How about that!

At last...  some of the famous Perth silverware!

they say that this game could tame lions; we work hard and have plenty of ups and downs but just ocassionally it produces something really special and for Kit to win the Champion Hunter Chase on Commercial Express at the Perth Festival on his first ride under rules in a thrilling finish in front of a huge and enthusiastic crowd on a marvellous spring day was just fantastic.  Kit received a tremendous reception with live interviews for the crowd and for television; he deserved it, he has worked hard and must have watched the recordings of his favourite jockey Timmy Murphy winning round Perth on this horse 30 or 40 times, he is a tricky ride that needs produced in the shadow of the post, classic Timmy Murphy stuff , not easy to emulate and we've had a few near misses but to get it right when it mattered on the big day was really special.  Jamie finished 4th on Noir et Vert who ran a big race but just faded in the late stages, he deserves huge credit for his Herculean effort in doing the weight which involved shedding 9lbs in the 24 hours prior to the race - no mean feat!  Lucy finished down the field on Floreanna who needed the race and earlier in the afternoon The Paddy Premium failed to stay on his stable debut and will now be dropped back in trip.
As ever a short book could be written about Commercial Express since he arrived at Kinneston from David Johnson and the late Peter Monteith (don't I wish he had been there yesterday).  The latest chapter involved Kit and I returning from walking the course at Balcormo 12 days ago to find the horse unwell, he worsened during the evening and late on that Saturday night Kit and I held the horse for the vet as he pumped fluids into his stomach; to be in the winners enclosure at our local track 12 days later perfectly illustrates the roller coaster on which we ride............

Here we go..

.. the big day at last, all season I have been hoping that we might be able to engineer a racecourse clash between brother Jamie and Lucy and Kit; I am absolutely delighted that barring last minute dramas (possible!) it will happen today in the 4.20 at Perth, the Champion Stayers Hunter Chase, when Kit rides Commercial Express, Jamie rides Noir et Vert and Lucy rides Floreanna for the Bowswells.  The atmosphere at Perth yesterday was tremendous with a huge crowd enjoying splendid weather and competive racing on beautiful ground, today should be even better.  Both of our two runners have been in cracking form in point-to-points and have previous winning form over fences at the track, Floreanna makes her seasonal debut but would probably have won this race last year had she not unseated in the home straight.  10 run and the ground will be on the soft side of good.
Earlier in the afternoon we run Mark Fleming's The Paddy Premium (well, I have a small share too..) in the 2.50, it's his debut for the stable, Paddy Aspell rides and 8 run.  He is a lovely horse, a real professional, was 2nd a month ago at Stratford and if he stays the longer trip & his new trainer hasn't screwed anything up then he won't be far away.  Tomorrow we run Playing Footsie for the Billinges in the concluding bumper, 14 run and Fearghal Davies rides, it's effectively her first race after being bumped badly at the start last time at Kelso.

Noir et Vert

The Festival started well for us yesterday with Papamoa finishing 3rd at 33-1 in the opener and Four Fiddlers finishing 3rd at 40-1 in the 2nd race, Northern Flame disappointed again and will now undergo an operation to help his breathing, Forcefield finished 8th of 18 in the last but never travelled and I suspect needs his summer break.

Commercial Express

Perth

More glorious weather but close inspection of Perth racecourse last night revealed thoroughly watered ground with a thick carpet of grass, Donald, the head groundsman told me he had been able to cut the grass six times already this year whereas in a normal year he would struggle cut it momore than once prior to the Festival meeting. 

Four Fiddlers

Forcefield

 This enables us to have a few more runners than normal and we start off with four tomorrow; Papamoa makes his belated reappearance in the 2.10, Fearghal Davies rides and 14 run, he was a promising 3rd on his hurdling debut back in November but after such a long break I am just hoping he runs a nice race, he has been ready to run for about six weeks so should be fit. We run two in the 2.45, Northern Flame (Paddy Aspell) and Four Fiddlers (Lucy) - the former disappointed last time out and I have been trying to pinpoint what is troubling him, he seems very well at home and runs in a tongue tie for the first time tomorrow, Four Fiddlers ran a so-so race on his hurdling debut and I hope he can build on that experience, particularly now he is stepped up in trip. Forcefield runs in the 5.35, 18 run and it is a competitive handicap, he runs in a tongue tie and first time cheek-pieces, both really to help him travel, he was second in the bumper at this meeting last year and I think the track will suit him.

