Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a pleasant Christmas, mine just seemed like another Sunday as the horses still have to be looked after but I did get a nice dinner down at the father-in-laws surrounded by family and booze! Although it is nice not to be as busy, it is hard trying to train your horses when there are so many days when they can't be ridden, luckily I have got some good hardworking staff and have not missed too many riding out days.

With a lean spell of runners usually comes an overload the next week! On Wednesday we will send three to Kempton and one to Lingfield. At the former will be the great Spirit of Sharjah running quickly again after some time off. He was not disgraced and only beaten a couple of lengths by the winner last time, he would probably of needed it and the jockey was not hard on him, he has won round Kempton before and another exciting run is expected. Later on in the night will see Automotive and Lea Valley go head to head in the same race, at home I would definitely say that 'Mo' would finish way ahead of 'Lea' but both have been running disappointingly of late. Then over at Lingfield is in-form Sail Home, this is her time of year as she thrives on the all-weather tracks, she has been quite consistent of late and I would love to see her get her head infront once again as she is one of my favourites! The next runner isn't until Friday when The Ducking Stool makes an appearance again after a little break, her last few runs were a little flat so we gave her time and she seems right as rain again at home, if she is in any sort of form as she was in last year she should be there abouts once again.

Here's a few up coming runners being put through their paces..

Silver Alliance (grey) getting one over on Handheld

The Ducking Stool flying along side the blinkered Faraway Land



Lea Valley striding out ahead of Sail Home (nearest) and Automotive

There was an old face back this week when Al Reefa joined the string once again. We trained him as a two-year-old and he was always quite weak as he was so big. But now after 3 years off he is back in training working underneath owner Jerry.


We all had a little joke about The Ducking Stools new winter attire, I don't think she knows it is decorated with sheep, does wonders for the complexion though...

Merry Christmas!

Well it's that time of the year again to be getting into the Christmas spirit, I must say it has been hard this year as it hasn't been too cold and doesn't really feel festive around here, probably because we've got no decorations up! It is also the time of year when darkness falls at it's earliest and lifts at it's latest, first lot has just become a survival mission as it is so dark, this is second lot (below) and the place is still not lit up entirely.

We haven't got much going on this week as it's all about the jumping and for the first time in a while we haven't got a single jumper in the yard, so I thought I'd take a few pictures from around the yard. Here is Attain checking out the camera, he as had a break for a while and after a slightly disappointing season will be back soon for another crack at losing his maiden tag. In the background is a horse I own myself called Faraway Land and it's a good job I do as she has been a nightmare trying to get her to the track! We aim to run her in the new year, she goes really well and that is probably the reason we have persevered with her for so long.

One of last weeks runners was Emma's Gift at Lingfield on Wednesday. She has been a real gem for the team over recent seasons, winning multiple times and taking us to places like Royal Ascot and York but we made the decision after another disappointing run to retire her. Her form had really trailed off after a fruitful winter last year (pictured winning at Wolverhampton), she owes us nothing and I hope she enjoys her retirement.

The time had come to give Bonnie the companion her annual clip!

With all the talk recently of Kauto Star and his controversial new life I thought I would dig out a picture that was sent to me recently of a horse I used to train called King Flyer. He was a really good horse winning 7 times and placed a further 19 times, earning over £60,000 in prize money. He is now doing various shows such as dressage at the age of 16, I don't think there is anything wrong with horses going on after a busy racing career into another discipline and I was really proud to see him looking so well.

Best worker in the yard!



Bright week ahead

We have got runners almost every day next week and a few good chances I hope. Tomorrow Silver Alliance and Handheld run at Wolverhampton, Silver is in great form and has been unlucky not to have won a race this year but he is running over his ideal trip at a track he has good form at. Then 'Andy' makes his debut for us, he was once a good 2-year-old but has come down in the weights now and was running well on the all-weather for his previous trainer, I think the change of scenery has done him good but it will be interesting to see how he runs. The next day at Lingfield Automotive makes his return to the track, he had us all scratching our heads last year as he put in a few disappointing runs, but since then I think he is a changed horse as he is not as quirky as before, he has been working with our Listed horse Spirit of Sharjah and been giving him a good run for his money.

