6th June 2018

Oh David John, you need a nose like your trainer, finishing second is always a hard pill to swallow but being beaten by a nose makes it an even harder one. David John was in great form and I expected him to win, we all know that he runs his best races after a break and I thought he was nailed on. I was a nose wrong. 

Quite what makes the racing pundits think connections backed him I’m not sure, I didn’t have a penny on him as I very seldom have a bet. The owners may have had a fun bet but I’d be very surprised if they shortened him from 12’s to 3’s. The public seem to back everything we run and even managed to make King Spirit favorite on his second run back after 4 years off the track. Racing punters are not stupid, well not all of them, the clown who rang me last night to tell me Sword of Fate was stopped is very stupid and obviously a very bad gambler. I think our results show we run everything on their merits and the placing of Sword of Fate last night was, in hindsight a bad decision. 

Sword of Fate never looked liked being a bumper horse and yesterday was a bumper with 4 speed bumps in the way. He needed every hurdle and the omission of 8 of them did nothing for his chances. He had a racecourse gallop as did many others. Southwell seems to be struggling with low sun in the summer while staging summer racing – funny that. Maybe they need to reconsider their race times at this time of year. 

Both horses are fine this morning, the babies went for a lob around the sand this morning and a paddle in the water walk. The fun of getting twenty 3 years olds through the water walk begins again, arm bands at the ready! I think everyone has been for a dip excluding me, my time will come. 

Tonight I will be donning the cricket whites in a 20/20. Hopefully I will get to open my shoulders without middle stump being taken out of the ground.