Northern Flame

Papamoa

If this weather holds it promises to be a memorable Perth Festival with the Royal Wedding meeting on Friday adding to what I am sure will be an excellent atmosphere, I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who can find the time to come along.

Let them eat...

Just add milk.........

 ...sweets, one of the many highlights of Mrs A's catering for the jockeys at the Fife Point-to-Point on Saturday.  Unfortunately there weren't many there as the recent dry spell has led to a dearth of runners in point-to-points up and down the country, ironically it rained steadily for most of the day and the ground was fine; there were a few highlights, most particularly for us Kit winning the 5 runner Winners of One race with our home bred Skipping Chapel.  It was very much a last minute decision to run & his preparation was far from conventional, most particularly involving an intensive dressage lesson from Louisa on Friday afternoon.

Skipping Chapel

 That of course brought the 2010/11 official season to a close and after the dire weather before Christmas taking out a large chunk of the core season I am delighted with the final stats - 9 winners and 12 seconds from 82 runners, 11% strike rate and 26% first two with just under 50% of all runners placed - a great testament to the hard work and dedication of the team here who have done a fantastic job.

The lorry waits, Easter Sunday 2011.

Of course the new season starts straight away and the immediate focus is the three day Perth Festival starting on Wednesday this week. We were out early on Easter Sunday morning to sharpen up a couple of our Perth runners at Lucinda's woodchip, we have eight horses that we hope to run over the three days.

Warming up

                                 

Mrak Fleming's The Paddy Premium (Lucy) and our own Commercial Express (Kit)

Cooling down...

And now..

Easter, the Fife Point-to-Point and Perth entries; glorious weather all week so fast ground means that what might have been a crazily busy day tomorrow should be a relaxed fun one with perhaps one or two runners at Balcormo where determined water has taken the sting out of most of the ground.  Perth looks typically popular with massive entries which is likely to result in fiercely competitive racing, I will look at the ground on Monday but I imagine the groundstaff will have done their usual excellent job and it will be thoroughly watered, if it is on the easy side of good we hope to have 3 runners on Wednesday, 3 on Thursday and perhaps one on Friday thereafter it will be the Lauderdale on Sunday 1st May.
It's been a good week here after a few vexing dramas last weekend, the horses have been working hard on the all-weather and the riverbank as well as making a few trips to Lucinda's; it has been great to see them out in the paddocks in the afternoons enjoying the spring grass and warm sunshine, this should keep them in good heart.

Amy (left) & Holly (right) enjoy some of Mrs G's famous chocolate cake to avoid having to carry too much lead tomorrow.

Minimal family representation likely tomorrow, probably just "Uncle J" but plenty of excitement in the yard as Amy rides her pointer King's Envoy in the Ladies and our work-rider Holly forsakes showjumping for one weekend to have her first ride in a point on the recently acquired Dee Cee Boulter - there has been a request to Mrs A for a large bottle of Malibu for the Ladies Changing room, hopefully for after rather than before the race......... good luck!  

Today

more fine weather; Papamoa, Twelve Paces & Northern Flame went to Lucinda's, Minimo & Commercial Express schooled over fences and Playing Footsie schooled over hurdles, the rest worked on the riverbank and all-weather.  Watering continues at all the racetracks but the weather looks settled well into the weekend so care will be required.  Mrs A has a new job, in charge of jockey's catering at Balcormo, keep telling her not to spoil them but she won't be told, I'll just have to sit in their changing room all afternoon (a la Mrs B - that's another story!).  Well aware that Perth are racing next week the famous couple have of course already had their wedding (you didn't really think all those pics on the telly were live did you, that would be far too high risk), not many people know this of course but I managed to find a video of the Royal Wedding ho, ho, sorry to spoil the surprise but at least you can come to Perth now.