Two fillies also run this week which have also been a little disappointing of late. Emma's Gift runs on Wednesday at Lingfield, she was once a top class filly but her confidence is at an all time low as she keeps running against good horses who just come past her, we will leave the headgear at home this time to hopefully let her enjoy it again and try to eek out her ability. The next day Lea Valley also travels to Lingfield, she is lightly raced but still a maiden. She works really well at home but gets quite buzzed up at the races, hopefully the penny is starting to drop with her and she can get competitive. Also at the same venue that day is Kampai, she finally broke her maiden tag the time before last and you can probably forget about her last run as she was too far off the pace, another sound run is expected.

With all the grass gallops now closed for the winter the Cambridge Road polytrack is the place to be. Here we have new boy Vastly (grey) doing his first bit of work with the returning The Ducking Stool. The former is a lovely un-raced colt by Mizzen Mast, he is a chunk of a horse with a bright future ahead of him as he worked impressively with this years stable star, shares are still available in him. 'Ducky' has just had a bit of time off after a fruitful turf campaign and it won't be long until she is racing again, she will have a run on the all-weather and then we may look to give her a try over hurdles. 

On Saturday a horse that has raised my profile over the last 6 years will be running. Spirit of Sharjah worked on his own on Saturday with myself aboard and I was blown away by him as ever. He always works so well and has so much power in his hind quarters. He runs on Saturday after time off since his stint in Dubai last winter, I hope he will still be running up to form as he is really showing encouraging signs at home.



Next weeks runners Emma's Gift (grey) and Lea Valley (middle)

Only the two runners over the last few days but they both ran with credit. Sail Home and Exopuntia both ran at Lingfield on Wednesday and both were agonisingly beat in photo finishes. A nose was all it was and we were announced as finishing fourth, just out of the winners enclosure but more importantly just out of the prize money. Although I am pleased with their runs and we will hopefully have fun this winter with them.

Grinding on

It's a harsh time of the year and now with the frosts setting in and even a bit of snow this week, working with horses is not the ideal job to have! But now with flat racing all year round there's always horses to keep on top of. Two horses I hope to see helping us through the dark months are Spirit of Sharjah and Automotive (both below). Spirit (green cap) has been a real good money spinner for us over the years, we have got a race in line for him in a couple of weeks and I just hope he still retains all that ability. 'Mo' on the other hand is still a maiden, he also has alot of ability but is quite quirky, they will definitely be two to keep an eye out for this winter.

Handheld (right) has really come into himself since joining the yard a couple of months ago, I think a change of scenery has done him good and will be running in the next couple of weeks. Working along side him is Lea Valley, we have kept her going because I think she could pick up a race or two on the all-weather, she goes very well at home but gets quite buzzy and nervous at the races.

Only two runners next week, both at Lingfield on Wednesday. Sail Home (infront) and Exopuntia have given great performances of late, the former is a course and distance winner but Exo has only run there once before and finished 2nd so would both hopefully be in with a shout.

One of the heroines of the turf season this year has been The Ducking Stool, with two wins and 4 seconds aswell as several other placed efforts she has given us some great fun. She has now returned after a short break with maybe a look at having a run over both codes, she is a huge filly with so much scope it would be great to see her over a few hurdles, if she does well over jumps it would be a real success story as she was only a cheap buy by her owner.

We had no luck with the runners this week, Wiggo and Generous Genella both ran at Wolverhampton on Tuesday and both ran disappointingly, although the surface there is not great at the minute. Then Kampai ran at Lingfield on Friday, she arguably ran better than her finishing position suggests as she was ridden further back than ideal and was running on before meeting trouble late on. She still has a race in her and would be worth a look next time.

