23rd January 2020

Two days at Doncaster January sales is enough for any man. Like all sales, many vendors were disappointed with their sale prices and buyers thought the trade was solid, it certainly was for the cream of the crop. 

This morning we worked Tea Clipper, Coningsby, Fair Kate, Unohu, Kateson, Glory and Fortune, Lagonda, Thais Toir and a number of unnamed 4 year olds. Many others put in some hard yards around the sand and Thomas Patrick headed off to the beach again.

On the way home from the beach, I received a call regarding a welfare survey being carried out by the BHA. I asked what it involved and was told ten horses would be selected. The names of the horses were irrelevant and they would be merely numbers in a melting pot. The plan was to log their bedding, turn out routine, stable vices and observe and judge their general wellbeing. They would have to be stripped of their rugs for assessment, thereafter rugged back up and revisited at 20 minuets intervals to see if they had their heads over the stable doors. As it was voluntary, I decided not to partake. The BHA can walk in here anytime they want to see my horses and are most welcome. What I am not signing up to is a expensive survey for the minority of folk who want racing banned. Welfare is training yards is second to none and I don’t feel the need to justify that to the aforementioned minority. Incidentally, most horses develop vices at a very young age so perhaps they should be visiting breeders to get facts and figures on vices. 

Dorking Boy heads to Huntingdon tomorrow, to read my thoughts click here.