No Show

4yo by Hellissio ex Harrietfield

Another splendid day and 16 horses did 3 steady 7f canters on the riverbank gallop, it is nearly perfect now and hopefully we will do some fast work on it later in the week.  A few others went hacking, we're at the stage in the season when a lot of the horses really need turned away for the summer, it's not quite time to turn them out though and there are a few good meetings left so we are trying to keep them fresh and fit in the hope that at some stage it rains, I am sure it will, probably just after I have cracked and put the horses in the field!  We also have a few youngsters that need ridden again before their summer break, with 20 horses in work here we are pushed for time so one or two will go away for a month and a couple will be ridden here including this horse (above), a 4yo by Hellissio he is the 7th foal out of Harrietfield and I am really looking forward to training him, he was doing fastish canters before we turned him away in November and will hopefully be the best so far.  Despite my resolution to stop breeding horses this afternoon I was unable to resist booking Harrietfield in to Black Sam Bellamy who stands down in Shropshire, have a look, he is an awesome horse and is a full brother to the mighty Galileo and a falf brother to the even mightier Sea the Stars, she will leave on Friday.  Entries out for Saturday, badly need some rain at Balcormo, Carlisle and Kelso, nothing really in the forecast so can't really make plans, just concentrate on making sure the horses are fit and well.

Dry

Solid sort of morning here, fantastic weather though dull now, 18 horses worked in the schools and on the all-weather, Forcefield & Commercial Express went for a long hack in the forestry.  Had our bi-annual inspection from the BHA which passed reasonably smoothly, made lots of entries for the weekend & spent the afternoon wondering how to turn 200 acres of 30 year old sitka spruce into woodchip without making too much mess.  Lucy had two good spins at Wetherby yesterday with Knock Three Times ending up 3rd off top weight, riding out in the Borders this morning.

Sunday

Peaceful day on the yard, all the horses either on the walker or relaxing in the paddocks enjoying some spring grass.  No runners at the point-to-point but Lucy has two rides at Wetherby, Perez in the 2.25 and Knock Three Times in the 4.40 so relaxing won't really be the right word here as Mr and Mrs A (A for Agitated) try to find something to distract themselves.
Time to sort out some paperwork ahead of BHA inspection tomorrow and make plans for the horses for next weekend and Perth the following week.
Tremendous to see Frankel has trained on, the sky's the limit...

The heart beats faster...

with the reappearance of the mighty Frankel this afternoon at Newbury.  Sadly I don't have the mental capacity to follow flat racing very closely but I do follow the Group races and I think the whole racing world is hoping that Henry Cecil might have a superstar on his hands, we'll have a better idea at 3.15 this afternoon.
A glorious Spring morning again, (various pics below) by this time of year I can start to feel a little weary as I plod up the brae in the early hours to start feeding the horses, the enthusiastic welcome I receive from the horses invariably cheers me up and today I was also greeted by the chirping of my friends returning from Africa - the swallows and house martins - early this year like the grass, the first batch tend to stay for a day or two before heading further North, they are followed by the summer residents later in the month.  They make an awful mess but I am intrigued and can't really bear to banish them.

A Spring Morning

Heading up the "all-weather"

and down again!

Recent arrival The Paddy Premium (Lucy Henry)

The Past and the Future - Wise Man and Solsgirth (winners of 8 races each for us) flank a 2yo by Generous and 4yo by Hellissio as they enjoy their first taste of spring grass

Forcefield ran an indifferent sort of race to finish 9th of 13 at Ayr yesterday, I think he needs more factors in his favour to compete properly in that class, I hope he will go to Perth in a couple of weeks.  Perfect ground at Ayr but on the p2p tracks it is drying up fast and much agonising is taking place as to whether to travel to Corbridge tomorrow and how to produce decent ground at Fife next week.  Next Saturday is the official end of the season, we could make our target of 10 winners with luck, we are on 8 and will have plenty to go to war with next Saturday at Fife, Carlisle and Kelso, all reliant on decent ground though and I will try not to be tempted into taking any chances...  

