New box at last!

Last week finally saw the arrival of our greatly anticipated brand new horsebox. With the authorities now clamping down on weight restrictions on horseboxes our old one would of been overweight when it carried two horses, so the investment was needed and although we had to wait a little while longer the new one arrived and what a relief it was when it did after weeks of catching lifts and hiring boxes for the races.

All the racing gear is now located at the back so it can all be locked away securely




Only breast bars at the front now so they can't bang their legs

It was a quiet week on the runners front this week, but what we did have was some what of a disaster. I don't really like travelling up north for runners at the best of times as when they run bad it is a horribly long, dark journey home. But we thought we'd found the perfect race for little Entrance at Beverley on Tuesday, but then the rain came. The ground turned to 'good' before we left which she wouldn't of minded and with a load of non-runners and not much more rain forecast we thought we would take our chance. Although finishing down the field she did run creditably in ground which was the extreme opposite of her ideal.


 It was a busy Sunday last week when it was finally the day for the 2012 Newmarket Open Day. We tried our best to put on a show with cakes and tea and coffee on the go and I hope everyone that visited enjoyed their look around the yard. We pride ourselves on letting 'horses be horses' and turning as many out as we can and it was a beautiful sight seeing all the fillies and geldings enjoying themselves infront of people that would otherwise not have the opportunity to see behind the scenes.

It was also a busy Saturday this week when we had a strong force of owners and horses out on the Summer gallop.

Khajaaly, you can just about make out the white hairs on his near fore leg after a successful operation

After making his comeback after his operation Khajaaly was out again yesterday with grey boy Silver Alliance, both worked well. 'Silver' has got a couple of entries lined up next week, if he gets in he will run at Wolverhampton on Friday, if not then there is a Fegentri race at Nottingham which would be ideal if a suitable rider is chosen (as you cannot pick your own).

Stable star No Such Number did a good piece of work with the consistent The Ducking Stool (chestnut), the latter will probably be the one running in the Nottingham race, she has had a very fruitful year but with a few poor efforts of late you can't help but think the handicapper may of finished her off for a while. Whereas 'Number' would of looked to run on Wednesday at Salisbury, however with alot of rain around at the minute which he would not appreciate we shall continue to look elsewhere.

We had jockey Jimmy Quinn in to ride work on Sheila's Heart, a cold who was doing his first piece. Although quite unsure and expectantly green he went encouragingly with other more experienced two year olds in Didn't I Do Well (left) and Believe In Me, the former is entered on Friday at Yarmouth where he bids to build on his debut.

Jimmy de-briefing owner Peter Foster after the gallop



We chartered in my sister Poppy to help out with proceedings, there's nothing like an experienced hand to show how it's done




After exercise in Didn't I Do Well's stable

For us in Newmarket we were lucky enough to have the amazing Frankel work before racing on Saturday, for many people it was the last chance to see him before his retirement, so for the occasion Ross took the camera up and took a few snaps of the superstar, as impressive in the flesh as he is on the screen.



Stone keeps rolling...

We were lucky enough to get on the score sheet last week but the gods didn't look so favourably upon us this time around as we went narrowly close to adding another to the tally.

Exopuntia isn't the most reliable but in the last few days leading up to her run she had really started to come into herself and headed off to Kempton for a first try at the track on Thursday night. With James Doyle aboard, she ran an absolute blinder to finish second after hitting the front with a furlong to race and just being headed on the line. Hopefully this good effort can be backed-up next time.

It's onwards and upwards though in the next seven days as we have just two runners but I'm quite confident about the chances of both.

Entrance (below right) has only won once in her whole career to date but has gone agonisingly close to doubling her CV on several occasions. Most of those near-misses have come under my daughter Shelley and she'll be aboard her at Beverley on Tuesday, if the forecast rain stays away. I have fancied Entrance on her last few runs as she is so well handicapped now but things haven't panned out right but hopefully Shelley can get her on another going day and maintain her 100% strike-rate at the track (1 from 1!). 

The mare was having her final blow-out in the company of Silver Alliance (below) and jockey Jimmy Quinn had a sit on him ahead of the team pairing up at Wolverhampton next Saturday night. Silver too has becoming slightly frustrating, sometimes not looking like he's giving his all, but Jimmy has won on him at the course and he is galloping really well so, with a bit of luck, should go close.