Cracking the ice

Winter is officially here and back with a vengeance. Everything takes twice as long now, from getting dressed in the morning putting on lots of layers to navigating our way round the heath with all the walking grounds frozen solid. Everyone has to deal with it in some way or another, one job I don't envy is that of being the Clerk of the Course at certain tracks at the minute, namely Wolverhampton. Last year it could not cope with the temperatures as the polytrack balls up and creates some nasty and dangerous kickback. The same thing happened on Friday and Saturday night, we were there with Khajaaly on Friday and luckily they just got through the meeting, however on Saturday they only managed three races. I understand it is a difficult situation to be in and not alot they can do to prevent it, but I do think that some provision should have been given that this would happen to the track again this year as I would not of liked to of been one of the runners that went there on Saturday only for it to be called off.

However, further south we were at Lingfield and Kempton at the start of the week. Emma's Gift ran at Lingfield, she is struggling at the minute at getting competitive and I think it might be a confidence issue. She is rated so high at present and I think running against these good horses and having them come past her all the time just makes her give up. Over at Kempton though, things were looking better as Sail Home came in a gallant 3rd once again. She loves the all-weather and it would be fair to say that she hopefully has a fruitful winter ahead. Entrance had her last race that night before she heads off to the sales later this month, considering it was only 1m she ran well and would be a nice prospect for someone next year providing she gets her beloved rock solid ground.

The only other runner this week was the previously mentioned Khajaaly. We were in 3rd spot again but it was great to see him run into a bit of form and will hopefully be back in the swing of things again soon round his favourite track.

We had fun this week galloping a few for the first time. Handheld (below) did his first bit with Silver Alliance, 'Andy' was really impressive and I hope to bring him back to some of his old form as he was a decent 2-year-old in France. Silver is too in great nick and ideally he wants a race at Wolverhampton, but with the track in the state it's in at the minute that looks unlikely.

I got the pleasure of riding Spirit of Sharjah in his first bit of work since his injury last winter, he worked with another wounded returnee Automotive. I can't believe how well Spirit is at the minute, you know when he's feeling well when he tries to attack you every night putting his rug on! 'Mo' was a little frustrating last year as his trip eluded us, we'll take it one step at a time with him and hope to see him showing that ability he oozes at home.

New in-mate Vastly has moved up a gear now and is doing faster bits of work, the next step will be to give him a gallop with another horse so we can really see what he's made of.

This week was the foals sale at Tattersalls and we ended up coming away with two lovely fillies. Both are by promising new sires Authorized and Mawatheeq, they're a long way off being racehorses yet but it's nice to look out into the paddocks and see our future stars.

As for next weeks runners, Generous Genella goes for another try at losing her maiden tag on Tuesday at Wolves before she goes to the sales, she has so much ability but just does not want to know on the track. Wiggo will also be there, it will only be his second run and I hope the drop down in class will see him get competitive, he was only a cheap buy so I don't think he will be setting the world alight but he has a lovely attitude and really tries. The only other runner for the week will be returning heroine Kampai back over course and distance, we are hopeful of another thrilling run.



Someone who doesn't mind the mud!



Winter winner warmer

After a few near misses this year the honourable Kampai (below) finally lost her maiden tag at Lingfield on Wednesday at the 11th attempt. She is such a genuine filly and really deserved a win, her owners have been looking to send her to stud so this will really increase her stud value, she won quite easily so will hopefully add to her winnning thread soon. It was also nice just to get a winner full-stop, we have had such an unlucky year with our horses coming home placed 33 times! The filly was ridden by my daughter, Shelley, she has been riding as an amateur and has just applied for her apprentice licence so hopefully she can continue to develop her skills on the track. We could of so easily had a double that day with Exopuntia running on a gallant second, she likes to bowl out infront but she tends to miss the break, it was her first try at Lingfield and with a run like that she should be back in the winners enclosure this winter. No Such Number also ran on Wednesday but at Kempton, he has been a really exciting horse since his debut win for us so we were quite gutted when he ran disappointingly, however the jockey reported that he did not like the all-weather and got hampered in the home straight so I don't think that run could be taken literally. We shall not bother running him again on the all-weather so he is having a break now and will be back in action on the turf next year.