And so to Ayr..

where tomorrow we run Forcefield for the Earley & Macdonald partnership in the 5.05, Lucy rides, 14 run and the ground is on the easy side of good.  This is a step up in class and a step up in distance, it is a competitive handicap befitting of the Scottish National meeting but he has a handy weight and if he improves for the step up in trip and the ground is what they say it is then I am hopeful of a big run.
Brighter and milder here today where we worked Seeking Power, Four Fiddlers and Skipping Chapel at Lucinda's the others worked on the all weather and, at last, the riverbank.  The latter is our summer gallop, 7 furlongs of deep sand it is an excellent workout when conditions are dry, we only use it from April until October.  Grania the physio was in and together with Gillian she worked on Almost Blue, Minimo, Playing Footsie and "Alf" all of whom benefitted from the treatment, she also checked over half a dozen others.
An abortive trip to the cinema last night when it transpired that the website was showing the wrong time for the film, never mind they reimbursed us for the tickets and our ice creams (badly needed after a fiery trip to Nandos!) and gave us free tickets for another day, we entertained ourselves instead by parking up outside the big windows of Bannatynes and ate our ice creams watching all sorts of different shapes and sizes of people put themselves through agony on a variety of strange looking machines.

I don't think jumping is going to be a problem for Little Glenshee  (Amy)

Seeking Power (Amy) cooling down after working on the woodchip

Skipping Chapel (Kit) in full flight peers at the photographer

Routine

A grey, cool dampish sort of day;  Northern Flame, Amulree and Papamoa went to work at Lucinda's, about a dozen worked in the round school and on the all-weather and the weekend runners went for a long hack.  Hugh was in to geld our Midnight Legend colt (well, gelding now) out of Harrietfield and I decided that I would go for a tenth foal out of the mare, she looks so well and young out in the field (with her Generous 2yo gelding that I rather alarmingly struggle to distinguish from her) that I think it would be a shame to retire her, question is which stallion to use, hmm perhaps Black Sam Bellamy. 
Am hopeful that Ayr have had a bit of this rain to keep any sting out of the ground, other entries this weekend are at the Corbridge p2p and Wetherby on Sunday then a quiet week...

3rd time lucky

Having just been denied in the shadow of the post twice at Hexham this season it was third time lucky for Lucy yesterday when riding 20-1 outsider Thunder Hawk she just got the better of warm favourite Ardnaclancy for owner Robert Miller-Bakewell and trainer Stuart Coltherd; I was absolutely delighted for all of them but most particularly Lucy who has been working exceptionally hard all winter and was overdue a winner, it was also her first winner on the racecourse proper for an "outside" trainer - brilliant.

Lucy on Forcefield, if it rains they will step up in grade at the Scottish National Meeting at Ayr this week

Today I attended a Media Training Day at Musselburgh, it was extremely useful and well run by Racing for Change and Lesley Graham though having to watch myself being interviewed several times on a very large plasma screen with several of my peers was at times quite excruciating!  
Plenty of talk re the plight of racing and the completely muddled thinking of whoever is supposed to be in charge. Next week is a classic example of the frustrations all professionals in racing have with the raceplanning department - there is no jump racing in the North whatsoever until Saturday when they have managed to schedule Carlisle, Haydock and Kelso on the same day together with flat racing at Musselburgh not to mention our local point-to-point!  There is then no jump racing in the North again on Easter Sunday or Easter Monday, to my mind this is an absolute disaster for everyone involved - there are no winners here just lots of disgruntled racegoers, owners, jockeys,valets, and trainers many of whom are effectively denied the ability to earn a proper living; the racecourses split attendances as well and it just makes me want to go into a dark room and bang my head on the wall, it is nothing more than crass stupidity.
Sunday's runners have come out of their races well and here at Kinneston it has been a good couple of days so far this week with all the horses working hard in the two schools and on the all-weather.  Work is being done on the "riverbank" to give us somewhere to go a bit further and faster here and I am hoping to take a few to Lucinda's each day later in the week.  The horses seem really well, our last 13 runners have yielded 4 winners and two seconds so you can see why I am frustrated by the lack of opportunities.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrruuump!

Less happy times for Lucy earlier in the season, distant memory now!

Head to head..

