences as long as the handicapper doesn't get too excited too early! Kangaroo Court then put up an extremely impressive performance at Doncaster on Friday; he travelled very keenly early on and then once settled made his ground up to win going away by 17 lengths. He really could be anything and as I said at the time I was just thrilled for his owner Nick Mustoe, who has invested a lot of time and money into racing and it was about time he got a really smart prospect.

There are still plenty of horses to run in the build up to Christmas which enables me to leave my last minute Christmas shopping to the very last minute as usual - by the time I get there VAT may be down to 10% and the sales will have buy one get three free - here's hoping!!

Wednesday 3rd December 2008

It seems to have been a week of almosts! I ran two really nice youngsters at Newbury on Thursday in the form of Easter Legend and Nice One Eric. Easter Legend ran so well behind two above average fillies and finished a very promising third and will, if all goes to plan, head back to Newbury for the Mares final later in the year. Nice One Eric gained many fans after his performance in the bumper there. He travelled so well and travelled in to the race like a seriously nice horse and I think it was probably the noise from his owners that scared him in the last furlong!! He could be anything.

Labelthou ran in the stayers hurdle on the Saturday but showed that she had lost a little of the fire that had made her such a good race mare. She has been such a star for me and so it seemed right that she should be retired and sent to stud. She is heading off to Gold Away who is the sire of Crack Away Jack and so hopefully she can breed some new champions. She will be a big loss to the yard as her style of running and jumping gave a thrill to all of us. Where one mare retired another looked like she might be capable of making her mark on the track, Prophets Honor was beaten a short head in her debut bumper at Folkestone. She travelled well through the race and then just seemed a bit green when she hit the front but she has come out of it well and I would hope it will not take long before she gets her head in front. She runs in eyeshields both on the track and at home as it seems to soothe her. She is very flighty but seems to settle better, so although not attractive they are at least effective!

The weather seems to have thwarted some of the plans for this week as it seems that the majority of runners that were entered seem to prefer the better ground - I'll get it right one day!!!

Tuesday 25th November 2008

I am a very, very lucky girl - when I look back to the beginning of my training career and remember the six horses I started with and look now at the strength in depth of horses that I have today I realise just how lucky I really am in so many different ways. We finished late yesterday and so it seemed sensible for me to pick up a broom and help. Sweeping alongside a team of people all aiming for the same result yet again highlighted to me that you cannot do this job alone and that the people around you are the making or breaking of you. Barry and Phil were out schooling until dusk to complete the finishing touches on this weeks runners, Neil was making sure that every bandage was in place, that any small scrapes were cleaned up and that every inmate had eaten. Heather, Paula, Craig and I were on broom duty (although they reckoned that I kept making the phone ring to get out of it!) and the rest of the team were hard at work to see that every horse had a clean bed and a good brush. Apart from a great buzz in the yard the only other words I heard were 'thank god there is only one Monday in the week'!

There had been a massive amount of discussion about the chances of Crack Away Jack last Saturday and I have to say that so many of the journalists have been incredibly kind in what they had written though the biggest laugh of all came with the picture of me in the Sun (for obvious reasons not on page three!). Having said that I had, at one point in my formative years, wanted to be Prime Minister they had superimposed my head onto the body of Maggie Thatcher - it made an interesting image and it certainly confirmed that I had chosen the right career!

I was delighted with the performance of Jack and although it would have been even better to have won, he still ran a super race. He missed the 2nd last and that cost him momentum but he will be a lot wiser now and I think both of us learnt a bit from the day. He is such a talented young horse and he can only keep improving and so we are still very much on track for Cheltenham in March. Bishop's Bridge got a very loud roar from Ascot as he crossed the line in front at Huntingdon - I think he had taken umbrage that I had made him run in a veterans chase and wanted to show me that he was certainly not taking his pension yet!

We have a few heading to the Hennessy meeting at Newbury and at Kempton tomorrow and so hopefully the good form will continue.

Thursday 20th November 2008

I know, I know - I said that I would keep updating the site and I have had a momentary slip as it has been rather a long time since the last piece of news as many of you have reminded me - I will try harder!