Making up the trio was No Such Number. He won last time on his debut for us and has had a couple of easy weeks since then. There's a nice race for him at Salisbury in a fortnight's time and I hope we can get Richard Hughes to ride him once more. He's back in full work now and should be spot-on for his next assignment.

Last week Jimmy rode Wiggo (below far side) in his first proper gallop and the two-year old seems to have come on a lot for that. He worked alongside Didn't I Do Well who has come on leaps and bounds for his run at Kempton two weeks ago. Before that race he didn't move very well but has since turned into a good galloper who seems more fluid in his action. I don't know what the reason for this is but it can't be a bad thing.

Believe In Me (below) had quite a bad viral infection after her last run but after a week off and some antibiotics, she is back to full health. She just did a swinging canter on her own but looks ready to step up her work again.

Another one who is getting back into the swing of things is stable star Spirit of Sharjah (below). We gave him the summer off after his campaign in Dubai and it's probably just as well because he wouldn't have liked the soft ground we've had for most of the summer here. He's just started cantering again and it would be nice to get a win into him here on the all-weather before hopefully another spell in sunnier climes.

Spirit went out with some of last week's runners including Emma's Gift (below grey). If you had told me before her run at Yarmouth on Wednesday that we'd beat group 1 winner Timepiece in the race, I would have been delighted and we did just that despite finishing down the field. Admittedly, the favourite wasn't at her best but Emma is getting back to form and should be nicely treated for another successful all-weather campaign.

Attain (right) ran on Wednesday too at Kempton. He was trying blinkers and 1m4f for the first time and whilst the former worked, he just didn't stay the distance and will be worth following when running over a bit shorter.

Automotive hasn't been mentioned on a blog for a while but he is slowly upping his work after an injury lay-off and has just started cantering again. He is a bit of a 'character' but has shown glimmers of his ability and I hope he can stay sound because he definitely has a race in him.


This morning we held a stable open day as part of Newmarket Open Day and I was surprised by the great turn-out. Ross and Shelley had put on a good spread of food, inspired by The Great British Bake Off and I think visitors liked seeing the horses in the field enjoying themselves. Luckily, the rain stayed away until the afternoon but it caused a bit of havoc with our team in the stable staff go-karting competition; two of the four had big crashes. I won't be letting them near my new horsebox anytime soon!

Finally found the magic Number!

I said in last week's blog, I'd be pretty disappointed if I was still on the cold trainers' list by the time I write another blog seven days later and thankfully, I'm not feeling glum!

I was pretty sure I had found No Such Number (below) an ideal race and luckily everything went as planned. All credit must go to jockey Richard Hughes who said before the race that horses by King's Best (as NSN is) don't tend to battle so he said he would ride him with confidence and leave his challenge as late as possible. That he did and at one stage I was shouting at the television "Do something Richard!" as he still sat motionless with one furlong to race but Hughesie had timed it perfectly and won by a head.

As it was NSN's first run for us since we bought him in July, plenty of owners were present and they made for some good photos after the race, which can be seen at www.thejockey.co.uk
I must mention at this point that there are still a couple of shares available in him and hopefully this success is a stepping stone to bigger and better things.

Also at Bath that day was Entrance and I thought she too could do the business but the race wasn't run to suit her and she never clawed back the leaders after a slow start. She is so well handicapped now and should be winning soon.

Other than The Ducking Stool in the Legends' Race at Doncaster on Wednesday (the less said about that ride, the better) we didn't have any other runners but this week looks set to be a busy one.

Tomorrow, Khajaaly makes his return to the track after six months off, during which time he had an operation to remove a large bone growth from his leg. It puzzled the vets as they had seen nothing like it before but the horse seems a lot more comfortable now and is pretty fit but the handicaper hasn't given him much chance with a rating as high as 73.

On the other hand, Kampai (below right) has finally been shown some leniency by Mr Handicapper after he dropped her 5lbs in the ratings for her last run. I think she is now on a mark she can win off and after a great piece of work on Saturday, she could go close at Brighton on Friday.
Also impressing on the gallops is Sail Home (middle) and I've been eyeing up this race up for her at Yarmouth on Thursday for quite a while. She hasn't been running the greatest recently but has had excuses and is a few pounds lower in the weights as a result. The Ducking Stool could also run in this race but she is rather the opposite - having had a very successful summer, she is now rated far too high.

