Blog

Nothing too serious for any of the horses this morning, the rain seems to be getting further away every time I flick up any forecasts.    Lamanver Storm and Piaff Bubbles are both in fine fettle after their runs at Lingfield. A course record was broken there yesterday, not many expect that to be happening at the end of November.    Tea Clipper is fine, he was fortuitous to ...

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Quiet canters for many this morning, Tea Clipper, Scipion, Adrimel, Sweet Spirit, Glory and Fortune and Dorking Boy all had a little blow on the hill.    I was just flicking through the Racing Post to read previews of the weekend and came across an article written by Maddy Playle. I was drawn to it as the John Francome’s name was mentioned. She talks about accessibility in racing...

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Lamanver Storm, Nocte Volatus, Hunting Percival and Neville’s Cross jumped eight fences this morning. Scipion, Hesque De L’isle, Piaff Bubbles and Highstakesplayer jumped hurdles on the grass. The other horses all had routine canters around the sand or up the hill.    The reports of Liam Burke having panic attacks and sleepless nights over his involvement with therapist Joh...

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Routine Monday morning canters for the horses. Tea Clipper and Nocte Volatus jumped eight fences beautifully. Quick Draw is fine this morning, Stan deserves all the credit, not all jockeys, if any others would have won on him yesterday.  This game would tame lions, one has to swallow pills day in day out, I will have one stuck for a day or two after Sebastopol tipped up at the last today at...

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Quick Draw heads to Uttoxeter today and Sebastopol Kempton tomorrow, to read my thoughts click here.

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Nothing too serious for any of the horses this morning, hard yards around the sand for most.  Those coming off the back of runs had a quiet canter up the hill. Toni and David were here to see Pounding Poet and their youngster. Pounding Poet schooled over hurdles on grass with Dibble Decker.    The highs and lows of horse racing were very apparent yesterday, Glory and Honour c...

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Typical routine canters for the horses, Tea Clipper and Dorking Boy worked. We need rain and it doesn’t look like it is coming for a week or two yet.    Thank you to all those who have continued to support my thoughts page, another £800.00 went to Katharine House Hospice this morning.    Leicester ended up having to sand the home turn yesterday, that seems a str...

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Leicester offered ground for everyone today, 70% of it was good to soft the remaining 30% was soft, good or firm. We decided not to run Roger Rarebit and no doubt I will be called in by the stewards when we declare and run on good to soft ground again. The same ground can be viewed differently by many but some clerks of courses just simply fail to be honest. I understand they could not water the t...

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Many of the horses put in hard yards around the sand, a few who may or may not run before the rain arrives had a canter around the sand and up the hill. Glory and Fortune had a light canter and jumped a line of four hurdles. Cheltenham wasn’t as busy today as yesterday; the countryside day is always so well supported. The parade of retired racehorses with their riders in their finery and hun...

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Routine canters for the horses this morning, until we see some rain on the horizon not many will be kept up to their normal work regime.    The last two afternoons have been spent seeing to Montgomery at Cheltenham sales, he sold as did most other horses in the sale. The trade was strong and just shows how some people choose to spend their money. I have said it before, while prices of ...

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Neville’s Cross has had a lovely day in the paddock following his win at Hereford yesterday. Terrierman out ran his odds and my expectations today at Exeter naturally pleasing us all no end.   Tomorrow San Agustin heads to Market Rasen, to read my thoughts click here. Montgomery heads to Cheltenham sales where he should be well received.   This morning we schooled Sebastopol, S...

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This morning we worked Tea Clipper, Cruz Control, Lamanver Storm, Glory and Fortune, Glory and Honour, Scipion, Velasco, Nocte Volatus, Thomas Patrick and Adrimel. Many of the others put in some hard yards around the sand.    Unbelievable scenes at Hereford racecourse this afternoon. The winning connections room needs to be extended should Neville’s Cross win there again, they wi...

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Neville's Cross heads to Hereford, to read my thoughts click here. 

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A quite week on the runner’s front, Piaff Bubbles behaved as if he’d never seen a hurdle in his life at Exeter on Tuesday, the last horse we had that behaved like that turned out to be above average, so we have hope yet.     When the alarm clock says 3 something it is always disturbing. On Wednesday morning we took Lamanver Storm, Kimberlite Candy, Adrimel, Scipion, Th...

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A very mixed bag this weekend, losing JohnBB overshadowed Lossiemouth’s win at Ascot on Saturday. Under normal circumstances I would have been overjoyed to get Lossiemouth back in the winner’s enclosure, but I couldn’t get away from the sad feeling of JohnBB’s death. I had very high hopes for JohnBB this season and was convinced that he was going to be his year.&n...

