29th January 2018

The last couple of days have been challenging, we like everyone else get our share of annoyance and disappointments.

Interconnected was jumping from fence to fence nicely yesterday until he rooted the ditch and fell going out on the last circuit at Thorpe Lodge. Tommie felt the sun played its part, the sun was low and the way he grabbed at the fence suggests he saw it very late. I know all the others jumped it but every horse is in a different position and all the others had plenty of experience under their belts. It was totally out of character as his jumping has always been very very solid.

Snapdragon Fire was beaten by what appears a better handicapped horse today at Hereford, Snapdragon jumped and galloped to the line and will win his races. He’s only 5 and has the rest of his life in front of him. For the amount of racing he’s had he seems mentally immature. He’s a Goer looked as if he knew where he came from and hung violently left, towards the exit passing the stands, throwing away any chance he may have had. Given his behavior, the performance shows he has ability, for a mad second or two I thought he was going to latch back onto the pack but had just made life too hard himself. Of all the things I expected him to do that wasn’t one of them. Next time, we will probably put a hurdle in front of him to concentrate the mind.  He’s on the naught step tonight.

A lot can change in 24 hours, Kimberlite Candy heads to Newcastle tomorrow, lets hope for a better day.

Charlie Brooks wrote in todays Telegraph about the stressful life of trainers. Trainers are guilty of putting themselves under immense pressure, we work in a results based industry and that creates pressure alone. The day I don’t feel pressure will be the day I pack it in. Of course, I know some runners can’t win as they lack the ability needed. If you’ve been honest with the owner, I see no problem. There is no room for complacency in any sport. What is more important than anything is to be training for the right people, trainers need to feel their owners are behind them and not pulling in the opposite direction. If owner and trainer trust each other a huge amount of pressure is naturally lifted and generally results follow. After all, the trainer wants to win as much or possibly even more so than the owner - the trainer’s business depends on it.

As Charlie wrote, “Racing is a business of occasional highs, swamped by awful lows and disappointments.”

I do not wish to gloss over the tragedy of Richard Woollacott taking his own life, we will never understand or know what was going on in Richard’s head. I can not express how sad I feel for Richard in doing what he did thinking that was the answer.