Christmas Getaway

Shelley and I will be joining the rat race to get away for the New Year tomorrow. When we will be jetting out to Dubai for a week and stay with Ross. It's also a good excuse to check out Meydan Racecourse to see what they have been raving about! I've been looking forward to this for a while and I can't wait to see what Dubai has to offer. So apologies in advance if there is no blog next week!

I hope everyone had a good Christmas yesterday. I couldn't believe my luck when I got everything I asked for, as well as having a delicious family meal at my brother Nick's house. I also wish everyone a prosperous New Year with winners aplenty! Although for us this year will be a hard one to follow up. I never imagined that at would go this well, as the mid- summer drought of winners that we had looked to seal out fate for the rest of the year. But the horses just can't stop wining now, it's a mystery why trainers have flat spots because we have never changed a single thing in the way we train the horses, I suppose they just have minds of their own.

Hoping to have kept in the right frame of mind in Exopuntia who runs on Monday at Southwell. Although going up 7lbs since here last course and distance win, she is still off a winnable mark and with the services again of Greg Fairley she should make the day hers once again. A promising filly who is just finding her stride is Beseech who runs on Thursday at Kempton. She has been crying out for a longer trip so 1m 4f should suite, she's had a few small problems but she is bouncing and kicking like a spring chicken at the moment so hopefully she can convert this positivity to the track. Sail Home may make her British debut alongside Always De One in an apprentice race at Southwell on Saturday, as long as the former does not run too green she should have the upper hand over Always. Night Orbit will be having a day out also at Southwell on Sunday, just a prep run on the flat to keep him fit. Baggsy will be fighting to defend her winning run when she faces some jump action at Folkestone, if it's on!

We are currently looking to syndicate our French import, by Della Francesca, to race here and in France for the excellent prize money and bonuses on offer. For details please check out the Horses For Sale page on the website.

It may be cold outside, but we're hot, hot, hot!

Yeehaa! Another fantastic week of winners sees Spirit Of Sharjah win the Listed Sunbury Stakes at Kempton on Wednesday. It's the second Listed race he has won this year (3 in all) and it's really satisfying knowing that he is back to his best, although looking to be too far out of his ground he got a dream run up the inside and a fab ride by Jimmy Quinn. It was just as satisfying seeing Exopuntia win at Southwell the next day. She's genuine and loves the ease in the ground, she looks like winning some more this winter now she's full of confidence.

We've now had 7 winners since the start of the season in November. This brilliant start means we are 3rd in the U.K. All-weather Trainers Championship, top female trainer and top trainer in Newmarket, with only 2 powerful yards in Richard Fahey and Dandy Nicholls above. Although we know we'll be passed by the bigger trainers as the season lengthens it's nice seeing my name that high on the list!

Yet again it has been a tough week with the weather. The heathmen have had to close all the gallops bar one which they work on all night. But we haven't missed a day and if we can keep them ticking over they should stay in good heart, as well as with the help of the continued hard work from my staff who haven't missed a day either!

As for runners next week we have our new French import, Sail Home, running at Wolverhampton under Shelley. However as I write this the track is still unraceable and looks unlikely that she'll be making her British debut. Nonetheless, there is a perfect maiden for her a couple of weeks later. This time next week it'll be Boxing Day where we have Night Orbit and Hartland Point, having a day out at Towcester, which will hopefully materialise if this mini ice age holds off!

Great Expectations

Tuesday saw John and I set off for Deauville for the sales on Wednesday, more and more people are opting to run their horses in France just simply because of the fantastic prize money compared to British races. In a buyers market we bought two stunning yearlings, a grey colt by Keltos and a bay colt by Bella Francesca, to be eligible to run in France as 2 year olds they have to be French bred, as well as being eligible to pick up the 2 year old bonuses, so we came back with two bargains and the chance to win around 15,000 euros just for winning a maiden! It is a great feeling seeing some new, young horses around the yard as it helps you get up in the morning knowing you have some exciting prospects for next year. We have put photos of both on the website in the horses for sale page. We also have a yearling called Acer Diamonds who came back to us on Tuesday after being broken in, he is now doing steady canters and showing a nice attitude.

Khajaaly did us proud once again winning at Wolverhampton on Friday, he seems to only do enough in his races which is no bad thing to enable him to keep low in the handicap. It's also great for the syndicate who own him, there is about 50 people in him who can enjoy the thrill of being a winning owner. Khajaaly brings our winners for the year to 21, making it our best ever year since I began training in 2000, we only have about 20 horses in training so it is satisfying knowing we can get results like this. Hopefully we can continue with the rich vein of form until the year is out.

Our apprentice Adam Beschizza jetted out to America last week for a 6 week stint in New Orleans. He is riding 7 lots a day so he should be filling his mind with knowledge to use for the 2011 season, lots of jockeys have done this in the past as apprentices and I hope this bodes well for his future as a fully fledged jockey.

As for runners for next week, the genuine mare Bushy Dell will run at Wolverhampton on Monday. Although a little disappointing last time out hopefully she can run with her usual confidence and zest. I will be looking forward to Wednesday when Spirit Of Sharjah runs in the listed race at Kempton, 'Spirit' has been a brilliant yardstick winning 2 listed races for us and if he runs well he may have a trip over to France next year. Exopuntia is running in a weak race on Thursday at Southwell so she may have a good chance if she is able to dominate from the front. The frosty mornings have been playing havoc with some trainers facilities but fortunately the heathmen have been working hard to ensure safe gallops for the Newmarket trainers, however the frost beat us today at Huntingdon where Hartland Point was meant to run in the bumper.