It always tends to be that we have a huge rush of runners on one day and then nothing all week, so we have a little extra time to take a few over to Cambridge Road polytrack for a long canter. When we do this the lot lasts for about one and a half hours so it is a real good exercise for them. Here we have superstar yardstick Spirit of Sharjah leading the way from Silver Alliance, Automotive, Vastly and Lea Valley. We will hopefully be seeing Spirit back on the track just before Christmas, he came back from Dubai last year with a leg injury so he has spent all year recuperating and I can't believe how well he is, bucking and squealing on the heath like he is a yearling again!

Quite a few entries next week, Generous Genella runs at Southwell on Tuesday. She will wear blinkers for the first time to hopefully bring out that ability that she harbours at home, she is drawn quite wide but I think that will suit her so she is not in all the kickback if she misses the break. The next day Sail Home and Entrance head to Kempton Park, the former is really coming to herself now and with a narrow defeat last time she should be in the frame once again. Where as Entrance has been a little hit and miss, she is quite a tricky filly to get right as the race has to run so suit her, she is taking a drop in trip but with a long straight she will be running on. Then on the same day at Lingfield runs Emma's Gift, she has been a real star and has won some nice races for the team and her owners, but she has been a bit disillusioned of late so we have been trying new things with her at home which I hope brings about a revival at the races. On Thursday Exopuntia is out again this time at Kempton, she has form round there and should go close once again. Then Friday night sees the return of Khajaaly at Wolverhampton, he really loves the place, the time of year and runs best fresh.



Exciting times ahead

We've had quite a quiet spell for a while now and while it's easy to moan and make excuses it's also a time when you know things will get better. Next week should hopefully get us off that dreaded cold trainers list, Wednesday sees all my weeks runners head out. Exopuntia will bid to put her last run behind her and come out on top on her first visit to Lingfield. Also at that venue is Kampai, she has been putting in solid efforts all year and I can't believe she hasn't won an race yet so hopefully she will get the run of the race this time. Then over at Kempton is the horse who will almost certainly get us out of the recession, No Such Number. He is 100% for the yard so far and he is going fantastically at home so it will be fingers and toes crossed that we have a Winnerful Wednesday.

As action moves onto the all-weather now we are not allowed to cut across the Rowley Mile to get to the 'work' gallops, we now have to take a much longer route round Devil's Dyke, although it is longer it does help with their fitness as they get another hack canter in before the gallop, however it can be a nightmare if your riding one that is in a bad mood!

Here we have Tiger's Home (nearest) working along with Wiggo. Both are two-year-old who have benefited with time to mature and will hopefully be making hay through the all-weather season. However, even from this picture you can see Tiger hanging to her right, as it happens we got her in to have a look at her back and she was a bit twitchy so the physiotherapist will see her tomorrow, it is a shame that she's not right as I was planning on running her next week, but that's horses for you.

The Wednesday wonders worked together, No Such Number (background) and Kampai both bid to end the dry spell, they're both so competitive and eyeballed each other all the way which is what you like to see.

The other runner this week is Exopuntia (nearest) she did an astounding piece of work and even had Khajaaly playing catch up! The latter likes time between his races so now I am looking to get him in a race, preferably at his beloved Wolverhampton.

One of the new in-mates Handheld has been a real star and impressed us all with his attitude, nothing seems to faze him and he's settled in really well.

The days are short and cold now and it is a time of year where everything seems to take so much longer, especially for us as we turn most of them out and have to scrape all of the mud off them when they come in and hang up all the wet rugs. It does make for some lovely shots though, he is a snapshot of the 'girls' field with, left to right, Believe In Me, Bonnie, Bavarica and Bushy Dell all appearing from the gloom.

Only the two runners this week and they came home at opposite ends of the spectrum, firstly Didn't I Do Well went to Southwell on Wednesday and didn't do very well. He is quite lazy at home and it showed on the track with him showing little enthusiasm, so it would not be worth his or our while trying to train him so he has been retired and we are looking for a loving home for him, he is a lovely character and a great ride so I hope he ends up somewhere nice. Then Sail Home ran on Saturday at Lingfield, she showed a great turn around of form to finish 3rd only beaten about half a length by the winner, it was quite frustrating as she would of won had she not met so much trouble in the home straight, which makes me ponder her possiblities as I hear the winner is going to be covered by Frankel! But was a great feeling shouting one home for a change!



