Rain, rain, rain

Just keeps pouring down, some are much worse off but it is tiresome.  Still difficult to take in the dreadful news from earlier in the week, so many wonderful tributes but such a terrible waste, its going to be tough for lads in the weighing room at Perth next week but I am sure Campbell would have wanted them to crack on and get on with it, a poignant winner for Arlary at Hamilton last night, so pleased for them and am sure they will pull together, incredibly difficult though.

Paddock at Newcastle yesterday afternoon.......

Be nice if it dries out a bit for Perth, we have five entered but they could all do with reasonable ground, meanwhile I am going to make a fleeting visit to Musselburgh this afternoon to watch Lucy ride Illustration in the 4.20 and Stormont Bridge in the 4.55 - both outsiders but riding on the flat is keeping her very fit (and light!).
Goodness gracious me, the sun has just come out, I must be hallucinating...........

Darkest of Days

What started off as a normal sort of morning was brought to a shuddering halt with the awful news that Campbell Gillies had died whilst on holiday in Greece.  Campbell was an immensely talented young jockey with his career ahead of him, it is impossibly tragic that it should be cut short in this way and our deepest and heartfelt sympathies go to his family and friends together with Lucinda and Scu and the whole team at Arlary.  
I loved the way horses appeared to flow for him, they ran naturally, as if he wasn't there, he became part of them; he combined that with balance, strength and a sense of rhythm and timing to be a rare talent, a natural horseman nurtured and enhanced by the trainers that supported him and gave him the chance to shine. The racing world is a small one,  news travels fast and black armbands were being worn by the flat jockeys at Brighton this afternoon, tributes will flow and everyone will pull together in shared emotion but there is simply nothing  that can lessen the intense grief that will be felt by those closest to him. For them time will heal very slowly indeed but eventually some solace will be found in being grateful for the wonderful memories and a rare talent that had the chance to dazzle so brightly, albeit far,far too briefly.  

Campbell Gillies on Brindisi Breeze

Summer returns...

The mighty Frankel, improving with age!

A glorious morning, what a difference a few days makes, farm sodden on Saturday morning but two fine drying days and all seems well again; forecast pretty reasonable for the week by recent standards.  Wonderful racing at Ascot, so much class and so much drama; somewhat less edifying spectacle at Hexham -  who could have believed they would have been so unlucky as to have to race on very heavy ground for all three of their meetings in June, well done them for getting it on and shame we had the wrong horses turned out in the field, never mind, Perth next week - they must be due some better ground.
Plenty going on here as we try to juggle 7 horses still in work and 3 invalids with power-washing and repainting all the stables, construction work due to begin on six new boxes and major refurbishments being undertaken in the schools and then the all-weather, lots of staff on holiday so those here busier than ever!

My favourite photgraph from a great week, The Queen admires Black Caviar

The Royals...

Very damp this morning but milder and the wind has dropped, going round the horses yesterday evening was unreal, lashing rain and gales, fortunately our turnout fields have plenty of shelter - surrounded by woods with trees overhanging the fields under which they can take cover, amazingly they often choose to graze out in the open despite the conditions.
A splendid 24 hour trip to Royal Ascot, glorious weather, lots of partying and tremendous racing made all the sweeter by a 16-1 winner courtesy of Tom Tate and the gnome of Durham - same tip saw me secure the very worthwhile box sweep, not like me at all.  Followed up yesterday with a slightly fleeting visit to the Royal Highland Show, yet another splendid occasion somewhat blighted by this persistently awful weather.  Makhzoon balloted out of Royal Ascot tomorrow (phew?) and much indecision regarding whether to run Northern Flame at Hexham on Sunday, we've been waiting for better ground and it looks like being very soft again, options however, are running out.... if we declare Lucy will ride, she is at Market Rasen today where she rides Secret Desert in the 5.20 for Ferdy Murphy  

Makhzoon - the ballot has denied to happy couple on the right the chance of  Ascot  glory (pic courtesy of John Grossick)

There is a creature...

... in my log-burning stove, very difficult to see what it is through the glass, probably a bird, perhaps a bat, maybe even a rodent, definitely quite scary; needs released but that will be into the office and will present another problem, a quandary, perhaps the moment to ask Mrs A very nicely if she could clean the ash out...

Mahkzoon, bred for the flat but unraced on the flat...yet

Well, I thought Hexham was going to be our only possible destination this week, that was before the intrepid "Ladies Who" rang me on my way to the Kelso Trainers Meeting and suggested that Makhzoon as a strong stayer in good form would be well suited by the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday if the unsettled weather returned as is possible, so, an entry, seems slightly bonkers to be have our first ever runner on the flat with a horse that itself has never run on the flat at one of the world's biggest meetings but there we go, in at the deep end one could say, he will only run if it is properly soft as we have other aspirations that shouldn't be jeopardised.

At last...

... the sun is shining, after days of interminable rain, wind and drizzle we have a glorious morning with a better forecast for the week ahead, fun in prospect with the two "Royals" - Ascot and Highland - planned for Wed & Thurs, only entries next Sunday at Hexham and a quieter week at last for Lucy, though she has plans to rack up a bit of mileage later in the week riding out.  Six horses left in work, on the all-weather today and I will then be trying to resuscitate the riverbank gallop after the monsoon.  Trainers meeting at Kelso this afternoon, an excellent initiative that all courses should follow, at least it should shut us up for another 12 months!

Northern Flame - penciled in for Hexham on Sunday

Some pictures from first lot at a rainy Kinneston this morning...

Sheep sheltering from the weather

The Paddy Premium and Northern Flame head down for an "extended" third time up

And scatter the sheep, by going to the bottom of this grass field we can extend the gallop by 2f making it a 5f gallop with a 400 feet climb

Off and away up the all-weather

Makhzoon spared the last time up casts a lonely figure "cooling off"

Heading home...