Christmas is on its way and I would like to thank everyone who has sent us cards and presents already this year. I haven't even got the decorations up yet, hopefully I can get into the Christmas spirit after drinking a few bottles of wine I have received! More immediately Tony McCoy has been short listed for BBC Sports Personality Of The Year, he is a fantastic ambassador for racing and I urge everyone to vote for him as it would be a huge boost for the profile of racing and at last recognition for a legendary sportsman.

SHOPPING TRIP TO FRANCE THIS WEEK

I apologise if this blog isn't up to the usual standard, but I am writing this with a massive hang over after the Xmas party last night. I would like to thank everyone for coming and making it a good night. My staff said it must have been good as there where no arguments and no fighting!

It was nice to celebrate our 20th winner as well, after Sunny Spells won at Southwell on Saturday. Stuart Williams has sent him to me to go hurdling but as that has been a no no with the weather, it was a bonus to win on the flat first. 20 winners was our target for the season and is our best number yet.

John and I are off to Deauville on Tuesday, but not just for the Xmas wine and beer, we hope to buy a couple of French bred yearlings which we will be able to race in France next year and hopefully take advantage of their excellent prize money and French bred bonuses.

Acer Diamonds is coming back to the yard on Tuesday after going away to Eugene Stanford's to be broken in. By all accounts he is cantering nicely and very well behaved.

We hope to unleash some of the jumpers next week, but the forecast does not look good, so we might have to keep them under wraps until the thaw.

Hears hoping the snow and frost stays away.

FIGHTING AGAINST THE ELEMENTS!

The last few days have been a real struggle with the frost and snow, but the Jockey Club are doing a sterling job keeping all the gallops open.

We have just installed a new field shelter for the horses that are turned out, as we didn't want to get caught out with the cold weather like last year. The girls have enjoyed exploring the new sight in the field.

Last Wednesday I went to see our yearling Acer Diamonds being broken in at Eugene Stanford's yard, Peter Gray one of his new owners came with me. He looked great and could be the real deal. We all dream at this time of year, that is what racing is all about 'dreams'.

We have five or six jumpers in the wings all rearing to go but the jumps card at Southwell has been lost on Tuesday, so we can't run Night Orbit, but a flat card takes its place and we now go with Entrance, the filly we recently bought from Cheveley Park Stud.

Shelley is 'bunking off' school again on Tuesday to ride Always De One at Lingfield, all I can say is LOL!!

Saturday night we are having the staff/owners party at the Rosery Hotel in Exning, I just hope we have some sober staff Sunday morning, everyone is welcome just give me a call if you would like to join us.

WOW! WHAT A WEEK-END

Khajaaly comes back from a break and scoots in at Wolverhampton on Friday night under a fine ride from Jimmy Quinn at great odds of 25/1, considering most of the geegeez.co.uk syndicate were on him. Then Spirit of Sharjah thought my lead horse has won I had better 'pull my finger out' and duly won the 15k handicap at Lingfield on Saturday.

We thought we would be brought down to earth with Baggsy at Towcester on Sunday, but no she pulled out all the stops and won over hurdles under a 'ride of the week' from Mattie Batchelor.

I am now 5th in the trainers All Weather Championship in front of the likes of M.Johnson and Sir M. Stoute and other big names, better frame that it might not happen again!

To follow that next week may not be so easy, but Blackmore runs at Kempton on Wednesday and goes for the hat trick, he seems in good form so we have to have a go.

If you are thinking this blog isn't as well written as usual, that is because I have to write is myself since journalist Ross has gone to Dubai for the Winter, he is having a great time by all accounts.

Finally, a reminder that the shares for sale in our 2year old Entrance will close on November 30th (see web-site for details), as she is ready to win and will be running early December. There are still a few shares left so don't miss out on this one, will make excellent Christmas present!

Hoping to continue the hot streak

Well, it was made official this week that I am the most 'in-form' trainer in the country. Although I can't match Paul Nicholls' dozen winners in the last week, the Racing Post have still somehow managed to make me the country's top trainer according to their 'horses running to form' stat.

Although maybe slightly over the top the accolade is, it is true to say that the horses are in blindingly good form. Blackmore (left, in blue) recorded his second win in less than seven days at Kempton on Wednesday and he won with even more ease than the time before. I seriously don't know how good he could be because he has never given 100% in all his victories because he idles when he hits the front and at home he does the same but the signs are good.
A lot of the credit must go to his jockey Cathy Gannon. She has to be one of the most underrated riders about and is undoubtedly the best female jock that has ever ridden in this country. She is incredibly strong and it doesn't matter what price the horse is in the betting, she will still give it every chance to win. It says a lot though that she came in after Blackmore's win and admitted she was knackered. It's unsurprising really when you think she had to push the horse for almost every yard of the two mile distance. Despite this, she won the following race on a 25/1 shot!

I was delighted with Night Orbit's run at Southwell on Monday. His jumping was exceptional and it was the first time that he has really shown a liking for chasing. He had every chance when flying over the last fence but he was just held by a slightly better horse. Staying races are his game and it would be nice if he could run in a race like the Sussex National.

My son Ross took all the plaudits for Night Orbit's jumping as he had done all the schooling on him but today he jets off to the sunny shores of Dubai for the winter where he is going to work for trainer Gill Duffield for three months. I hope he can learn a fair bit out there and come back with some interesting ideas. However, on Friday morning it looked like the trip might not be happening at all as he laid in pain on the grass up the Links schooling grounds. He was jumping Always De One for the first time and all was going well until Ross got a little too brave and decided to go a bit too quick into the last hurdle and Always decided she didn't want to jump it and crashed through the wing. Ross banged his knee badly but it was only bruised and I made him lead up at Lingfield with a limp the next day. Always came out unscathed too.

