Wet Tuesday

Proper wet morning today, first one for months, soaked by 6.30am, not good for morale, schools & AW scheduled for this morning, maybe a pop over the hurdles if it relents a little later.  A productive day at the Cumberland Farmers p2p where the weather wasn't too bad at all, just some soft rain, and the ground was perfect resulting in loads of runners.  The two maidens ran much better than of late, appreciating the surface and galloping track, Flaming Thistle came 4th of 16 in his division and Northern Flame 6th of 17 in his, both jumping with much more purpose than in the the past, something to build on I hope.  Earlier Native Coll ran a very solid race to be 4th of 8 in the Northern Area race.   The nomad wending her way back from Fakenham, no winners but both placed, hopefully back home for a couple of days before Sedgefield on Friday......

Tiring stuff, but at least the sun was shining.........

Monday

Showery and cool, looks like being a bit wet down in Cumbria for the Cumberland Farmers p2p, we run Native Coll, Flaming Thistle and Northern Flame, Kit rides them all and I suspect the ground will be softening as the day goes on.  There will be lots of runners, chances difficult to determine until we get to the paddock but all three are in good hear at home.  Meanwhile over at Fakenham Lucy rides Sumak in the 2.05, Tiradia in the 3.15 and Emperor Charlie in the 3.50, after that, all eyes on Aintree.....

Some of the team.... Emma, Holly, Gillian, Gemma and Lucy H

Sunday Morning...

Isla Pearl Fisher - the morning of the race, ready to go (Frank Cornfield)

Hmmmm, lying in bed, 7am alarm - the Sunday "lie-in", Alice Arnold bringing me up to date with the world, the drama of the Boat Race, back late last night,  a moment to reflect, a marvellous run from IPF yesterday, just denied at the end of three miles in an exhilarating 3 way battle up the run-in, cruel, but he proved more than worthy of the step up in class, great day, Mrs G on the phone from the velodrome in Melbourne, excited, watching Chris Hoy perhaps handing over his mantle; time to get on,  35 hungry mouths waiting, Easter Day, the sky full of birdsong, tomorrows runners need to be excercised, dogs to be walked, Church with the boys at 11, Mrs A and Clare staying in Pumphreyland, avoiding the M74 commute, her Father rowed in that race, gritty stuff, perhaps that is the source of Lucy's "steel," where is she? on the way to Towcester;  back here lunch with Granny, back to check the horses and fine tune plans for three Easter Monday runners, then the annual battle to stay awake until the end of the Masters (never manage!), this sporting world, happy days.........

And just denied in the shadow of the post.......



Leaving the Paddock, he was ready....



Happy Easter!

Cold and damp but snow and frost away so can't complain and a productive morning with horses working here on the all-weather and riverbank and on Lucinda's woodchip.  As with yesterday Susan Bradburne brought a couple of her's along and it was interesting to see them working with ours. Bade a sad farewell to my faithful old lorry of the last 10 years, Mrs A finds it bizarre that this appears to be some sort of an emotional event for me but there we go; excited about the new lorry's maiden voyage tomorrow though, Carlisle beckons where we run Isla Pearl Fisher in the 3.55 - 6 run, Lucy rides and the ground should be good.  He won nicely last time and whilst I hope he will run well again this is a step up in class.  We also run Almost Blue at the Morpeth p2p with Jamie on board, he also won last time and also won this race last year in a famous Uncle vs Nephew battle, he seems in fine fettle and should appreciate the conditions.  

If we survive all of that we will be back down the M74 on Monday to the Cumberland Farmers p2p at Dalston where we hope to run Native Coll, Flaming Thistle and Northern Flame, a busy Easter but I can't think of a better way to spend it.  Not as busy as Lucy's though, apart from Isla Pearl Fisher tomorrow she rides Raggios Boy (2.15), Rich Lord (2.50), Cantrell (3.25), Farm Pixie (4.30) and Le Roi Rouge (5.05), that's six in a row, then she heads to Towcester on Sunday and Fakenham on Monday, let's hope TomTom is working!