With Almost Blue and Commercial Express having won their previous starts it was bound to be a hotly contested race when they were forced into taking each other on at Morpeth yesterday, the trainer couldn't split them and neither could the market which opened up with Uncle & Nephew as 6-4 joint favourites for their head to head.  Eventually youth was favoured and Commercial Express was sent off at 5-4 versus 7-4 for Almost Blue, they duly took it up 5 out and had a tremendous battle all the way up the home straight, Kit looked to be travelling much the better as he took it up going in to the last but a Herculean effort from his Uncle saw Almost Blue fight back on the run in and grab the race in the shadow of the post.  Bravo! say I to both of them, a tremendous race & hopefully unique as a rematch will be avoided at all costs!  They finished a distance clear of the remainder.

It was just compensation for Jamie who earlier in the afternoon had been put through the wing on Noir et Vert, a nasty incident from which both were lucky to emerge unscathed.  Unfortunately the Billinge's Minimo showed little enthusiasm for racing on her debut which was disappointing as she had schooled nicely at home and Lucy had a decent 3rd in the Ladies Open on Desertmore Star, her first ride for Mike Smith.  Today she rides Thunder Hawk in the 4.30 at Hexham for Stuart Coltherd and Robert Miller-Bakewell, 11 run; we are unrepresented, Playing Footsie having been balloted out.
Later this week we have Forcefield and Playing Footsie entered at Ayr(Fri/Sat) and Amulree at Wetherby on Sunday, will need some rain for them to run.  Fabby tells me a £10e/w wager on his top two selections at the Aintree meeting would have produced a £430 profit on the Tote and a £491 profit at Betfair SP, he will be locked up again until Royal Ascot and "Trendy" will not be let out again until next year's Grand National.
And then the Masters...... wow, incredible theatre, poor poor McIlroy, will he ever recover from that, let's hope so.  One year I would like to be able to stay awake until the end, every year its the same struggle followed by eventual capitulation - I think it will be a good measure of having my life sorted out properly, being able to stay awake for the Masters, how's that for an ambition!

Spring

 Any anti-climax after the Grand National is quickly dissipated by the discovery of a free CD with our Daily Telegraph, music for the Royal Wedding, marvellous, what could be better, the journey today to Morpeth will fly by as I rejoice in anticipation of the big day..... what will they think of next. The big race itself, a wonderful result, high drama but much sadness with apparently distressed horses due to the heat and two horses killed, this is always difficult to take but it's part of it I'm afraid and two were killed on the flat yesterday as well - difficult as I say.

Some pics from 3rd lot yesterday at Kinneston...

Big Day

Glorious spring weather today and after arriving back late from Aintree last night it was straight back to work with 30 plus horses fed by 6.30 and lots going on on the all weather and schooling ground throughout the morning.  It's unfortunate that it looks like we will have to run our two Lanark winners (almost Blue and Commercial Express) against each other tomorrow at the Morpeth, it will be a fascinating clash and the gamesmanship has already begun! Noir et Vert will run in the Mens Open and Minimo will make her debut for the Billinges in the Maiden, Lucy also looks like having a couple of other rides.
It's a big day for the area with Lucinda having a horse with such a good chance in the National, a wet week would have improved that chance but it's stamina that really counts and SBN has that in abundance, it's an unbelievably competitive race but granted luck in running I think he will go very close which would be a wonderful achievement  for a home-bred horse trained in Kinross-shire, fingers crossed, I'll be willing him over every fence for the whole team and most particularly his rider who is such a help to us here.
Fabby has been allowed out of his box once more, here are his tips for today..

1.45: Spirit Son (99), Cue Card (93), Rock on Ruby (90)

2.15: Finian's Rainbow (100), Ghizao (94), Starluck (89)
2.50: Peddlers Cross (97), Oscar Whisky (92), Celestial Halo (89)
3.25: Great Endeavour (87), Invisible Man (82), Prince de Beauchene (82)
4.15: Silver by Nature (93), What a Friend (91), Quinz (80), Skippers Brig (63)
5.00: Total Excitement (85), Ultimate (83), Plan A (82)
5.35: Montbazon (92), Persian Snow (88), Steps to Freedom (84)

Good Luck!