The news has in fact been rather good! Zarrafact looks to be a really nice prospect having won extremely easily yesterday. There is no knowing how good the race will transpire to be as nothing had really run before but he could not have done it any better and more importantly he was my first, first time out bumper winner - proof that miracles do happen! He is not a big horse but seems to be another smart prospect for his very supportive owner.

The Jolly Spoofer also ran and just did not seem to enjoy the softer ground and finished fourth - although slightly disappointing there will be plenty more races to be won with him.

Going back over the last couple of weeks there have been some extremely good moments as well as a few that may not be considered highlights of the season! Alaghiraar ran extremely well on his seasonal debut at Ascot and was upsides at the last when making a terrible mistake and finished fourth - I would hope that it will not be long before he gains compensation.

Padalko had a rather nasty slip and deposited his jockey but both seemed fine and Kangaroo Court who we very much fancied for the bumper ran far too freely and probably just needed it - blame the trainer! They are though three nice horses and ones that should more than pay their way.

I ran a very promising horse later in the week at Chepstow in the form of Pause and Clause who duly obliged in the bumper. My first bumper winner for a few years! I was very impressed with his owner's reaction as the next day a large bouquet of flowers arrived (all take note!). He will now go hurdling and again looks a bright prospect. I also ran a nice mare at Huntingdon in She is a Cracker - she is still a little immature but should be able to pick up some races during the season on softer ground.

There seem to be some really nice young fillies in the yard at the moment (equine!) and Easter Legend ran a smashing race when winning at Exeter. She showed a little bit of greenness when she got to the front but it could not have been a more perfect start. She was bred by her owners and is the first from the mare so it was a very exciting day - I gather that a new DVD of the race may be necessary as the original is nearly worn out already!

There was much excitement and a few drinks taken after the debut of Chariot Charger last week at Sandown. He ran a fine race to finish 6th in a very hot bumper and filled us with a great deal of hope for the future. He is owned by a syndicate put together by our local which makes celebrating every run very important!

My owners' golf day was held today at the Berkshire and took place in the most perfect weather - I am hoping that it was an omen as the winners were Crack Away Jack's owners - hopefully their form will continue until Saturday

Friday 31st October 2008

The weekend looms and I am feeling under pressure to keep our weekend form up!! The week went really well with Et Maintenant running a great race to win at Huntingdon. He has the most supportive syndicate and I was so pleased for all of them that he put his head in front again. He will go off to the sales at the end of the year and so I hope that we can win again with him before he goes. While he was running I was just down the road at Newmarket trying to buy a couple. I should have gone to Huntingdon as it would seem that the Horses in Training sales seemed almost recession proof! Although we bought two, any thought of getting a bargain was a long way off the mark, though the two that have come back seem really smart types.

Blaeberry heads back to the races tomorrow - all the way to Wetherby! She seems so well and I am praying that in this mares only race she can at last pick up some black type. I send three very interesting horses to Ascot. Alaghiraar showed some very good form last year but seemed a little inconsistent, he seems in such good form at present and so I hope that he will run well. Padalko is an enormous French horse and jumps at home like a buck - fingers crossed he will do the same on the track! It is an extremely good race and so I hope he shows up well but chasing will certainly be his job. Last and by no means least, Kangaroo Court makes his debut for me, he is a smashing horse and seems to do everything with the minimum of fuss - I am only hoping that he will do just that tomorrow!

It will be quite a big weekend for us this weekend - it would be nice to think that another future star will shine.

Monday 27th October 2008

The weekends just seem to get better and better - if it can continue all season I can foresee a rather large party at The Fox at Tangley by the end of the year!!

My main hope for the weekend was Bishop's Bridge, who ran a lovely race to finish second to The Polomoche in a highly competitive race at Stratford. He made a couple of blunders down the back but they were really only a result of him trying to go faster than his legs would let him! He will now revert to chasing and although plenty high enough in the handicap he should more than pay his way through the winter. Blaeberry also had a smashing run to finish 4th in the listed race at Chepstow she again is slightly at the mercy of the handicapper having had a very good year last year. She lumped top weight there and so I would think that I may have a look at some of the Mares conditions races to see if we could get a little bit of black type for her - she and her owners certainly deserve it.

