Royal Portrush - maker of men!

After another glimpse of summer late last week a disappointing wet weekend, and today's not much better, however delighted to be riding horses again here this morning with 9 doing a little flat work in the school prior to a 40 minute hack, we won't hang about too much as they have had plenty of time on the walker and all being well we will have 15 cantering before too long.
Great excitement in the car in Cruden Bay golf club car park listening to the commentary of Lucy scything through the field to come from last to first to win her first flat race on Key Breeze at Beverley last week for her current boss Kevin Ryan, that was 3 out of 10 in 14 days which put her in the hot jockeys column in the RP, 2nd only to the mighty AP and ahead of all the flat jocks, big thrill, down to earth with a bump though at Cartmel on Thursday when Floreana fell at the 2nd fence. It's great to see all her hard work paying off and with luck she can continue to build a bit of momentum in an exceptionally competitive environment, this week she is hoping to ride at Ascot on Saturday and Carlisle on Sunday.

Darren

What a wonderful day yesterday for golf fans, seldom have I been so mesemerised by watching one man play a round of golf and seldom have I been so pleased by a result.  As a golfer I don't have much in common with Darren Clarke apart from being slightly portly and having a fondness for Portrush and the odd pint.  I am lucky enough to go there in the spring most years as part of a group of only quite talented golfers, we feel the place is very good for us though as the course is so difficult that it makes every other one appear so easy thereafter (ha ha)........  not so last week on our little golf tour of Aberdeenshire (Stonehaven - Newburgh - Cruden Bay - Newburgh - Murcar), having established a strong early lead fitness gradually crept in and by the 90th hole I was tailed off in a remote last place & barely able to walk, managed to get quite a red face thanks to the splendid weather and hospitality at the Udny Arms Hotel, a shadow of its former self but on its way back, Mr Trumps's architect has been living there for the last three years and now that Trump has shelved plans to build his own hotel the "Udny" must have a chance of a comeback.....