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.
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