The star of the show though was Tana River. He has been the most amazing horse for the yard and aged twelve ran yet another magnificent race yesterday at Wincanton. His trade mark is his ability to gallop and jump all day and he did just that - His jump at the cross fence sealed it and yet again picked up a valuable prize for the Frisky Fillies. One of the friskier fillies (my mother!) is on holiday in Australia and so on passing the post I felt it was important she should know the result - 2.30am was probably not the ideal time to be ringing their time but I would say that most of Australia is now fully aware that Tana River won!!

Much of this week will be taken up with the Horses in Training sales in Newmarket. It is always an interesting sale as there are well over a thousand horses being sold and trying to find the good ones is like looking for a needle in a haystack! It does happen though and we bought Zero for £10,000 and Self Defence for £23,000 - hopefully we can find something similar this year!

Wednesday 22nd October 2008

If only you could bottle the good times and then take the lid off when things aren't going so well! We really have had a great start to the jumps season and touch wood they all remain in good order.

Last week continued well with Regal Quote running a much better race than last seasons performances to finish second he will definitely improve again as I felt that his jumping though brilliant at home could have been a bit slicker on the track. As he is owned and bred by my father it means there is even more pressure than normal! The Bandit looked as though he had decided that a life in the point to point field was infinitely preferable to life on the track and so that is definitely where his future lies. Anybody looking?! It was then off to Ludlow with The Jolly Spoofer who had always threatened to be a nice horse and then finally delivered in his first attempt over fences. He jumped beautifully and travelled well and did it with the minimum of fuss which was a huge thrill for his owners. As they live mostly around the South Coast it was not surprising that only one valiant soul made the trip in the form of Nigel Collison. I do believe that his journey appeared to take far less time on the way back than it had on the way there!

I spent a lovely afternoon at Cheltenham on Friday watching one of my exciting novices make his debut in this country. King's Forest finished a very nice 5th in what appeared to be a highly competitive maiden hurdle. He was in hindsight probably one gallop short as he blew up just coming to the last but he has come out of the race well and I would imagine that he will be visiting the winners' enclosure very shortly. From the home of jump racing I slipped seamlessly into the home of flat racing on Saturday to watch Talenti run in the Cesarawich! Ideally he would have had softer ground but he showed up well and should win his share of races through the winter.

They all continue to run well and I am thoroughly looking forward to this weekend where we have plenty of entries and I just hope that the weather does not thwart our plans. Hopefully the winners will continue to flow!

Monday 13th October 2008

WOW - After Saturday there is a large bit of air between my feet and the ground! Having had a huge amount of press coverage leading up to the weekend on the chances of Crack Away Jack thank goodness he delivered and delivered in style. He travelled so well through the race and even though he was carrying a huge amount of weight came there cantering and then winged the last and just idled slightly in front - what a star he is for us. I was greatly relieved having walked the course earlier that he was considerably fitter than me - I blew up turning for home and only got my second wind at the owners and trainers bar!! Jack gave him a super ride and only a slight flicker of worry crossed his face as his boss Alan King walked towards him afterwards with an envelope in hand suggesting that it was his P45 after beating Squadron - all seems fine as Jack was later seen doing evening stables back at Barbury Castle!!

There has been an awful lot of coverage about Crack Away Jack after the race but Seymar Lad in winning the first race on the card also gave his connections immense pleasure. Andrew Gemmell who owns the horse is in fact blind and gets a massive amount of pleasure going to the races and cheering his horse home - in fact on his last visit to Chepstow he was quicker down the steps than me! Seymar Lad has not been easy to keep sound behind but fingers crossed he seems absolutely fine this time so we shall scour the programme book for another nice race.