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Rosmuc Relay and Piaff Bubbles head to Lingfield to read my thoughts click here.

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Routine canters for most of the horses around the sand and up the hill this morning. JohnBB, Lossiemouth, Highstakesplayer, Quick Draw and Hesque De L’isle all had little blows before their outings tomorrow. To read my thoughts click here.   Although, we didn’t trouble the judge at Uttoxeter this afternoon we enjoyed it. Johnny Wills was in fine form and made his contributions t...

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Glory and Honour is fine after his run yesterday, I think we will jump a fence with him next.   Thursdays have become a quieter day for many of the horses this year, the majority had a couple of nice canters on the hill. The younger horses put in some hard slower yards around the sand.    More bad press for the industry, a former assistant trainer has been found guilty of miss t...

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Immortal Fame, King Ferdinand and San Agustin are in good shape after their runs at Bangor yesterday. San Agustin retuned home with the open ditch.    This morning we schooled, JohnBB, Thomas Patrick, Quick Draw, Neville’s Cross, Nocte Volatus and a handful of young horses over fences. Lossiemouth, Argonauta, Piaff Bubbles, Highstakesplayer, Scipion, Roger Rarebit, Kishorn and Ma...

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Pounding Poet and Camembert Electric are both in fine fettle after running at Aintree yesterday. Pounding Poet finished off a frustrating week of second places. I think the result may have been different if the rain had come sooner and a little more of it.    Typical routine Monday morning canters for the horses, San Agustin, Immortal Fame and King Ferdinand all had a blow on the hill....

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Dorking Boy and I’m On Snap are up at Ayr – to read my thoughts click here. 

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Nothing too serious for any of the horses this morning, San Agustin and an unnamed four-year-old schooled over a couple of lines of fences.    This afternoon, I did my quarterly walk of the hill gallop and checked the depth of the woodchip every two or three yards left and right. I use a spike from a front-end loader, when you drop it on you foot wearing loafers it hurts!   Poun...

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Flashing Glance is in good shape after his run yesterday. This morning we worked, Glory and Honour, Marty Time, Scipion, Adrimel, Ginny’s Destiny, Roger Rarebit, King Ferdinand, Immortal Fame, Piaff Bubbles and Highstakesplayer. The others all had routine canters around the sand and up the hill.    Nick Alexander says he has 50 horses and 24 members of staff, he is working rota&r...

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Hard yards around the sand for all the horses this morning, those coming off the back of runs didn’t have to graft as hard as others. What rain we’ve had will certainly affect those courses who have been watering all summer, those who have not will have seen it run off the top.    Ludlow must be one of the most friendly, knowledgeable crowds in national hunt racing and it i...

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Terrierman and Sebastopol are in fine fettle this morning, nothing too serious for any of the horses on the work front today. We schooled a handful of three-year-olds over fences, Lamanver Storm, Thomas Patrick, Dorking Boy and Nocte Volatus also jumped a couple of lines of fences. The ditch was restuffed yesterday and caused a bit of concern for the jockeys, the horses didn’t seem to mind a...

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This morning we worked Pounding Poet, JohnBB, San Augstin, Ginny’s Destiny, Adrimel and Dorking Boy, the others put in some yards around the sand and had a swinging canter on the hill.    Exeter felt more like the national hunt season was upon us. Wind and rain, for which, I went unprepared. I came home with a new pair of posh wellies at posh prices to boot. If you are thinking o...

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Typical Monday morning canters for the horses. Thomas Patrick and Rosmuc Relay went autumn hunting.    Panda did a little bit of filming on Saturday morning.  Glory and Fortune is in good shape having won the Welsh Champion hurdle on Saturday. It was lovely to have Jerry and Sarah there on such a successful day. We will now think about an entry for Glory and Fortune in the Grea...

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Hard yards around the sand for most this morning, until we start to get some rain the horses won’t be doing any faster work at home.    There is little to report.    Glory and Fortune heads to Ffos Las tomorrow to read my thoughts click here.

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A quiet day for many of the horses this morning, Thursdays have become our easy days and the lack of rain is starting to frustrate me and I’m sure many others too. When it does start to rain it won’t stop and I’ll be moaning about that too.    There is little to report, I’m considering gluing myself to the roads around London, someone said it would be fun and ma...

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I’m on Snap and Quick Draw are both in good shape this morning.   A morning full of visitors, Rick Allen and his mate Adrian were here to see Immortal Fame school over hurdles. Everyone needs a Rick, he gets dogs of abuse and is good at giving it too. Plenty of banter between us all, Tom Bellamy offered him his helmet having received some criticism for his riding of Immortal Fame, or ...

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