With her brother away, it means that my daughter Shelley can ride in a few amateur races over the winter and she has her third ride under rules planned for Wednesday on Always De One at Lingfield. Shelley is obviously not as fit as Cathy Gannon which is a shame because she will be pushing for most of the way as the filly is very lazy!

Beseech is also running at Lingfield that day and I hope she can run respectably before she can qualify for handicaps.

My best chance of a winner has to be Khajaaly on Friday. The horse has been rejuvenated by a break and he worked exceptionally well with Spirit of Sharjah yesterday. He's running off a mark of 60 and I think he will be very hard to beat if all goes well. Bushy Dell will also have a winner's chance that day at Wolverhampton and maybe a small double bet could be a profitable investment.

Back in the groove.

Phew! Blackmore’s win at Lingfield last Thursday was a massive relief as the I had been on the ‘cold trainers’ list for a while and we had lined the horse up to win. We’d given Blackmore three quiet runs in maidens and this time, in a handicap, we stepped him up to two miles and he came good. Over a dozen of the syndicate who own the horse were in attendance and it was great to get a win for them as, for some, it was their first ever taste of success.

Blackmore is in again at Kempton on Wednesday and I’m tempted to run him but he will have a canter on Monday morning to see how he feels and if he is in A1 condition he will run again. He’s a nice horse and I think there is plenty of improvement still in him as he acts like a big baby.

The win has given the yard a massive boost and I’m still hopeful that we can reach our target of 20 winners for the year, one more than last season’s score. We’re on 15 at the moment but there are loads ready to win in the coming weeks and, with a bit of luck, we could hit a rich vein of form.

The next winner might even come tomorrow as Night Orbit is favourite for his chase at Southwell. He did well over hurdles last term and hasn’t done too badly over fences this time. He schooled particularly well this morning (see pictures) and I think he should take a lot of beating in a pretty uncompetitive race.

Also in a bad race tomorrow is Baggsy at Wolverhampton. She is not the most gifted horse but she tries and could land some prize money. The one we must beat in the same race is Marafong. I used to train him and this is his first run for his new connections since they claimed him off me in September. There probably isn’t much between the two on form so it will add a little extra interest to the race.

On the same day as Blackmore at Kempton is Always De One. She ran well on her reappearance at Brighton last time and she should be in the frame once again. The same comment applies to Exopuntia on Thursday. Her best efforts have been at Yarmouth but her rider, Tony Culhane, said she would really like racing at Southwell so we are giving it a go.

I’m pleased to say that the shares in my two new purchases (see last week’s blog) are selling fast and the pair are going well on the gallops. I can’t wait to run them but I’ve got to wait until all the shares are sold first!

Two new faces

Newmarket has been a lively place this week as the annual end of season sales at Tattersalls auction house got under way. Unlike the January clothes sales that you would be familiar with, this horse sale unfortunately didn't see many discounts as some of the best racehorses in the country went under the hammer.Despite the high prices, I didn't come away empty handed and managed to pick up two very nice fillies.

The first is called Sail Home (left). She was from the Juddmonte consignment and was previously trained in France. She has has three respectable maiden runs and now has a handicap mark. Her stroy so far is indentical to the one of Spruce, a horse we bought last year and then he won four races in a row for us. It is hard to imagine that she is a fily because she has really big shoulders and backend. She is for sale as a whole at £5000 or in 12th shares. There's more info on my website or just get in touch with me if you are interested.

The second filly I bought is called Entrance (right). She is from Ed Dunlop's yard and my contacts there suggested she would be a great value for money buy. She only ran last Saturday so is super-fit and I'm looking to run her in the middle of November. She is the replacement for Marafong in the Hoofbeats Racing Club and a 20th share will be £1200 which is a one-off payment for the year as it includes all the training fees. She looks the right type to be busy and successful over the winter.

Although another horse (Sancho Panza) joined the winter holiday list this week due to a lack of opportunities for him in the coming months, I've still got loads to run in the coming days. Baggsy goes back over hurdles tomorrow at Plumpton and if she can build on her debut over obstacles, I hope that she is in with a squeak (and somebody will claim her!).

On Wednesday, Ocean Rosie goes to Kempton and King Columbo to Nottingham. They've both proven that thwey have ability but they both seem to be a bit off the boil at the monute. It wouldn't surprise me though if one of them came home with a place.

I'm looking forward to Blackmore the following day though. He has had three runs in maidens and the handicapper has given him a really competitive mark of 60. The race doesn't look particularly strong and he galloped impressively yesterday morning. He has shown signs of temperament at the racecourse but he seems to be a lot more straightforward nowadays and I think he has a great chance.

The same applies to Khajaaly at Wolverhampton on Friday night. We've given him a short break and he is a completely different horse. The last two days, his rider on the gallops has struggled to hold him in a canter and he wasn't like that before. The holiday has renewd his enthuisiasm for the game and I hope it refelcts in his performance on the racecourse.

Beseech will be accompanying Khajaaly to Dunstall Park and she's just having her third run to qualify for handicaps and then she will do a lot better.

Four is the magic number.

I can't ever remember a time of having so many fourth placings - all my runners seem to be filling the fourth past the post spot at the minute. I suppose it could be worse, they could be coming last which would be a nightmare, and fourth isn't too bad as owners get some prize money and at most racecourses there's a fourth spot in the winners enclosure.

The horses are well though and a winner seems to be just around the corner. Baggsy and Exopuntia both ran up to form at Yarmouth on Tuesday and both came (you guessed it) 4th. Ocean Rosie let the side down though with a mulish run. She is running out of chances and might be heading to the sales if she doesn't start trying a bit harder.
Meadow came fourth at Brighton two days later and Always De One came...third! It was a great run from 'Always' who isn't the most tenacious but she ran on well and will come on for the run as it was her first racecourse visit in four months.