This week looks as though we should have a few more runners out. I run a couple of horses tomorrow - The Bandit - (by name and nature!) and Regal Quote who caused some controversy last season. Both seem in good order but The Bandit is a law unto himself and Regal Quote if he settles should eventually make up into a nice staying chaser. Hopefully they will both run with credit.

As a foot note Craig who looks after Crack Away Jack has just had it confirmed that his wife is expecting a boy - no guesses as to the name he has been given!!

Friday 10th October 2008

I suppose it would be fair to say that the start of the season is really kicking off tomorrow as far as we are concerned with Crack Away Jack making his eagerly awaited debut. He seems in really good order but as is always the way the proof will be in the running. He will be giving lumps of weight away to some decent opposition but as I stood in to him this evening he seems to have grown again and is now a good 16.3 so hopefully he is going to be strong enough to carry it. Prior to that I run Seymar Lad in a competitive handicap chase and as he has proved so difficult to keep sound after each race I have rather chucked him in at the deep end. He is a lovely horse and not difficult to get fit so I hope off a feather weight he can give his owner a huge thrill (and the trainer!).

I took half a dozen horses at first light this morning to work on the grass at Kingsclere. It is a mile on the collar and it really tells you which horses are ready to go and which may still be a fortnight off. There were definitely a few bleary eyed people in attendance, not least my father, but all seemed to go well although there was a call for a later start next time!

Tuesday 7th October 2008

Having spent a week or two on the cold trainers list (had started to get a little icy!) I was delighted to see Oceana Gold put his head well and truly in front on Sunday. He was the first of the 'winter' horses to run and was there to give us an idea of exactly where we were with them all. If they can all go out and run the same kind of race we should be in for a very profitable season!

He had not been the most gutsy horse schooling at home and I have to say that much of the credit must go to Barry as he did a smashing job getting his confidence up and he jumped beautifully on the track. He will probably go and have another run in an ordinary novice hurdle carrying a penalty although there is a listed novice hurdle at Kempton towards the end of the month that could be an outside possibility. He didn't beat much but he could not have done it any more impressively.

Tomorrow sees the start of Phar Again's campaign and he goes to Exeter in good order. I hope that the ground is not too soft but he is a horse that I like and has not reached his potential by any means yet as he was fairly weak last year. There are a few entries for later in the week not least Crack Away Jack who I intend to run at Chepstow on Saturday all things being equal. He seems in splendid form and has schooled beautifully this week. He will have to give an awful lot of weight away to the opposition but hopefully he will have improved enough to be able to do just that. Seymar Lad is also in and although not the easiest to train has won both his starts when he does get to the track. He will only run if the ground is good or quicker so hopefully we could have another good weekend!

It's all starting to get quite exciting here now with plenty of the horses looking like they will shortly be on the course so hopefully Sunday just got the ball rolling!

Saturday 27th September 2008

Having not updated for a little while (sorry!), there have been plenty of events to catch up on. It was absolutely fantastic to see so many people at our Owners day. It looked as though it was going to be a total wash out but as it transpired that there was a small chink the weather and nobody got wet! It was obviously a very emotional day as far as Barry was concerned as he announced his retirement from the saddle, what he struggled to say was how grateful he had been to the owners who had supported him, it was just that by that stage he had lost the ability to speak! He has always been very much a part of the team since I started and so it definitely means that it will be a big change for us not having him riding at the races. The advantage of him not riding is that we have him at home the whole time (no cooking or cleaning though!) working and schooling the horses. He has always been a genius at that and so I feel that the horses will definitely be more up together as far as the bumper and novice hurdlers are concerned.

I have always been very impressed with Jack Doyle having seen him riding on the point to point circuit in Ireland and since his arrival in England to Alan King, and I think that he has continued to improve. Accordingly I have agreed an arrangement with Alan that should enable him to ride the majority of the horses here through the season. He is a young, hungry and extremely talented jockey and I hope that we can have a long and successful partnership.

Over the next few weeks there should be plenty more runners as they are all getting much closer to fitness. We have done plenty of schooling with the early types and have had them on grass so hopefully we will launch with a bang. The flat horses have all been running well of late and although not getting their heads in front (2 seconds third and fourth) I am getting reacquainted with the winner's enclosure!