Boom boom

A frosty start so winter routine with Kit doing the early feed and trainer out on tractor harrowing all-weather and riverbank gallops, all open up nicely and, unlike in deep winter, fortunately do not refreeze enabling all of the horses to do plenty of work.  Cracking double for Lucy yesterday at Sedgefield's feature meeting of the season, sadly marred by atrocious weather, she won on Kealigolane and Fred Bojangles, both of whom I suspect would not have been declared if such extreme conditions had been anticipated, funny things horses.  Doing our best to get as many as possible fit and ready to run this weekend, Amulree quite stiff this morning, hardly surprising when you look at the picture below, she is in the middle (scarlet, blue sleeves - click on picture to enlarge, captured by John Grossick) and in the process of being wiped out mid-air, hopefully Gillian's magic hands will have her feeling better in time to line up in the Restricted at Dalston on Monday; huge (record?) entries by the way in stark contrast to recent fixtures, it's all about the ground, if point-to-point fixtures want runners they need to organise themselves into producing decent going, it's not easy and may cost money but its not impossible... 

Topsy Turvy

... are the only words for it, after record March temperatures of 21 degrees last week three inches of snow and a blizzard raging as I write, "all-weather" for 17 this morning and the rest on the walker, not exactly hacking weather, the worst morning of the "winter" so far. Harrowing school, towing out stranded cars, power out, office freezing, light log-burner, chimney blocked with snow, office fills with smoke, power back on, smoke alarm won't shut up........

Inspection time

An unproductive day at Kelso yesterday with Little Glenshee withdrawn due to the lack of precipitation and Amulree badly hampered and brought down in a 4 horse incident at the first caused by the erratic behaviour of the increasingly appropriately named Risk Assessment. It was a frightening moment as the horse effectively had her legs swept away from underneath her in mid air at 30mph causing her to fall heavily and somersault on landing,  Frustrating but that's racing and all returned home in one piece so that's always the main thing. An amusing little vignette of photographs summarising the day taken by Frank Cornfield
I greatly enjoyed Marcus Armitage's article in today's Daily Telegraph , made me chuckle, meanwhile today Lucy is at Sedgefield where she rides Formulation in the 2.30, Kealigolane in the 4.00 and Fred Bojangles in the 4.30.

Bare in places.....

In hot pursuit...

Amulree... in one piece, another chapter written...

Off we go again.....

Kinneston dawn (John McBroom)

Back in the driving seat, a frosty start but amazingly dry everywhere, ground conditions more akin to the middle of a dry spell in high summer, turning colder now and an interesting forecast for the coming week, nature will be confused!  Horses back on our "riverbank" summer gallop yesterday for the first time since September, riding well, otherwise a quiet weekend, ideal for making plans.  No runners last week as a result of the prevailing ground but plenty of horses ready to run as and when we can find the right opportunities, I am always in close contact with the team when on holiday discussing each individual horse's requirements on a daily basis, it seems to be working well, all I need to do now is get that periscope hitched up to the internet. Lucy has been racking up the miles over the past week taking in Market Rasen, Newcastle, Wetherby and ending up at Uttoxeter yesterday; rewarded with one good winner on King's Chorister at Newcastle on Thursday, I see her car parked outside this morning, late home from the Midlands.
So, Buccleuch Cup day at Kelso tomorrow, should be an excellent day's racing on properly watered ground and we run Little Glenshee in the 4.00, Lucy rides, 12 run, this trip is likely to prove on the sharp side for her but she needs experience jumping hurdles, she will only take her chance if the ground is on the soft side.  We then run Amulree with Kit on board in the feature race at 4.30, 12 run, this looks competitive but she has been running well in point to points, seems fresh and well and should appreciate the conditions.  Lucy also rides Sumak in the 2.30 and Higgy's Boy in the 5.00.  Thereafter a quiet week on the racing front before we try to be at Haydock, Carlisle and Morpeth on Saturday...
Some great pictures below taken by Frank Cornfield at the Lanark p2p last week, a huge crowd enjoyed competitive racing in glorious sunshine and a historic dead heat between Jamie (47) and Ross Wilson (18)


Jamie on Almost Blue



Desperately close

The judges deliberate.... (don't I know him?)

Not forgetting to weigh in....

Uncle and sister give Kit his instructions

The Jockey's board for the Maiden

Thirsty work....