This week we have a load of runners, all of whom I hope can finish fourth or better.
My daughter Shelley gets the leg-up on King Columbo at Nottingham on Wednesday. He's going over a bit further than usual but if Shelley can get him settled, he should stay the trip. Also at Nottingham is Blackmore and Sancho Panza in the two mile race. They probably both won't run together as one likes it firm and the other soft but, whoever goes, they should go close.
Also on Wednesday are Emmeline Pankhurst and Bushy Dell at Kempton. Bushy needed the run last time and I'm hopeful of a massive run from her this time over a course and distance that she has won over. Emmeline is one to consider as well, judged on her last run.
The following day, we have Ocean Countess at Wolverhampton. She is a Brighton specialist but, as a result, she is rated almost a stone lower on the all-weather so you'd be a fool not to have a go. Whether she is up to it, we will soon find out.

Luckily there were no disasters to report from the yard this week, all went to plan with everything running smoothly. My apprentice, Adam Beschizza, is still in with a shout for this season's apprentice championship. He is currently in second place in the table, five winners behind the leader Martin Lane, and with only two weeks of the season left, anything could happen. It would be a phenomenal achievement if he could do it in his first year with a licence and I'll be trying my hardest to put him on some winners.

Out with the old, in with the new.

Life in a racing yard is like one big carousel - horses and staff come and go, leaving a legacy behind with them, some more than others. There was a big hole left in the yard this week with the death of my favourite horse, Don't Drop Bombs.

You probably have not heard of 'Bomber' (pictured winning with me on) before because it had been nearly 11 years since he last graced a racecourse but back in his heyday, I won on him 7 times and he had well over 100 lifetime runs, being placed 50% of the time. He was never rated very high but he was consistent at a low level and specialised on the old all-weather surface that Lingfield used to have - more like an American 'dirt' track - very sloppy when it rained. Since his retirement, he had been at the yard, first teaching all the kids how to ride (and he took some riding because he was very strong) and then as a companion to the younger horses in the field. He died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 21 on Tuesday night and I don't think he could have been happier.

There was little time to reflect on the loss though as we had another new arrival into the yard. Our first yearling (pictured having a snooze) of the season came in and he's a massive son of the top-class sprinter Red Clubs. He's very laid back and has a nice temperament. I was hoping to syndicate him and might have sold him already but I will keep you informed. He'll be sent away to be broken-in professionally as he has never had a saddle on his back or anything like that yet and then we will have him back before Christmas to get him into proper work.

The runners last week put in some really pleasing performances, despite not winning. Sancho Panza continues to improve during his reinvention as a stayer by finishing an unlucky second and I'll be trying to get him out again quickly before the end of the turf season next month.

Marafong ran his usual race to finish fourth at Leicester and he remarkably got claimed after the race by Brian Baugh. It was sad to lose him as he is such a character to have in the yard but he was running in a claiming race and that's the risk you face. Also, it was quite good business as he went for £3000 and you would struggle to get that for him at a public auction. His new connections are sending him hurdling. Good luck to them.

The mass of runners on Thursday didn't disappoint either. Blackmore ran a striking race on his third run and looks a certainty for handicaps over 1m6f+. Beseech travelled well in the same race but didn't quite stay the trip. Little Meadow is a really consistent horse and she got in the money again by coming fourth over a mile which is just a bit too short for her. Ocean Countess has lost her form a bit now but she ran respectably and Generous Genella was just running to get handicapped at Kempton and now she is on a holiday for the winter. I really like her and think she will be a great thing for handicaps next season when she has strengthened up a bit.

We've quite a few going to the races this week as well. Exopuntia goes to her beloved Yarmouth along with Baggsy and Ocean Rosie. They are in pretty poor races so should all go with a good place chance. I've got Sancho Panza in at Ffos Las as well but he won't be going as the ground is remarkably described as good to firm which wouldn't suit him. And then it's back to Brighton on Thursday with Little Meadow and Always De One. 'Always' is having her first run back after a break and this is probably the time to catch her as she is fit and fresh after her holiday. I own her myself and I hope she can win a seller and move on.

Substitution time

We had a new recruit join the yard this week. After Dashing Patriarch unfortunately suffered a tendon injury which will keep him out of action for a year, his owner replaced him with another of his horses which had been on a holiday. Say hello to Hartland Point (right. And yes, we've finally worked out how to upload pictures!).

He has only had one run in a bumper but he looks big enough to try hurdles next time. He's not very fit at the moment so probably will not be running before Christmas.

Bushy Dell ran a blinder of a race on Saturday night at Wolverhampton. She had not run for well over 200 days but ran a gutsy race as usual to finish 4th. She had a long blow after the race so we hope that next time she will go even closer.

Pyjoma's debut at Pontefract on Monday was also very pleasing. Luckily, she did not get as worked up before the race as we thought she might and, despite running green early on, she ran on well towards the finish. Hopefully she can build on this next time.

A lot of the horses are starting to lose their summer coats now it is starting to get colder and the clippers have been in action. I do all the clipping myself but poor Oscar (left), our Norfolk Terrier, received a horrendous haircut from Ross and since then the dog has been pretty miserable!

Hopefully I won't be so unhappy by the end of the week as we have got loads of runners.

Sancho Panza goes back to the place of his first win, Windsor, and I think he can maintain his 100% record. The ground and distance are in his favour so he should run a big race.