At the rear of this trio was Emma's Gift (below). She is always quite lazy at home so I put Ross on her so she would carry more weight and have to work a bit harder! Unfortunately, Ross thought he was Jamie Spencer and managed to get her boxed in in a three horse gallop but this kind of thing probably helps keep the filly interested and she's in good form ahead of running in a listed race at Yarmouth on Wednesday. The competition is likely to be hot but her big targets will be on the all weather during the winter.

Both Attain (below left) and Kampai (right) are becoming slightly frustrating as they have plenty of ability but haven't shown it on the track yet. As a result, Attain will be running in blinkers at Kempton on Wednesday and if they do the job, he should win as he is ridiculously well handicapped but, as he has done recently, he could throw in a stinker and finish last. The problem is, I don't know which Attain will turn up!

My daughter Shelley is adamant that Lea Valley will show her true form if ridden closer to the pace than she has been so we'll be giving the jockey those very instructions when she runs at Lingfield on Friday.

As mentioned last week, unraced juvenile Wiggo (below left) is stepping up his work gradually ahead of his debut next month and we got jockey Jimmy Quinn to ride him on Saturday. He was partnered by Exopuntia and seemed quite professional, despite getting a bit tired as it was his first proper gallop. Exopuntia is down to run at Kempton and, like Attain, it's hard to predict how she'll run but the first try on the all-weather could spark a revival.

Don't forget that next Sunday 23rd September is the Newmarket Open Day. Our yard will be open to visitors from 9am - 12noon and absolutely everyone is welcome. We'll be putting on a bit of food (Shelley has just bought the 'Great British Bake Off' cook book) and hopefully the weather will be kind to us.
In the afternoon there will be loads of activities at the Rowley Mile racecourse and we've got a team in the stable staff go-karting challenge. Judging by some of their driving of cars, they should be fast!
Be advised though that you will need tickets for this event and they can be found at http://www.newmarketopenday.co.uk/
See you there!

Out of the cold?

The chilly nights and red-hot days have been keeping us on our toes this week and there have been plenty of visits to the yard at 10pm to put some rugs on the horses as the mercury drops when night falls. It is a crucial time of year to keep the chill off the horses' backs as many of their coats will start to grow soon in preparation for winter. You can't stop the inevitable but it's nice to have shiny and sleek coats on the horses for as long as possible.

Another cold thing we want to avoid is the 'cold trainers list' in the Racing Post. For those who don't know, this is part of the stats section of the paper and it highlights trainers who are on a bit of a losing spell. It takes no prisoners and all the great and the good trainers appear on there from time to time and it just so happens that we're living on it. I hate being on there but sometimes various things happen to the runners and you build up a dry spell. If I'm still on there this time next week, I'll be very disappointed given the runners we're going to have.

It all kicks off tomorrow with the trek to Bath.
No Such Number (below left) will be having his first run for us after we bought him in July and he's done nothing but please us and I think I've found a decent race for him to kick off his UK campaign. His last bit of work on Wednesday was by far his best yet and champion jockey-elect Richard Hughes is on board. The ground will be firm at the track as they have no watering system but, as you can see from the photo, he has a low action and fast ground should be ideal.
Also at Bath is Entrance (middle). She is becoming very well handicapped now and with jockey Natasha Eaton claiming seven pounds off, she should be a certainty! The problem is, I've thought this before and the filly does have her own ideas about racing and everything has to drop right for her to win. Hopefully it will tomorrow.

Following those two up is Emma's Gift who has come out of her latest run in good order and runs in a couple of weeks' time.

If the ballot goes our way, The Ducking Stool (below left) should run at Doncaster's St Leger meeting on Wednesday. She's had a great year but is pretty high in the handicap as a result. The race is for retired jockeys and the potential candidates to ride her are a mixed bunch but you don't get to chose who rides - it is done via random allocation. I'm praying we're lucky enough to get Mick Kinane as the man is a genius on a horse and has ridden a winner for me before. 

Khajaaly just followed The Ducking Stool up the gallop and he is still on track to make his reappearance in a fortnight.

I've found a great race for Wiggo (below) to make his debut in next month. As he was bought at Ascot sales, he qualifies for their £25,000 sales race and gets treated favourably at the weights because he is unraced. He has a great attitude and, with still a month to play with, he should be spot-on for his big day.

