Hailstorm

Perth has been remarkably kind to us this year and it came up trumps again yesterday when for the second meeting in a row Lucy won the feature race on Mike Smith's Scotch Warrior, it was a splendidly gritty performance in a race run in a hailstorm which then turned into torrential rain - couldn't wipe the smile off the faces of the winning connections though and a splendid pic in today's RP.
Speaking of newspapers the NOTW saga is becoming increasingly tiresome, I wouldn't underestimate the seriousness of the transgressions but the self obsession of the press is dull, NOTW may have had a circulation of 2.5m but that leaves about 57.5m of us who did't buy it, aren't going to miss it and aren't remotely sad about its demise.  If you happened to read the Telegraph rather than the NOTW this weekend then you may have read a article about the new wave of independent gins that are on the market - they missed the best one of the lot - Edinburgh Gin - have a look - I recommend it.  This week I am heading to Aberdeenshire for a few days golf before we become too busy here, no rest though for Lucy who returned to Yorkshire last night and is due to have her first ride for her new boss Kevin Ryan at Beverley tomorrow at 5pm, then she hopes to be at Cartmel (I'm missing Cartmel already...) on Thursday and will be trying very hard to find a ride in the big Ladies race at the Curragh on Sunday...

Scotch Warrier, pictures courtesy of Dennis Penny