24th April 2021

JohnBB, Sebastopol, Algesiras, Hunting Percival, Polydora and Pounding Poet worked, the other horses had routine canters. 

Mr Melda naturally was bouncing yesterday morning so the decision was made to run him again, he was running a perfectly nice race until he realized that he had been struck into on his hind tendon tearing the skin. The wound would stop any horse from galloping, it is now stapled and the tendon looks to be undamaged. In light of him picking up a superficial injury, which was out of my control, I do feel an absolute idiot for running him. It is a huge relief to know that he will come back fighting as I would have found it very difficult to forgive myself otherwise. Quite how six horses couldn’t get around Perth without jumping into one another is one of lives mysteries.  

Scipion came home for the sales in Newmarket, he went to Ireland to run in a p2p having been beaten over here at Larkhill. He finished second again in Cork under Colin Bowe’s care. He’s a horse we’ve always rated and think he will win heaps of races. He wants winter ground and has a bright future. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to take him to the next stage but could really have done with the proceeds of the sale in the bank. He’s here to be bought at his reserve price of £80,000, I’d love him to stay but will sell to leave the yard if that is what has to happen. He’s a proper staying chaser in the making and will win his hurdle races en route to fences. 

On Monday morning, the farrier will be stripping a heap of shoes off horses and they will be making their way to summer pastures later in the day. There looks to be absolutely no rain on the horizon and the best place for the winter horses now is in the paddocks.