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.

Hoping for success - musically and horsey

After last week's post being all about the new horsebox, it was sod's law that it would only get one trip out in the following seven days.
We sent two runners off to Nottingham on Wednesday and both ran with credit. The race was run under the Fegentri banner - for those who don't know, this is a worldwide amateur jockey series where riders from all over the globe race in each other's country. I was lucky enough to represent GB myself back in the riding days and, as a result, like to support the races when they come to our shores.
The jockey allocation is done by random ballot and the standard of riding can vary as jockeys from countries such as France and Germany get a lot more opportunities than those from USA, for instance.
Some of the guesswork was taken out of things though as my son Ross got to ride Silver Alliance and I know how he rides but The Ducking Stool was given an Italian jock.
When his bio describes him as a 41 year old salesman who has only ridden 11 winners, we were sweating about how well he could ride but luckily enough he was pretty competent and manged to finish fourth after a slowish start. Silver looked like winning with two furlongs to race but the 1m2f distance on soft ground caught him out and he finished just behind Ducky in 6th. There's an ideal race for him over 1m1f next week and I think that should be right up his street.

Hopefully the horsebox will be out a bit more on the road this week as the weather shouldn't affect plans too much with most of our contenders running on the all-weather.
At Kempton on Thursday we could be busy with possibly three runners in the same race. It's unlikely they'll all run but the problem is I'm finding it very hard to get my two-year olds into maiden races as they are so over-subscribed at the minute. As a result, they've got to run in a claimer but at least in this grade they have a chance.
Believe In Me (below left) has recovered from her flu very well and should be spot on for the run. She can be a bit quirky and needs to make the running so hopefully the draw will be kind to us and she can get an inside stall.
Didn't I Do Well (right) ran well to finish third on his debut and he should have a great chance having come on a lot for the run.

I was planning to let Wiggo (below left) make his debut at Ascot this weekend but he didn't quite come to hand in time so we had to scrap the plan. His bit of work on Saturday though was great and he too is in the claimer at Kempton. He will be running off a low weight and can hopefully emulate his namesake by leading the peloton home!
Sheila's Heart (right) only did his first bit of work last week so is learning all the time and he too went well. He is quite big for a two year old so we will probably give him a couple of educational runs this season as he should get better with age.

Saturday also marked the return to serious work for Generous Genella (below left). This was only her first gallop but she went phenomenally well and has got our hopes up that she can win a race off her current low rating. The only problem is that she has disappointed us on the racetrack before so we may run her in a hood, hoping that it is the race day noise that effects her performance and the headgear may just see her use the ability we know she's got.
No Such Number (nearside) has had to miss a few engagements recently due to the soft ground but the forecast looks promising for him to run at York on Friday. It's a valuable race and we think he still has a few pounds in hand with the handicapper so hopefully the rain stays away.
Sandwiched between these two was Attain who I rode. He went well in blinkers last time and will run in them again

One horse who I don't mind the ground being soft for is Kampai. She heads to Brighton on Tuesday with ideal conditions and this was the same track where she almost caused a 66/1 shock earlier in the year so hopefully she can go one better than that day.
Khajaaly will be partnering her down there. I'm not too sure about the ground for him but he is well treated on the turf and it's definitely worth taking a chance. He goes best at Wolverhampton during the winter so anything he does can certainly be improved upon in the coming months.

On a completely different note, our Saturday nights have been injected with some interest after Union J made it through to the X Factor live finals. One of the members (Jamie Hamblett, below left) is familiar to us as we used to live next door to him when his father and I both worked at the British Racing School. This was a long time ago though - some of the kids we trained at the time included Paul Hanagan and Royston Ffrench!