Brighton is my favourite racecourse and I love having runners there and four of mine go there on Thursday. Beseech and Blackmore run against each other in the maiden and I can't say which one will beat the other. We worked the pair together on Saturday with the same weights that they will carry in the race and they both finished upsides, going as well as each other. They are nice horses but handicaps are where they will win. Also at the seaside venue are Ocean Countess and Little Meadow who both love the track and have a great chance.

Another one to run on Thursday is Generous Genella. As you may know, she has lots of ability but hasn't shown it on her two runs so far. My gut feeling is is that she will be a better three year old and we will just use this run to get her handicap mark before a winter break and a successful 2011 campaign.

Can't get in.

A lot of false dawns arose this week with plenty of runners forecast and few horses actually going to the races.
Firstly, we never went to Nottingham on Wednesday as King Columbo had a slightly tight muscle in his back and our physio said he would not be 100% for the run. Pyjoma was in A1 form but she didn't get in her maiden. She had never run before and horses making their debuts like her are given preference to get into an over-subscribed race but because there were so many first-timers like her, she was low in the ballot.
There has been a hell of a lot of entries all over the country in the past week. As the season comes to a close, trainers are desperate to run their horses and hence you get many races with well over 50 horses entered.

Sancho Panza and Always De One suffered a similar fate at Warwick as they were low in the weights and had little chance of getting in the race. It is frustrating because Sancho is in incredibly good form - he has been 1st and 2nd on his last two runs - and he loves the soft ground that is predominant at the minute but he just cannot get in a race.
Despite not running this week, Always De One made a name for herself by burying my daughter Shelley. As the pair were going up the canter, Always spooked at something and Shelley had little chance of staying aboard. She was laying on the ground for a while as the horse cantered on and claims she 'popped her shoulder back in' so the jury is out as to whether Shelley did dislocate her shoulder or not but either way, both horse and rider are fine now with the latter sporting a black eye to school.

Pyjoma managed to get a race today (Monday) at Pontefract. We hadn't got her fully race-ready at home because she is a very short-tempered filly and one could wind her up too much but she ran a nice race to finish in midfield and she will do a lot better next time. Night Orbit also ran there just because there were few entries in his race and he picked up £800 for coming 4th of 4th. Easy money if you can find it.

It looks set to be a quiet week. Spirit of Sharjah is in at York on Friday but won't want the ground too soft and Ocean Rosie should run at Wolverhampton the following day. Also in on Saturday is Bushy Dell. She is a really likable filly who tries her heart out and has won three races. She has had some time off because we had her operated on for a form of skin cancer. It is not a terrible thing or anything but it was uncomfortable for her and I'm pleased to say she is back to her best now and will be winning more races soon.

Getting the winter blues.

Well, I think it is safe to say that summer has finally gone.
The weather is as miserable as sin at the minute with the mud making a quick reappearance in the fields and it will probably be with us all the way through until May now. Something else that might be soon coming out of retirement are my clippers. It's a sad sight when some of the horses start to lose their velvet-like, short, summer coats and turn into hairy bears but despite the number of rugs and duvets you can wrap them up in, Mother Nature will always win and the hair will grow.

One horse who always loses her summer shine first is Bavarica. Going to Ascot on Friday, she was in need of a clip but we left it for a day because it was in the back of our minds that she was in need of a break. Because we've had her almost six years now, we know the mare inside out and she had just started to become very keen at home, pulling Ross' arms out up the gallops. This would usually be a promising sign with any other horse but for Bavarica it usually means she is 'over the top' - i.e. in need of a short holiday. Anyway, we took our chance at the Berkshire venue but she ran a lifeless race and was duly put into the field the day after until the new year. She's won three races this year, nine in her career, and my gut feeling is that next year may be her last. I just want my daughter Shelley to win on her first.

The wet weather will play havoc with entries across the country but all the ones I've got in this week will enjoy the softer surfaces. Pyjoma makes her belated debut at Nottingham on Wednesday. She's had her problems (fractured a shoulder at the beginning of the year) but she's going OK now. She does have a temperament and we will do well just to get her there as she sometimes has an aversion to the horsebox but, fingers crossed, she won't be a pain.
We'll need some luck as well if Shelley is to have a ride at Warwick on Thursday. The amateur race attracted an astonishing 50-odd entries so we'll need a lot to not run if we are to go.

A trip up north to Redcar will be on the cards on Saturday if the ground is right. Spirit of Sharjah runs in a listed race and probably the best filly I've trained, Emmeline Pankhurst, runs in a maiden. I would take that praise with a word of caution though as she can be a right cow and on her debut earlier on in the year, she ran a howler and was later found to be in season. If the same horse that destroys everything on the gallops in the morning turns up at Redcar, then we should see a nice performance. But that's a big IF.

Rain's not a pain

It was a bit of a disappointing week in hindsight. We had plenty of raiders at Yarmouth's three-day festival and they all ran with credit - Sancho Panza (2nd), Exopuntia (3rd) and Marafong (3rd) all ran up to standard and it was just a bit gutting not to get a winner out of those lot.
It's helping a lot of my horses at the moment that the ground is soft at most courses because I've got a handful of runners who have all been waiting for some juice in the ground and now we've got it, they're running into the money.
Soft ground also means though that I've had to give some a break. Emma's Gift is on a holiday in the field as her preferred firm ground is sparse. Khajaaly is in the field as well, just for a few weeks, to freshen him up and get that spark back into him which he has been lacking in recent runs.
We also had Generous Genella running at Newmarket on Friday in a hot maiden but we needed to get another run into her and it also coincided with her owner's birthday celebrations at the track - I won't tell you which birthday Anna was celebrating! Genella has always gone well at home and I'm adamant that she is above-average but at the minute she's just a bit weak and when she fills her frame, she will do us justice. The only positive at the minute is that because she is finishing down the field, she will have a really competitive handicap mark for next season.