Make the trend your friend...

Trendy Wendy- the trendiest tips in town!


Hi, my name is Trendy Wendy and I have a Grand National tipping system which uses 28 key trends from past winners to find the winner of the race. For each trend that a horse does not comply with, I penalise them 5 points- the horse with the lowest score is my idea of the winner! All of the past 8 winners have scored 20 points or less, but 4 of the last 5 winners have scored 15 or less.

Horses scoring 20 or less

Vic Venturi (10)

Character Building (15)

Silver By Nature (15)

Oscar Time (15)

The Midnight Club (15)

Backstage (20)

Majestic Concorde (20)

Verdict

Vic Venturi is the horse who fits the most trends, and although he has a big weight for winning the Becher Chase, he is great each way value at 75/1.

Character Building is also great value at 33/1. He ran very well last year, coming from miles back to look like being placed jumping the last, before tiring. He had a disrupted preparation last year and with some luck in running I think he should at least be placed off a light weight.

Silver by Nature looks to have a great chance. Although he may like the ground a bit softer, the likes of Silver Birch, Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde all came into the race with similar concerns having only ever won on soft or heavy, and all won on good or good to soft ground.

Oscar Time looks like an ideal National horse. He jumps well, he stays and he was second in the Irish National, so I think Sam Waley-Cohen has a great chance of doing the double.

The Midnight Club fits most of the trends and has the massive bonus of Ruby Walsh in the saddle, but his odds reflect that.

Backstage was my tip last year at 33/1 and he was travelling very well when brought down by a loose horse. Unfortunately he is only 12/1 this year and those odds don’t look quite as attractive.

Majestic Concorde could run well at a big price but is untried beyond three miles which is a worry.

Betting Advice (all prices from Betfair)

£5 Each Way Oscar Time at 15/1

£5 Each Way Vic Venturi at 75/1

£5 Each Way Character Building at 33/1

£5 Each Way Silver By Nature at 15.5/1



Good luck, and remember to trust Trendy!

Aintree

Splendid first day's racing yesterday with some top class performances the only disappointment being Denman who never looked up for it and was off the bridle on the way to the start, back at home the horses worked mainly on the grass, all the grass gallops are due to be rolled soon and will then be "put to bed" for the summer, hopefully the riverbank sand gallop will then be used to complement the all-weather.

Here are Fabby's tips for today........

2.00: Brampour (91), Perfect Smile (86), Sire de Grugy (86)


2.30: Wayward Prince (97), Quito de la Rouge (94), Radium (92)

3.05: Master Minded (94), Somersby (91), Albertas Run (89)

3.40: Isn't That Lucky (85), Mon Parrain (70), Dev (62)

4.15: Sparky May (92), Mossley (88), Court in Motion (85)

4.50: Kilcrea Kim (88), Cloudy Spirit (84), Whodoyouthink (82)

5.25: Baby Shine (93), Tante Sissi (92), Tempest River (92)

- got Placepot day one with first two horses in each race

- 4 winners from 7 races

And so...

.. to Aintree.  An amazingly wet and foul day here yesterday but we worked the weekend runners and Little Glenshee & Playing Footsie schooled over the hurdles again.  Some of us are heading for a brief trip to Aintree today and I am pleased that Fabby has given us the benefit of his wisdom...........

2.00: Big Buck's (98), Grands Crus (93), Khyber Kim (85)


2.30: Zarkandar (97), Grandouet (94), Third Intention (92)

3.05: Denman (100), Carole's Legacy (91), Nacarat (89)

3.40: Baby Run (96), Turko (93), Ice Tea (86)

4.15: Leo's Lucky Star (96), Oiseau De Nuit (93), Woolcombe Folly (85)

4.50: Wishfull Thinking (100-NAP), Medermit (96), Royal Charm (90)

5.25: Ski Sunday (85), Bothy (85), Pateese (84)

Playing Footsie

Bloggo, bloggo, bloggo..