Getting into top gear

The morning and evenings are drawing in and of most people this is the worst time of year, but for us we have been waiting all year for the all-weather season to kick in and this is because for some of our horses this is their favourite time of year. Sail Home (below right) has been badly handicapped for most of this turf season, so now with a dropping mark she is ready to make hay whilst the sun doesn't shine. She worked along the Cambridge Road polytrack this week with current star No Such Number, it has been hard finding him races since the turf has turned soft and there just aren't the races for him on the all-weather, but I think I've found a race for him in a couple of weeks. He is in great nick and will hopefully have a lot in hand through next season.  

We've been a bit hit and miss with the runners recently and we are definitely due a winner. Our first runner of the week was the elusive Generous Genella at Southwell on  Tuesday, although most horses at home struggle to get her off the bridle she somewhat is a different horse at the races and always runs disappointingly, although she may of just needed the run after a few months off the track. The next day the lovable Kampai travelled to Kempton to try 2 miles for the first time. Although she is related to decent sprinters such as Strike Up The Band, she is a slight exception to the family as she is best over a longer trip. She ran on well to finish 3rd, she has such a lovely attitude and I just hope she can get her head infront soon.

Also to work this week was Didn't I Do Well, he will be our only runner next week when he hopefully heads for Southwell on Wednesday. He has been learning and improving all the time at home since his debut and we hope to see him put that into practise at the races.

Old boy Spirit of Sharjah is back in full work now and still contains all the enthusiasm he had when he was running in Group races as a two-year-old. He may be getting a little long in the tooth now but I can still see him picking up a few more races next year, he is a very good horse and I can't wait to see him run again after sustaining a leg injury last year. Also on the bench for most of the year has been Automotive (behind), he also has a lot of ability but he hasn't always been straight forward to train as he has a mind of his own, but fingers crossed he can make it back onto the track safe and sound in the near future.

Autumn blues

We've had runners almost every day this week and to say it hasn't been the best of weeks would be an understatement! Monday saw Khajaaly and Tiger's Home travel to Leicester. The former has got excuses as the ground would of been softer than ideal and is probably high enough in the weights at the minute, he will hopefully be one to look out for round Wolverhampton through the winter. While Tiger's Home was returning from a break, we thought she'd strengthened up alot after her time off and really fancied her as she has run well on soft ground before, but obviously she just needed the run.

Then Attain put in another stinker at Yarmouth the next day, he is now out in the field enjoying a short break, he's been on the go for a while and although we couldn't get that elusive win with him this year he has still put in some great efforts earlier in the year.

Wednesday was the day Emma's Gift ran at Lingfield, she had a really illustrious winter campaign last year and now she is dropping down a few pounds we might see another one this winter. I was slightly let down the next day at Kempton with Exopuntia, she ran a cracker the time before to finish second but could never get near the front where she normally bowls along.

We only had a handful to work this week, Sail Home (below) worked fantastically well and we are looking forward to what she has to offer this winter.

One that is known in the yard to be a little lazy is Didn't I Do Well, but we put a pair of cheekpieces on him and stuck him along side reliable work companion Entrance and he worked well, hopefully he will keep up the good work at the races.

Three that just did a long canter were Spirit Of Sharjah (infront), who is currently on a come back mission after sustaining an injury last winter, followed by stable star No Such Number who we are struggling to find races for now the turf has turned against him and there are barely any races for him on the all-weather. Then last was Automotive, he was a bit of a head scratcher for us last year before he also suffered an injury, he's now back to full work and will be hitting a racetrack soon.

It's always hard being the new kid in the playground as Believe In Me found out this week but she was welcomed into the herd by Bonnie the miniature horse. BIM has had a busy first season and we've decided to give her a break for a few months to freshen her up. While Bonnie is our racehorse companion that we travel with horses that are alittle nervous travelling, she may only be small but she makes a whole load of difference to the horses temperaments.

We had two new faces onto the yard this week. Below infront is Handheld, he has only run 7 times, winning on his debut for Andre Fabre at Deauville and has gone on to be placed 3 times. We've only had him a week and just turned him out to let him relax before a winter campaign. Here he's pictured with Attain and one of the Araafa yearlings by Saga River who is being given time to grow and mature before we think about training him.