We just had a trio of runners over the past seven days, kicked off with juvenile Believe In Me on Monday at Wolverhampton. After a slow start, she never got competitive but coughed a lot after the race and subsequently had a snotty nose for a few day after. She's since been on antibiotics and seems to be getting better. This does explain the below par run.
Kampai went back to Brighton on Friday but is still rated too high and hopefully the handicapper can be kinder to us in the future.
The following day, Didn't I Do Well (below) made his debut at Kempton. There were only three runners and he did finish third but he surprised many with how well he ran and it was good for him to get some racecourse experience. As there were so few runners, the owner picked up £800 prize money for finishing last. Now, that's not bad at all! He has come out of the race well and should improve a lot for the run.

I'm praying this week that I receive my new horsebox as the day for collection has been pushed back several times. Although there was nothing faulty with the old one, new laws brought in mean the police are getting very strict on weight limits so the new box is much lighter without compromising on comfort for the horses. It will look really smart in standard Feilden green plus the personalised number plate of FE12 DEN.

After the 'Essex Tiger' furore last week, we had our own mystical sighting. A large white creature had been seen lurking around the top of one of the fields all day on Thursday and it led many to ponder what it may be. A puma, a white hart or even a polar bear? Some long-lens photography and a zoom on the resulting picture revealed the animal in question was in fact a very-white domestic cat. Scary indeed!



Summer fading but juveniles warming up

The sharp nip in the air on Friday morning was a bit of a shock to the system and you always know summer has finished when Newmarket's July course hosts its final meeting of the season, as it did last Saturday.

Well, I say summer is over but it never really started. A week's worth of sunshine was about all we got so let's hope an 'Indian Summer' will develop so we don't have to get the thermals out just yet!

The horses haven't been in red-hot form either but with most runners having an excuse for their below-par runs, I'm not too worried about things at the moment.

For instance, Silver Alliance was a bit disappointing when finishing mid-division at Kempton on Wednesday but the race didn't pan out how we would of liked and I haven't seen a horse blow as little as he did after the race for a few years, which suggests he didn't try very hard, so, some big yellow blinkers may be adorning his visage the next time he graces a racecourse.

One horse who already wears headgear is Emma's Gift and she made a comeback after a six month break at Epsom on Monday. We thought she would need the run and so it proved. She loves the all weather so that's where she'll be seen to best effect later in the season.

On that same day at Epsom, the 'Men's Derby' was run with my son Ross riding. He could only finish fourth on a horse of Jame Eustace's but the winner was ridden by another of our amateurs, Phil Collington, so it wasn't a bad afternoon. This was actually Phil's second 'Derby' win - just five more needed to match Lester Piggott's record!

As Silver hadn't done an awful lot during the week, he was back out again on the gallops quickly and accompanied new boy No Such Number (left) in a gallop on the peat moss grass.

I've been really pleased with No Such Number since we bought him in July and he'll be making his debut for us in a fortnight's time, all being well. He isn't the flashiest of work horses and just does what is required but he feels like he has plenty of ability, albeit long distances will be required to let him shine.

Khajaaly (left) has been making good progress since his leg operation and his work is getting a bit more serious now. He too could be back at the races in the next fortnight and the plan with him will be to have another successful campaign during the winter at Wolverhampton, a track he seems to love.
He went along with Kampai who is entered at Brighton on Friday and might go there if the seaside track gets plenty of rain. She's in good nick and proved last time that her lofty handicap mark isn't beyond her.

We've only had a couple of two year olds run so far this season (and both of them have been placed) but there's still a handful of unraced ones I'm looking forward to running.
Honeymoon Express (farside) has had a few problems with the stalls at home but if we can get her sorted, she'll go to Kemton on Friday night. She will come on for the run but has done plenty of work at home and goes as well as the two fillies who have already run.
Didn't I Do Well (middle) was a bit of a lad before we got him gelded but now he is applying himself much better to his work and is coming on leaps and bounds. I can imagine he'll be running within the next month and is one to keep an eye on.

The third horse in the photo is Believe In Me. She has run three times so far, improving with each race and now qualifies for handicaps. She heads to Wolverhampton on Monday and, with only 7st 12lbs on her back, could do well.

Another two year old yet to run is Wiggo. I only bought him cheaply at the sales but he's looking like money well spent and is really developing into a powerful colt. He too should be running within the next month.

Finally, just to let you know that in three weeks time (on Sunday 23rd September), Newmarket will be hosting its first open day in 15 years. Most yards in Newmarket are opening their doors in the morning and then there is a fayre at the Rowley Mile racecourse in the afternoon. It should be a great day (weather permitting!) and I fully encourage anyone to make a visit.
Our yard will be open for visitors too and you are more than welcome to pop in between 9.30am -12 noon.