On a personal note I had a fascinating trip to Warsaw last weekend, Padalko's owner is Polish and so he and his wife gave my brother and I a wonderful tour of the city. We spent a day at the races and saw a couple of the Polish trainers and the yards that they train from. Racing in Warsaw is now very different to what it once was. There is no fresh blood or money being put in to the sport and although the facilities could be fantastic it shows what can happen if a sport is not looked after and it was a stark reminder of that.

The next update I assure you will be sooner hopefully with news of some winners!

Friday 5th September 2008

As I write this, it is absolutely pouring with rain outside - no change there then! I had predicted that as we had no proper summer whatsoever, that we would have an Indian summer later - my future as a weather forecaster seems under threat! As it is our Owners' day on Sunday feel free to do a sun dance if you think that it would help!

All has remained pretty quiet on the runners' front although Morning Heights ran a nice race in his bumper earlier in the week and will be out over hurdles pretty quickly. He really does want 'quickish' ground and so if the rain keeps up he could find himself on the all weather instead.

I was very fortunate last week to have a morning on the gallops with Aiden O'Brien at Ballydoyle. It really does open your eyes to what you can achieve when money is no object and you have a fabulous team running the operation. It really is another world with the bluest of blue bloods in training there and with no stone left unturned they do an amazing job. Aiden appears to make every person seem important and when you hear him say in interviews how valuable the team is at home he really does mean it and we try to do the same here - they work so hard and take such pride in the horses it would be impossible to perform without them.

The fittening work continues here and we are starting to school some now so excitement is not far away.

Sunday 24th August 2008

There is not really a huge amount to report from the very few runners that we had last week. Premier Hope is retiring from racing as she really has fallen out of love with the game. It is very disappointing but it does remind you that if a horse does not want to do it, it won't and no amount of energy will change its mind. Lagavulin does seem to have suspect wind and accordingly over that trip it seemed to catch him out. The handicapper has been pretty unkind to him as well and so I would hope that after that run he may just be a little more lenient. Tweed River ran a much better race than last time and in a decent field finished in the pack. I am going to run him back again at Huntingdon tomorrow as I think the more exposure he gets on the racecourse the better it is for him. He has had very little experience of racing and does just seem to be grasping the concept (I think he needs to be recorded as a slow learner!).

I am also going to run Tritonville Lodge and Prince Villevert tomorrow at Huntingdon, both of whom jumped superbly on their debuts. Prince Villevert would ideally be running over two miles as opposed to the two and a half but sadly the program book at this time of year gives us very few opportunities and that combined with the weather means that if we don't run tomorrow we could be waiting another month to get to the sports. Tritonville Lodge ran well at Southwell and I think that if the competition is not too strong would go there with a chance.

This week again will not be full of runners but the jumpers are gaining fitness and it won't be too long before we are out with the main team. They continue to please me and look a smashing bunch.

Monday 18th August 2008

Well yet again the weather has thwarted our plans and both The Bandit and Prince Villevert only travelled a short way towards Southwell before being recalled as the ground had gone on the softer side which would not suit either of them. The one it did suit though was The King and I, who under a lovely ride from our own Claire Allen finished second in the valuable ladies race at Newbury. She was very cool during the race and did exactly as asked which is, with him, to only get there at the last minute. He came there cantering but just didn't quite deliver when push came to shove but still ran a super race. Self Defense ran admirably but his legs do not go round quite as fast as they used to and so a few younger models quickened past him!

I am not sure what will finish up running this week as the weather looks very disappointing once again. Premier Hope is entered at Fontwell on Thursday and is in great form. If she gets her quick ground I would hope will run very well. Lagavulin and Tweed River are also entered and both seem in good order. Roll on the summer!

Tuesday 12th August 2008

British summer time seems to have left us at speed and accordingly I have invested in flippers for the horses! It is an absolute nightmare in respect of the summer jumpers as they are standing in their boxes bouncing and while the rain continues they are looking doubtful of going anywhere more exciting than the gallops!