Another new face was Vastly, a big strapping cold by Mizzen Mast out of Valentine Band and is half brother to a horse we had alot of run with called Spruce who was very successful. He is also full brother to Putney Bridge who has won a Listed race and been Group placed, shares are available on the website.

Just the two runners next week, kicking off with Generous Genella on Tuesday at Southwell. She was quite disappointing before she got injured and now its just a mission to try and figure out why she works so well at home but doesn't show it at the races. Then on Wednesday is the lovable Kampai at Kempton, she has been unlucky not to win yet and is our best hope of bringing us out of the autumn blues.



Hello winter...

The clocks went back today and that can only mean one thing - winter is here.

As if that wasn't enough of a hint, the weather has been truly shocking this week and I've been busy with the clippers as a few of the horses' coats had grown pretty long and needed a shave. This is mainly to stop them sweating too much during exercise and it also looks a lot neater than a shaggy coat.

After doing this though, it's important to keep them warm and I've found the best thing for them to wear is something we all know - a duvet. They insulate the heat very well and are extremely cost effective compared to manufactured rugs.

With the ground pretty much desperate everywhere, runners have been a bit thin on the ground as we wait for the all-weather season to get into full swing and the ones who did venture onto the track over the last seven days didn't exactly shine.

The Ducking Stool has been one of our stars this season after two wins and four seconds but her run at Yarmouth on Wednesday suggested she's feeling the effects of a busy time and we'll give her a couple of months holiday now to recharge her batteries.

Wiggo made an encouraging debut the same day, despite finishing towards the rear. He was slowly away and looked green but he seems a lot more sharper since then and the education has obviously done him good.

Hopefully this week can bring a bit more luck as we have a busy few days in store.

Tiger's Home (below front) heads to Leicester tomorrow after a short break. She ran really well a couple of times earlier in the season and seemed to handle soft ground. She is as fit as we can get her at home and hopefully the seven furlong trip won't stretch her too much.

She worked with Lea Valley who was all set to run on Tuesday but a rash on her skin has meant she has to miss it.

Also heading to Leicester on Monday is Khajaaly (below right). All his wins have come at Wolverhampton but as a result he is rated a lot lower on the turf so we'll give him one more try on the green stuff before the races finish for the winter. He wouldn't want really soft ground so hopefully the rain stays away.
Sail Home (middle) is absolutely flying at present and probably looks the best in the yard. Her coat is so good you'd think it's the middle of July and her work is great too. Unfortunately there aren't many races for her at the minute but she should come back to form when she does run.
Leading this lot was Emma's Gift. She really comes to herself in the winter and can hopefully land some valuable prizes on the all-weather again. She's in at Lingfield on Wednesday and a good showing wouldn't surprise me.

Entrance (below left) is driving me up the wall. She is working great at home and is becoming extremely well handicapped but just hasn't been firing on the racetrack. Last time was 1m4f which may have been too far. Her ideal conditions are 1m2f around Lingfield so let's hope there are a few races for her before she goes to the sales in December.
Accompanying her was Didn't I Do Well. He is working a lot better since his debut run and another visit to the track shouldn't be too far away.

I'm pleased to report that stable star Spirit of Sharjah (below) is back on the road to recovery and did his first long canter on Saturday. He got injured when in Dubai but has had plenty of time to recover. It would be nice if he could go abroad again this winter but he'll need to win a race in December to warrant the trip.
Also on the comeback trail was Automotive who did the same exercise too. He had a similar injury to Spirit but seems great now and I'm looking forward to running him in a month or so time as he has shown glimmers of huge potential at home.

When some of the horses start behaving like they prefer the easy life rather than trying 100% in their races, we like to give them a school over hurdles to perk up their ideas and give them something else to think about. Falling into this category was Attain who started his career in great style but hasn't matched those efforts since. Here he is (left) jumping for the first time and, as you can see, he took it all very well and seemed to enjoy the experience. He runs at Yarmouth on Tuesday and with the ground, trip and handicap mark in his favour, hopefully this new experience can breath some life into him.