.. oh where does the time go, Wednesday morning and this is the first update of the week, oh dear, well,  satisfactory runs from the two Novice Hurdlers at Kelso on Monday, the presence of the Princess Royal added a little atmosphere to the meeting and I was most impressed by her ability to speak for 10 minutes about her Charity for Carers eloquently and without any notes.  Pre-occupied by crucial Isla Pearl Fisher xray taking place back at the yard and relieved by cautiously optimisitc verdict that has allowed him to resume exercise on the horsewalker.  Yesterday Northern Flame and Forcefield worked at Lucinda's, Minimo & Commercial Express schooled over fences and Little Glenshee & Playing Footsie over hurdles.  Lots working today with all the pointers entered for Morpeth on Sunday and Seeking Powwer, Amulree and Playing Footsie in at Hexham on Monday.  Before that we have the wonderful Aintree meeting to enjoy, we will have two guest tipster, firstly Fabby Frank will be giving his system tips and then the once a year specialist Treny Wendy will be dusting off her laptop and telling us what will win the big race... ha ha!

Isla Pearl Fisher getting the better of More Equity, an easy course and distance winner this week....

Bingo! (& stable update)

Daasij

I was delighted when Daasij gave us our 3rd winner of the week at Newcastle on Friday, it appears that stepping up to 3 miles did the trick and hopefully he can progress from here - it was an excellent result his loyal owners, Messrs Liddle, Philipps, Robinson & Stanistreet.  All three winners are looked after by Emma Dick who having now completed the hat-trick will be going for the four-timer when Four Fiddlers makes his hurdling debut at Kelso tomorrow in the 4pm, Lucy rides, 15 run and the ground will be good to soft.  He schools nicely at home and should be able to step up on his bumper form, particularly when upped in trip; I expect a good run tomorrow but its a hot race and anywhere in the first 8 could represent a decent effort.  Isla Patriot runs in the second division of the Novice Hurdle at 6pm, Peter Buchanan rides, this is the weaker of the two divisions and I have been pleased with his last two efforts so hopefully he can progress a little again.  This afternoon Lucy rides Black Apache for Donald McCain in the 2.30 at Market Rasen

Daasij at Home

One or two people have been asking me about the progress and plans for the various horses in the yard so I thought I would do a quick summary for those that are interested...(Mrs A perhaps - any others!!??)

Isla Patriot & Four Fiddlers run tomorrow. Isla Pearl Fisher is due to be x-rayed tomorrow to check on the progress of the operation on his pastern, a favourable outcome would see a return to light exercise this week.  Forcefield is being trained for two possible targets at the Scottish National meeting at Ayr.  Papamoa was due to run at Kelso tomorrow but unfortunately slipped on the road yesterday and has a few grazes that will take a day or two to sort out.  Northern Flame has been checked over and we think we have identified a problem that we can hopefully rectify, he is scheduled to re-appear at Perth later in the month.  4yo Alflora ex Minora has been making excellent progress, minor setback this week but will be named soon and will hopefully run at the end of the month.  Twelve Paces appears disenchanted with racing and might have one more run or head for a slightly easier life point-to-pointing.  Amulree has a very appealing looking handicap mark and is being aimed for a race at Hexham on Monday 11th.  Little Glenshee has been given plenty of time after her promising racecourse debut and will hopefully run over hurdles in a few weeks.  Buffalo Ballet has fully recovered from his colic and had his first proper piece of work since yesterday.  Seeking Power is in tremendous form and will be entered for the same race as Amulree next week & will run instead of her if it is heavy.  Native Coll is finding his old legs can't keep up with the younger ones, he might have another try at three miles or switch to point-to-pointing next year.  Playing Footsie will be entered over hurdles and in a bumper at Hexham next Monday, we will see how the schooling goes.  We will look for a another staying handicap hurdle for Daasij in three weeks time.  The Paddy Premium has settled in well and I think will head to the Perth Festival.  Minimo will be entered for the Maiden at the Morpeth Point-to-point next Sunday.  Commercial Express, Almost Blue and Noir et Vert will all also be entered there as might Skipping Chapel who is recovering from a foot abscess which I suspect has been troubling him for a few weeks and might explain his poor runs... must stop saying hopefully, have I missed anyone out?