7th December 2017

Our latest BT order has been cancelled again as we already have fibre to premises. I despair.

We have been slow to work out Triopas and may still have been struggling without the help of Richard Johnson. Richard rode him at Worcester and said he’d get ever yard of 3 miles and would handle soft ground. Since we’ve upped him to 3 miles on soft ground he has won 2 and been 3^rd on ground that was too quick for him at Newcastle last time. Tommie gave him a lovely positive ride today at Market Rasen and he delivered for the 2^nd time this season making all. A very good day for his owner John King who had an across the card double with a winner at Wincanton too.

Thomas Patrick spent the day in the mud in the field, he seems fine after yesterday’s exertions and won’t be rushed back.

It is very rare indeed I do not go racing but having been away racing most days over the last week or more I decided to stay at home today as no owners could make it to the races. I have a more than capable team supporting me and they are well able to manage without me whether it be here or at the races. The jobs I had planned didn’t get completed as I was constantly side tracked and then had to help free a stuck lorry delivering another vibrating floor to us.

Nearly all of the horses are race fit at this time of year so they have routine canters most days and do a little bit more once or twice a week. The 3 year old are all well forward and today all horses had typical routine canters around the sand or up the hill.