Jumping with Attain was Silver Alliance. He was in the same bracket as Attain a few months ago so we schooled him and his form improved as a result. As he has jumped a few times now, he is a reliable jumper to give newbies a lead.

I may not be able to go racing much this week as the horses in training sales are under way and I'll be busy searching for some more bargains but hopefully I can get away as too much time up at Tattersalls drives you mad and can prove expensive!

Apologies for last week after Believe In Me was said to be 'kept busy over the winter'. There was a bit lost in translation and she has been given a break. She is out in the field enjoying herself and has already grown a couple of inches which is what I was hoping.

Full to the brim!

For the first time in a good few months, I'm pleased to report the yard is back to full capacity of 25 horses after an influx of new faces in the last few weeks.

The last seven days have seen record-breaking prices reached at the Tattersalls yearling auctions and although most were going for inflated prices, I think I might have found some value with the two I purchased.

As they only came in on Friday, I haven't had a chance to take any photos yet but they are a fine looking pair.

The colt is by Lawman who was a French Classic winner and hasn't been at stud very long. His best horse to date would probably be this year's St James' Palace winner Most Improved. What made him stand out however, was the fact he is Spirit of Sharjah's 'nephew'. The yearling's dam is Spirit's sister so it is a bloodline we are pretty familiar with and one that usually produces decent two-year olds.

The other horse I bought is a filly by Bushranger, who has been making a real impact at the sales with his first crop of youngsters. She looks likely to be a proper two-year old as she isn't the biggest but looks very mature already. She was bought for my long-standing owner Dick Creese and he has been lucky in the past, so hopefully this will be another star for him.

These will be sent away to be broken in and it will be exciting to see what they've got.

As well as yearlings, we've also received a couple of older horses. One is a fine, big unraced filly by Nayef. Despite being three-years old, she has only just been broken in and as you can see from the photo below, she is enjoying her new career. It wouldn't have done her too much harm to start later in life as it has given her plenty of time to fill her big frame. She is well bred and could be anything.

Another new face is Amelia George. Owned and bred by John Ford, she comes from a family of winners. She was ready to arrive in the spring but broke her jaw in a paddock accident and had to have three months recovery. She is pretty big as well and is another to look forward to.

I mentioned last week that our batch of Araafa yearlings have been broken in and they ventured out into the big wide world this week via Newmarket Heath. The two below have proven to be very managable and Automotive showed them how it is done as they meandered around the gallops.

All these new names won't be running for a fair while yet so we are still kept very busy with the older brigade. Emma's Gift (below, grey) thrives during the winter and she is coming back to herself now. As she is rated quite high, there aren't many races for her until the all-weather season gets serious but hopefully she can win a couple more again this winter.
Accompanying her was another all-weather specialist, Khajaaly. Saying that, I think he can win a race on turf but conditions never seem to be right for him. He's in at Leicester in two weeks time and can hopefully get the decent ground he likes.

Following these two up was Generous Genella. She is working her way back to fitness and is ready to run when a suitable race arises.

Fresh from her decent fourth at Kempton a few weeks ago, Believe In Me (below left) seems to have improved her attitude and is going a lot better in her homework. It is a case of finding out how to handle this temperamental filly and I think we are gradually working her out. She will be kept busy over the winter and definitely has a win in her.

At the back of the pack is Sheila's Heart who is gradually getting the idea of being a racehorse but will come into his own when given a bit of time to fill his big frame.

It's that time of year when we receive our two Korean work-riders for a placement and they arrived this week. They broke the yearlings in at the British Racing School last month and have adapted to the Harraton Stud way of doing things very well. Both are very chatty and certainly liven the place up!

Mr Joo (above) has only been riding racehorses for six months but knows what he is doing. His compatriot, Mr Moon, is far more experienced and rides very well. Both work hard and always come with a friendly smile!

