Celebrations

Well, that's it, 50 years gone and statistically probably not another 50 years to go!  The last supper of my first 50 years was celebrated in Gretna services; a Burger King washed down with a Starbucks caramel frappacino with an extra shot, fantastic, well not at all fantastic actually, felt rather sick - could have done better!  Never mind, what really was worth celebrating yesterday was Daasij's impressive completion of a hat-trick in the 5.40 at Cartmel, he won eased up by 9 lengths and appears to be improving.  I struggled to find the right races for him after his win at Newcastle on 1st April and pinpointed this race and the one at Hexham last week some time ago, I hoped we might be able to pull off a quick double and am delighted that it worked, it rarely does and I suffered plenty of angst over the weekend wondering whether to run again, phew! 
Earlier in the afternoon Twelve Paces put in a rather unenthusiastic effort to finish 4th in the staying chase with Lucy having to push and shove for 3 circuits, it will be rather a contrast when she breaks out of the stalls in a 6f sprint at Redcar this afternoon where she rides Broctune Papa Gio for Keith Reveley at 5.30, I know what I prefer watching - one last about a minute the other feels like an hour!  Extra helpings of parental agony tomorrow when Kit rides Commercial Express in the 4.30 at Cartmel and Lucy rides Floreanna for the Boswells in the same race, 12 run and both have a good chance if they handle the unusual track.

Daasij

It's been a hectic week at the end of a busy few months, I am delighted that I appear to have more energy for the job than ever, when they're running well you feel that you can go anywhere- it's invigorating.  We will hopefully have a couple of runners at Perth on Sunday but after that we will quieten down for a few months; I hope that by having the horses run consistently well from October until the end of May together with producing some real improvers such as Daasij and Isla Pearl Fisher we have shown that we can do a good job and might be able to keep the ball rollling, we can't do it without the support of our owners and I thank them all profoundly, we will be retiring a few to an easier life over the next week or so (horses not owners I hope!) and will have vacancies (for both!), we also have some extremely promising young horses here for sale, onwards & upwards - spread the word!

Hmm

Well that wasn't so good, Native Coll and Amulree both pulled up at Cartmel last night after apparently failing to handle the sharp track and appearing unable to keep up, then Amulree bit me when she was being washed down, a long drive home and somewhat inconclusive apart from it not being a good idea to run big long striding horses round horseracing's equivalent of Monaco. That of course is exactly what we are doing tomorrow when we run Twelve Paces in the 3.20, 6 run and Lucy rides; then Daasij runs in the 5.40, 13 run and he should have a good chance of defying his penalty, particularly if they have some rain. The lorry barely had a chance to cool down after arriving back in the early hours prior to departing for Hexham first thing this morning with Almost Blue on board which Jamie will ride in the Club race.

Almost Blue

It's a fair old trek to Cartmel but there is something about the place that makes you smile from the moment you arrive until the moment you leave, it is completely beguiling and I thoroughly recommend it.

Cartmel

Cartmel

Amulree

Native Coll

We run Native Coll and Amulree in the 7.05 at Cartmel tomorrow, the ground will be on the soft side of good, 14 run, Lucy rides Amulree and Wilson Renwick rides Native Coll.  They both seem in good heart and should run decent races if they handle the track. 

Spring?

Daasij

A fiercely cold wind at Hexham on Tuesday night but nothing like a winner to warm the heart and Daasij duly obliged in the 9pm; off late and run in fading light he quickened clear nicely turning in to prove his Newcastle success was no fluke, he may reappear at Cartmel on Monday prior to his summer break.  Earlier in the evening Isla Patriot stayed on well enough to finish 6th, it looks as if 3 miles will be his trip.
On to Doncaster Sales, much thinner trade than the vibrant May horses-in-training sales of the past but there are now so many boutique prestige sales that the better horses are spread around, I'm not certain that this works in the industry's favour - perhaps better to have all the good horses and all the big buyers together, would certainly create a bit more atmosphere which was definitely lacking at Doncaster.
Milder and quieter back here today, horses walking after a decent workout on the all-weather yesterday, much of my time spent inspecting the damage from Monday's storm, two big trees down and plenty of branches littering the farm.  Lucy heading back down the road to ride Perez in the 9pm at Wetherby for wiley Wilf, thereafter a potentially busy weekend with Cartmel on Saturday and Monday and the final point-to-point of the season at Hexham on Sunday

branches litter the carrot field after Monday's storm

Storm

Fierce storm here today, best part of an inch of rain this morning an now gale force winds, horses all twice up the rather soggy all-weather.  Yesterday at Kelso Fleet Fox made a respectable enough racecourse debut in the bumper and will now have the summer (what summer?) to strengthen up, Lucy finished 3rd on Floreanna in the Hunter Chase and finished down the field in the Charity Race, thank you very much to everyone that donated to the Injured Jockeys Fund, such a worthy cause for anyone who enjoys racing.

Daasij (orange cap) on his way to win last time out at Newcastle

Tomorrow at Hexham we run Isla Patriot in the 8pm, Peter Buchanan rides, 13 run and we hope rain will ease the good to firm ground.  He steps up in trip for his handicap debut and is in great form.  Daasij runs in the 9pm, Paul Gallagher rides, 9 run and he shouldn't be far away if he handles the going and track. Lucy rides Daraybad in the 6.30.

Glad we booked!

As revenge for dragging her to a Fleet Foxes concert Mrs A kindly took me to see Romeo & Juliet last night, a first class Danish production but the populus of Dunfermline must have different things to do on a Friday night.
                                   
Cool but fair here today, horses working on the riverbank and the all weather, rain forecast for tonight which I am hoping lands on Kelso and Hexham.  Otherwise its the Irish 2000 Guineas and most intriquingly the British debut of the Hungarian wonderhorse, Overdose - see here in Rome.

Ladies Day

Fleet Fox who makes his racecourse debut on Sunday at Kelso if the forecast rain materialises

Very blustery today, squally showers and a strong north-westerly, freezing and even heard the snow word mentioned on the forecast early this morning.  Brrr.  Horses all worked on the all-weather this morning, steady stuff then they all have a couple of hours in the field, well rugged up.  Have declared Fleet Fox for the 5.30 at Kelso on Sunday, 10 run, Peter Buchanan rides, the ground is presently good to firm and the forecast rain will have to materialise for him to line up, it's his racecourse debut but I like him a lot, he doesn't show much at home, just honest and workmanlike.  He has a high class pedigree and whatever he does tomorrow will hopefully just be the beginning of the story.  Lucy rides Floreanna for the Boswells in the 4.55 and then doesn't know what she is riding in the charity race which is at 5.50.  After this weekend we will focus on Hexham on Tuesday where we have three entered, a fleeting visit to Doncaster Sales on Wednesday then it will be the idiosyncratic Cartmel next weekend after which I shall go into decline, don't ask why. (Lost youth I think, some may say long lost...)