Cheek



Summer grazing below the Crags at Kinneston

 A busy and emotional week on the domestic front with youngest child Johnny leaving prep school on Wednesday, difficult not to be touched by how sad they all were to be leaving (in contrast, escaping from Colditz, aka Cargilfield, in 1974 was one of the happiest days of my childhood), then yesterday a 4.45am start to take younger daughter Clare to the airport for a solo trip to Mexico - very enterprising and I am sure she will be looked after fantastically well when she arrives there.  Lucy has been busy and I understand yesterday rode six lots for two different trainers, will be back up here late on Saturday night to take three rides on Sunday for Mike Smith at Perth - Mack Milan in the 2.10, Frontier Lad in the 2.40 and Scotch Warrior in the 3.40, she also rides Cape Secret in the 3.10 for Gordon Elliot - four in a row, I am sure she will be fit enough.
Just in case anyone knows of anyone looking for a cottage to rent we have a three bedroom 1980's bungalow available, quiet, secluded, wonderful neighbours & grumpy racehorse trainer providing free snow clearance service, more details & viewings here - Bradburne & Co - Mr Bradburne of Bradburne & Co is no longer part of the team there, he is of course a famous ex amateur jockey,  married to "Mrs B" the trainer, father to jockey Mark and TV presenter Lorna.  He became seriously ill in Cuba a couple of years ago and is taking time to recover but everyone has been delighted to see real progress over the past few months and his (not to forget Mrs B's) stoicism in tackling this illness is an example to us all.  He hasn't lost his wit either as he shuffled up to me at Perth recently and muttered  "well, Alexander, looks like you've finally worked out how to train horses" I assured him that the recent good form of the yard was a mere blip and Mrs B could relax because normal service would resume shortly.  Cheeky bu**er - it's the horses that have improved "dear", not the trainer....  Tough week for ex trainer C Brooks, bet he wishes he was still fretting over Suny Bay's legs, his mate Dave Cameron is going to really struggle to live this one down, how could he have been so daft as to give that man from the NOTW such an important role, it will be tragic if this brings him down but having shown such poor judgement will make one question every other judgement he has to make, confidence is everything in politics as well as training horses (see Chris Bealby blog on the latter here); as for Mr Murdoch, how convenient, a good excuse to launch his seven day Sun, shut NOTW and make even more money from the British consumer, surely the high-minded advertisers that so publicy withdrew their patronage from the NOTW should extend that to all Murdoch enterprises if they really mean it.................. sorry, politics crept in again - eek - and what about the horses here, still on on summer break but about 12 back in the halfway house routine of walker/field/barn, 3 more to come in on Monday.