Wiggo finally makes his debut on Tuesday after missing a few entries. His home work has been improving all the time and the race will be a great education for him.
Accompanying him to Lingfield will be Entrance. She is extremely well handicapped now and a lot looks to be in her favour. It's an apprentice race but I've managed to book Shirley Teasdale who has ridden a winner for me and is good value for her claim.
On the same day is The Ducking Stool at Yarmouth. With the rain we've had, it wouldn't surprise me if the meeting was abandoned but the heavy ground won't be a problem for her and she should run her usual genuine race.

Plenty for the near and distant future

I suppose it's to be expected at this time of year but the unpredictability of the weather really is beginning to frustrate me. Some firm ground horses have been waiting all season to run but the decent ground has been few and far between. As a result, you are forced to run on the all-weather where races are heavily over-subscribed with other trainers in a similar situation and you can't get into a race.

Many have criticised the the fixture list for 2013 saying there are too many all-weather races but the truth is that these races attract full fields because connections known what to expect. Turf racing and a British summer don't comply as kindly!

However, it's not all doom and gloom as Kampai demonstrated on Tuesday. She actually loves soft ground and seems to handle Brighton's unique contours well so it was no surprise to see her finish second. She's really well bred and I'm desperate to win a race for her owner/breeder to add to her paddock value. She's in again this week and should go close with conditions as they are.

One horse who I am particularly fond of is Faraway Land (below). Known simply as 'The Mare', she is a giant filly but has had her fair share of problems. I bought her very cheaply from Juddmonte Farms last December as an unraced 3-year old and she showed great promise on her debut to finish third. Since then she ran a shocker in heavy ground at Doncaster but we've given her a long break since. She's grown into a monster now and I think she is pretty talented. She has her quirks (hence exercising in blinkers) but if things go right, I hope the all-weather season could be exciting for her.

Another filly who has been given a summer break and thrived from it is Tiger's Home (below right). She managed to finish in the frame a couple of times earlier on but is a completely different horse now - her shoulders are a lot more powerful and her backend is massive. She already has a handicap rating in the 60s and it looks like she could be very competitive off that mark in the coming months.

She went along with Sheila's Heart (middle) who Jimmy Quinn rode. Sheila is quite big himself and is coming on with each piece of work.

Completing the trio was Wiggo. He had to miss an entry at Kempton in the week through no fault of his own and he is more than ready to make his debut. The great thing about him is that although he is still a colt, he has a great temperament and a willing attitude.

As you can see from this photo above, Attain 'flew' up the gallop and is all set to run at Brighton on Thursday. He seemed to run better in blinkers last time and doesn't mind soft ground so I hope the one mile distance isn't too short for him. If he can travel through the race, he should go close with Frankel's jockey Tom Queally aboard.

Sail Home (below) isn't too fond of heavy going so has been a bit quiet recently but she is really well and probably has the best coat in the yard. Some of the horses coats are starting to turn a bit woolly as the temperatures drop at night but hers is still shining and shows she is in good order with herself.

It will be no surprise to regular blog readers to hear Generous Genella (below right) is working very well. She has always impressed us at home but hasn't yet fulfilled her promise on the track. She's recovered well from her injuries and will be ready to run within the next fortnight, providing I can get her into a race as she is rated very low.

Silver Alliance accompanied her and he seems fine after his run in the mud at Nottingham last Wednesday.

It's that time of year when the stars of tomorrow make their first steps into becoming a racehorse.

We sent three yearlings off to be broken a month ago and they are ready to come back into the yard this Monday. All have taken their education very well and it's exciting to see what potential they've got.

Below are the steps they have taken over the past four weeks:

1. Firstly, the yearlings are long-reigned to get themselves used to a saddle on their back and a bit in their mouth. These preliminary steps also teach a horse to turn and stop when you want to.

2. When all the steering is set-up, the babies are ridden for the first time. You can't just jump on them straight away, you have to first lie on their back to get them used to weight in the saddle and then you can eventually swing your leg over and get them going forward.

3. When it's safe to do so, the yearlings eventually get to head outside and have a canter. It's important to ride very long as the horses are still inexperienced and could do anything at any time!

4. From feral to fast in a month and ready to come home.

Of course, they cannot run until April next year when the juvenile races commence but in the meantime they will gradually up their work and get used to life as a racehorse at Harraton Stud.