I've got half a dozen runners this week and they should all be in with a shout. Blackmore on Thursday at Wolverhampton will be an interesting one as it's his first run for us since we bought him off Roger Charlton in July. He came to us with a reputation for being unruly but since we've had him (and castrated him) there's been no problems. We had a nice surprise with him too as we were told by Mr Charlton that Blackmore would need a stalls test before he ran again so we booked it for Newmarket on Saturday but then the starter rang up and said he didn't need one - he was just on a warning. That was great but we have put him in the stalls at home anyway and he's given no worries - he's pretty quick out of the gates, in fact.

All's good

Sorry for the belated update but it's been a busy few days.
With almost two runners everyday, I've been driving the horsebox everywhere from Goodwood to Chester.
The horses are in cracking form - Little Meadow and Sancho Panza both ran into the second spot whilst Exopuntia landed third.
It's really rewarding when horses like these, who are admittedly not the most talented, run well because they try their hearts out and you don't like to see them disappointed. The same applies to the owners who are real sportsmen and women and love their racing. The more infuriating side to training is when you have a horse with all the ability in the world but little willingness to use it. Luckily, we don't have too many of those types.

My son, Ross, had his horsebox driving debut on Tuesday as I let him drive the vehicle home from Yarmouth and, after going around the first bend like Lewis Hamilton accompanied by an earful of abuse from me, he eventually realised that boxes have to go a fair bit slower round bends and he was then driving like an experienced pro. He said he enjoyed it but he'll probably regret it when I send him to Wolverhampton for the 9.20pm race on his own!

The stable apprentice jockey, and my nephew, Adam Beschizza has had a marvellous run of things recently with eight winners in the past fortnight. We've always known he could ride (he was riding on the gallops aged 10) and it's really satisfying to see him doing so well. He's got some really nice rides this weekend at Ayr as Roger Charlton has put him on one that (and I quote Mr Charlton) "is a stone well in" for the Ayr Gold Cup.

I've got a few easy days but runners are around the corner. Generous Genella runs at Newmarket on Friday and I hope she fares better than she did on debut. She goes well at home but it is an extremely hot-looking race and it would not surprise me if we saw next year's Oaks winner in action. Depending on the weather, King Columbo and Marafong will go to Leicester next Monday and they both have great chances.
Elsewhere, Blackmore will have his stalls test before racing at Newmarket on Saturday and I expect all to run smoothly. He has shown no problems at home and I can't imagine he will provide any on the track.

As promised...

...here are the results of my Q&A with the Racing Post, published last Sunday.

What's the best pice of advice you've ever been given?
Keep your horses in the worst company and yourself in the best.
What race would you most like to win?
The Feilden Stakes, Newmarket
Who would play you in a film of your life?
Pam Sly (I’m always mistaken for her)
Who would you most like to meet?
Sheikh Mohammed
What's you favourite/least favourite racetrack?
Best - Brighton/Lingfield, Doncaster should improve canteen for stable staff, poor food and very over priced
Sum yourself up in five words
Over worked and under paid
What really annoys you?
Lydia Hislop trying to pronounce Adam Beschizza’s name
What was the last film you saw?
Long time ago Racing Stripes with the kids
What was the last book you read?
Paul Nicholls' autobiography
Name a trainer to keep an eye on...
Seamus Cahill (greyhounds)
...and a jockey
Adam Beschizza
What was the best day of your racing life?
Ross Birkett and Adam Beschizza riding their first winners on Bavarica (can’t decide between them)
What's the best bet you've ever had?
Adam Beschizza to be Champion Apprentice next year
Who is your favourite horse?
Don’t Drop Bombs on whom I rode 7 winners, 21 now and still going strong
What is your favourite holiday destination?
Dingle, Ireland – great people and lovely scenary
What would you go as to a fancy dress party?
Wonder Woman
What would you have as your last meal?
Fillet steak and dry white wine
What's the funniest thing you've seen on a racecourse?
I had to attend a stewards inquiry at Lingfield with Adam Beschizza, the steward was having trouble pronouncing his name, so I explained it was said as 'Biscuit-Sir', he then continued the whole inquiry calling him Mr Biscuit
Tell us something only you know
I rode a winner at Lingfield when I was four months pregnant with my daughter Shelley
What's the worst thing anyone has said to you?
Julia who?
Who are your four ideal dinner guests?
Matt Lucas and David Walliams from Little Britain for the entertainment, Marco Pierre White for the cooking and my husband John to do the washing up.

What a difference a day makes.

It's amazing what can happen in 24 hours.
Saturday morning I was down in the dumps, a few of the lesser lights in the yard had worked below par and I was top of the Racing Post's 'cold trainers' list after not having a winner in nearly two months.
Come Sunday Afternoon, I'm on top of the world. As described in last week's post, Sancho Panza won at Windsor on Saturday and Exopuntia followed up the next day at Yarmouth.
'Exo' had been a shade disappointing recently after coming fourth on her seasonal reappearance earlier in the year. We had been experimenting with different trips for her and finally got it right (a mile) last time. Jockey Richard Mullen couldn't ride her after a fall the previous day so Tony Culhane got the leg-up. Tony had actually ridden the mare's half sister to victory twice so he knew the family.
Following orders perfectly, Tony steered Exo to a comfortable victory and which hopefully boosted her confidence.
To top it off, my son Ross also rode a winner at Goodwood for David Simcock and got a great picture in the Racing Post the next day.

Talking of the Racing Post, in today's edition is a questionnaire with myself. I tried to make it fairly light-hearted as serious answers are usually boring and I hope it makes someone smile. I'll put up the Q&As on here during the week when I get some time.