Extraordinarily there was a small tip of the country that seemed to have missed much of the rain called Southwell and they produced lovely ground for yesterday. Tritonville Lodge ran over fences and jumped beautifully, he got a little tired but finished 4th and ran a very sound race and one that he will improve from. Tweed River and Yawmi then ran, both for the first time over hurdles. Tweed River jumped well but looks as though a wind problem at this stage may just impair him and so he may well be seen out next time with a tongue tie on. Yawmi sadly took a crashing fall and although he stood up and was brought back to the stables, he took a turn for the worse and was diagnosed with suspected internal bleeding and was put down. He was in a large amount of pain and the vets were excellent dealing with a horrible situation.

Runners for the rest of the week will be very much weather dependent. Towerofcharlemagne will not be seen out if the rain continues whilst The King and I and Self Defense both look likely to head to Newbury and I think The King and I should run well - he will enjoy the ground and the trip. Self Defense will be on a fact finding mission. He will either run a blinder at his favourite track or he will decide that he has had enough and then retirement could be on the cards. As far as the jumpers are concerned, Et Maintenant will only run if the ground is good or on the quicker side at Market Rasen on Saturday and hopefully Southwell will remain dry to see both Prince Villevert and The Bandit in action. If Et Maintenant goes to Market Rasen there will be one person missing. His lad Craig is marrying Karen that day and although he would do anything to get out of making the grooms speech I think that could be a step too far!

Everyone is now gearing up to the main National Hunt season and the horses are nearly all cantering and at this stage seem to be better than ever. I have also taken on a few new lads and I think the atmosphere is buzzing here. Long may it last!!

Friday 1st August 2008

Having hoped that the two runners of this week were going to have real chances things did not pan out in quite the way that I expected! Tomina ran a lovely race at Goodwood and travelled beautifully but just as he was being asked to quicken his reins separated and his young jockey lost one of them and so he wasn't able to push him out. He finished a gallant fourth beaten only 3 ½ lengths and although I don't think that he could have won I think he would have finished third. Sadly he finished lame as the ground for him was probably a bit lively but I hope that it will not be the end of his career. The King and I also ran, but appeared not to stay the two miles on the flat and probably did not enjoy the kick back at kempton. It was a shame as he seems in very good order and I would expect a much better performance next time over a slightly shorter trip. We have no runners now until Tuesday as the weather thwarted our plans of a trip to Bangor.

There is far more excitement here now as the jumpers are all just starting to canter and so far they all look super - I hope I can continue to report that to be the case!

Tuesday 29th July 2008

I think I am just about well enough to write an update after the most spectacular wedding of Timmy and Verity Murphy! It was a wonderful day and evening, although I am sure that every jump jockey was relieved that there was no racing on Sunday - not one of them bar Timmy would have passed the breathalyser!!

Now back to reality - we were meant to run Tweed River at Worcester this evening but after 36mm of rain I am afraid that his ground had gone and so we will have to wait until the ground dries up again before he runs. He is a smashing looking horse now and I am really looking forward to him jumping a hurdle in public.

I run two tomorrow. Tomina who has been in such good form on the flat this season and I hope should run a big race with a featherweight on his back and The King and I who again should run well in what looks a pretty weak contest. Here's hoping for a memorable day on the flat!

Friday 25th July 2008

No joy so far this week with Prince Villevert and Et Maintenant both jumping superbly at Bangor on Tuesday and neither getting the trip. There are races to be won with both horses it is just finding the right ones! The ground at Bangor was as good summer jumping ground as I have seen any where this year and although it is a long way to go I would have no problem with heading back there. Zebrano then ran yesterday and started at long odds on. He should have won the race but finished only third having hung in behind the two leaders. I think that, giving him the benefit of the doubt, he may not have really wanted to let himself down on the surface as he has returned home pretty jarred up but I think that gelding him is also going to be a key to him in the future.

There are no runners now until the middle of next week which is probably a good thing as we are heading up to Scotland this weekend for Timmy Murphy's wedding!

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............