Only a few of our horses will be appearing in the Post this week as we don't have too many runners. Khajaaly goes to Doncaster on Tuesday and I expect an improved performance from him with the drop down to seven furlongs and the application of cheekpieces likely to suit.
The next visit to a racecourse isn't until Friday where King Columbo goes to Chester in a race which he should win. He ran a blinder to finish second last time and if all goes well, he should have a great chance.

Surprise, Surprise

Well, I was the last person who thought that I would be sitting here, extolling the virtues of Sancho Panza. However, the son of Zaffeen shocked us all yesterday by winning (well, bolting up really) at Windsor at odds of 33/1.
He had become very frustrating as he had shown ability in a few all-weather runs but had not reproduced it on turf. The race he was in at the Thames venue was an amateur race for jockeys from different countries around the world. Luckily, we drew not a bad jock in Jacob Smith who was one of the few who could talk English as he hailed from America.
His orders were simple - jump out and make the running. It was all going to plan until he left the stalls...where he commenced to sit last of the field of nine!
I thought it was now a lost cause and began to focus on my son Ross who was riding for John Bridger in the race and looked to have a good chance three furlongs from home when he was passed by a dark coloured horse - Sancho Panza!
Sancho scooted clear under a hands and heels ride in front of a silent crowd. Mr Smith didn't mind though as he punched the air like Tony McCoy winning the National.
Then, in the winners enclosure, Smith stayed aboard Sancho for a hell of a long time - we thought he might have been waiting for someone to put a laurel of flowers over the horse's withers like in the Breeders' Cup. He wasn't the only one getting excited - one racegoer from across the pond was shouting "USA! USA! USA!" Ryder Cup-style.
Anyway, it was great to get back into the winner's enclosure after a slightly quiet run and I'm sure the victories will come thick and fast after this.

I've got quite a few interesting runners this week.
Night Orbit will tackle fences for the first time at Huntingdon on Monday providing the ground isn't too soft. He has been schooling over the bigger obstacles very impressively which has led his jockey, Colin Bolger, to label him "the best novice I have sat on". Let's hope he's right.
Bavarica and King Columbo run at Epsom on the same day and both will have great chances with preference over the latter.
We have some entries later in the week but all will depend on what the weather does - we've had a ridiculous amount of rain in the past seven days and the ground is at saturation point so we will have to keep a close eye on the forecasts.

Hoping to turn the tide

Lady Luck was definitely not looking our way this week as we had some horrendous misfortune. First of all, Rathbawn Girl was drawn very wide at Wolverhampton on Monday and, to make matters worse, the horse on her inside hung violently around the home bend and virtually eliminated any chances we had of winning.
Next to go on the unlucky list was Little Meadow at Brighton the following day. As her name implies, she is only a tiny filly and obviously came off worse when four horses, including her, had a barging match at the top of the Sussex-venue’s hill. She came home worse for wear with stitches in her back leg and a bang to her head.
But hey-ho, that’s racing and there will be better days for the pair.

My daughter Shelley’s first ride under rules at Salisbury on Thursday was a nerve-racking occasion. I always get nervous when one of my blood ride in a race, not for their incompetence but for the inability of others. The standard of riding in amateur races varies wildly and you could be a fully capable pilot but be interfered with by an out of control novice. My fears were misplaced however as both came home safe and sound in fourth with Shelley learning a lot for the debut.

This week is a big one for my son Ross. At the weekend he is representing Great Britain in an amateur race challenge at Goodwood and Windsor where riders are selected from various European countries in a one-off event. Ross will be wearing a special Union Jack pair of silks at Goodwood and I hope he can get some glory in them. Then on the Bank Holiday Monday, he rides Bavarica at Epsom in the Gentlemen’s Derby.

Amongst the other runners is Beseech who sees a racecourse for the first time at Kempton on Monday. She has plenty of ability but we’ve had a few setbacks with her, hence the delay until her first run and it will be intriguing to see how she performs. Khalaajy, at the same meeting, should have a good chance if he can put last time’s disappointing run behind him.

A runner a day keeps the horsebox away.

After such a busy seven days a fortnight ago, it was a nice relief to have relatively few runners this week.
They all ran with credit, particularly the two runners at Doncaster - Spirit of Sharjah and Bavarica - who both finished third.
Spirit is undoubtedly talented but has his quirks and only wins when everything drops right for him but this was him on a going day.
'Rita' on the other hand is a real gem of a horse. This was her 90th career run, all of which have been for us, and she doesn't seem to be slowing down, well the handicapper certainly doesn't think so as she's on the highest mark of her life at the age of eight. That's the problem with handicap races in this country (as James Given put it a few weeks ago) horses are handicapped to lose. If you do well, you get penalised. So, in theory, you can only win by losing. It's a joke and real battlers like Bavarica are the ones who suffer most.

We have a runner everyday this week and I couldn't write off any of their chances.
I'll be taking most interest though in King Columbo at Salisbury on Friday. My daughter, Shelley, will be having her first ride under rules on him and it will be exciting stuff. Don't worry about having a bet on the girl as she is a fully competent jockey, having ridden four winners pony racing.

Here, there, everywhere.

It’s not been a jam-packed week, more a so-busy-I’ve-barely-had-time-to-sit-still one.

We’ve had runners galore and they’ve all been hitting the goalposts without anything rippling the back of the net. The admirable Bavarica ran another fine race on Monday to come second as did Rathbawn Girl at Brighton later on in the week.

Most of the other runners we had all did as we expected except the two raiders we sent up north: Generous Genella got seriously tired in the mud at Haydock and we expect her to do much better for the experience and our new purchase, Khalaajy, ran slightly disappointing at Newcastle. We’ve only had the horse for a month or so and it may have just been that he needs a little longer to settle in to his new surroundings.

To cap off a hectic week, John, Shelley and I went to Ireland at the weekend to go to Dingle races. All I can say is that it was one of the best experiences of my life – the people there were so welcoming, the scenery was breath-taking and the general experience was once in a lifetime. The racing itself was great too, as the whole purpose of our visit was to watch Shelley’s former racing pony run at Dingle. What’s more, he won.
It was amazing how many people we knew over there – fellow trainer Brendon Powell was one, as was a former in-mate of ours, Rapid City, who was running in the big race – the Dingle Derby.

After such a active week, we only have a few runners in the coming one but all should have chances, with Spirit of Sharjah the main fancy at Doncaster on Saturday.

Busy, busy, busy

Well, I can stop moaning now – the rain has finally arrived. It’s been a wet week and although we’ve got soaked to the bone out on the Heath, no-one has complained because the precipitation was so desperately needed – it actually makes a change to be wet with rain rather than clammy with sweat.

We’ve witnessed another fruitless week winners-wise but, in all fairness, none of them were hugely fancied. Musselburgh is a terrific track that has done everything right, ranging from free racecards for all to free fruit in the stable lads canteen, but visits to Scotland might be coming less frequent now that we’ve had three runners there with little success. No winners make the homeward journey seem a lot longer.

Emma’s Gift surprised us at Newmarket at the weekend with a blinding run. The rain was not what she wanted but the owners persisted that she run because they had made a long trip to see her. She was giving a stone to most of her rivals and, after being interfered with a furlong out, she flew home to finish fourth. She will try her luck in Group company again next time.

Later that day we had Chadwell Spring at Lingfield. The run in itself was nothing remarkable (she doesn’t try too hard) but what made us laugh was when her jockey, Seb Sanders, returned to the unsaddling enclosure with his whip in two pieces – it had snapped in half during the race! This is not a rare occurrence – many other jockeys have experienced similar situations and the only blame can be the new, ultra-cushioned sticks that the jockeys are forced to use. Someone needs to redesign these batons otherwise races are going to be lost because of it.

It’s going to be a really busy week with a hoard of runners. Brighton hosts its annual three-day festival and we’ll be at my favourite track everyday with runners. It also looks like the horsebox will be back on the A1 to Newcastle as Khajaaly makes his debut for us and we are expecting good things, as with Generous Genella the next day at Haydock.

I'm off for a weekend away to Ireland at the end of it and a winner would be a great way to see me off.

Trying to turn the tide

It’s been an incredibly frustrating week with the weather not going our way and races doing likewise.

Generous Genella went all the way to Doncaster on Thursday only to be withdrawn because the ground was too firm and the forecast rain never materialised. There was a fair bit of money for her during the day and, it is true to say, that she had been going well at home but we are not a yard who set out horses for a gamble so it was a surprise that she was so well backed. That’s Newmarket though – work watchers hide in trees to catch a secret glimpse of horses galloping strongly on the Heath and once the information is out, it spreads through the town like wildfire.
Salisbury didn’t bring us much luck later in the week either with the ground going against King Columbo and the race didn’t help him much too – there was no confirmed front runner and so the race was a very slowly run one.

It’s like banging your head against a brick wall at the minute with winners hard to come by but the same happens every year – midsummer is annually a quiet time for us as most of the horses have done all their winning earlier in the year and are suffering in the handicap as a result. The only thing that you can do is to keep doing what you have always done and the handicapper will eventually show some mercy and the winners will flow again.

Another trip to Scotland looks on the cards next week as we’ve got Night Orbit and Ocean Rosie in at Musselburgh on Thursday. Travelling vast distances is not what we like to do because mainly if it’s far for us to go, it’ll be far for the owners to go as well but the current weather situation has forced us to travel – both horses want soft ground and up north is the only place getting some rain.

It looks likely that we will have quite a few runners at the end of the week and the highlight will probably be Emma’s Gift who tackles handicap company for the first time. The handicapper has been pretty severe on her with a mark of 98 but we’ve managed to get our talented apprentice Adam Beschizza the ride (he was meant to be riding Sir Gerry in the Stewards Cup at Goodwood on the same day).

Hopefully Lady Luck will shine on us again.

The rain is a pain and falls mainly on the...

For weeks and weeks we've been desperate for some rain and the heavens have finally opened over the British Isles but have somehow completely missed Newmarket.
The fields are brown, the grass gallops are too firm and the heath resembles the Sahara desert as we continue in this mini drought.
King Columbo ran his usual consistent race at the July Course on Friday night but he, like a handful of our other horses, is desperate for some juice in the ground.
It was typical then that on the same day we ran Emma's Gift at Newbury. After her cracking run in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, we had high hopes she could land this Listed race but the ground rode very holding after a recent downpour and she struggled to plough through it. There will be better days ahead for her, that is for sure.

The two new horses, Blackmore and Khajaaly, who we bought at the July Sales last week have settled in really well and have recovered from their gelding operations. It's a policy we have here to get all the horses castrated as it keeps their mind on racing and it's just another way of improving a horse from a big yard. After all, they are unlikely to be stallions come the end of their career.

Next week could be a good one for us as we run a few horses who have major chances.
Exopuntia travels to Yarmouth on Monday in what is a very weak race. You can forget her last run as she didn't handle the undulations that Pontefract threw at her and on the form of her run before that, over one mile back at Yarmouth, she should go very close.
Generous Genella is a two year old who we think a lot of and she makes her racecourse debut at Doncaster on Thursday. Her home work has been very impressive and we go to Town Moor with great expectations.