Festive feelings

Well that's Christmas over and done with for another 12 months. I don't want to sound like a Scrooge but the festive period really does put extra strain on us as the staff enjoy two days off with their families. Unfortunately the horses haven't learnt how to muck themselves out yet so it is up to us to do the dirty work plus riding out the horses who are running in the next few days. Once all the hard work was done, Christmas day was a lovely one with my brother's family hosting us for some turkey in the evening. I hope your celebrations were great too.


No rest for the wicked!

Hopefully all the hard work will be rewarded as we have some nice horses hitting the track this week.

Tomorrow at Lingfield we will have three runners, headlined by Avidly who will be making her debut for us after being bought from Juddmonte France in October. She has shown ability in her two previous runs and on the gallops in the mornings plus her maiden certainly looks winnable. She will improve mentally and physically for the run but I hope she can get her UK career off to a great start.

Attain is another with a great chance. He has been so unlucky not to win a race yet but his attitude is faultless and one day everything will pan right. He is taking his racing well and will be thereabouts at the business end.

Completing the trio is Veeraya. He came to us from William Haggas in the autumn and it has taken us a while to get to grips with him but he has really come good in the last couple of weeks. I have a feeling his handicap mark might be a bit too high and we will learn plenty about him from the race.

 

The horsebox will be next hitting the motorway on Wednesday when Bethan heads to Southwell. As always, the surface is a big unknown but she is by a sire (Nayef) who gets plenty of winners there and she strikes me as the type to handle the track's unique demands. She didn't stay the two mile distance last time so the drop in trip isn't a worry.

No Such Number (Ross), Bethan (Adam) & Shelia's Heart (Shelley)

 

We bought Luhaif in October and it became apparent that he would benefit from a castration as his testicles had matured to be larger than normal and it was restricting his movement in behind. Since the operation just over a week ago, the change in him has been unbelievable and he is already moving a lot better and seems happier. He has some very smart past form in the book so it is exciting to think that he could be our flag bearer for 2014. All being well, he should be running in three weeks time.

Luhaif (Graham)

 

Candesta is another we bought in the autumn and he hasn't put a foot wrong since joining us. He is a lovely laid-back colt and moves very nicely up the gallops. He only had one run in France and will probably need a long distance to be seen at his best.

Candesta (Emma)

 

Vastly lost his way when last seen in the summer but he was also suffering with an abscess on his back which must have hurt him when being ridden. It took a good couple of months to heal up and as he is such a stuffy horse, he is needing plenty of graft to get back into shape. When he first started cantering again, he sounded like an asthmatic 50-year old man but now he's fitter, his wind is a lot cleaner and will improve furthermore as the weeks go by.

Amelia George (Reno) & Vastly (Danny)

Wednesday sees the start of a new year and along with it comes the worrying thought that the winners tally goes back to zero. We have had a resurgent 2013 with an increase in the number of winners and horses. My highlight of the year came in August when I saddled a double - Honeymoon Express won at Yarmouth and just ten minutes later Automotive bolted up at Goodwood,
Hopefully this success can be built upon in the new year and we can really notch up the winners plus get noticed on the bigger stages. Of course, none of this is achievable without the support of all my fantastic owners and I'd like to give my heartfelt thanks to you all. Here's to a record-breaking 2014 and I hope it is lucky for you too!

Party people

There were a few sore heads about the yard this morning after last night we had our Christmas party for all the staff. A lot of owners had kindly given the team some cash presents and it was put to good use with some bhajis, kormas and the odd vindaloo!
It was nice for everyone to let their hair down and they deserve it after what has been a good year winners-wise with 19 wins - more than we achieved in the last two seasons.

 

As I said last week though, I am desperate to end the season on 20 winners and I thought we would do just that when Attain went to Kempton last Wednesday. He was desperately unlucky, getting boxed in at a crucial time of the race and it meant he got up to full speed far too late and the winning post came too soon as he finished second. The horse is in fantastic form at present so he'll be out again at Lingfield on December 30th. 

 

Also running on that day at Lingfield will be Avidly. We bought her in October from Juddmonte where she was trained in France. She showed promise in two maidens and has been really impressive at home. It would be nice to get her handicapped with one more run but I think she is capable of winning a maiden so we'll get her super fit before the day. She still shows signs of inexperience but she clearly has an engine and is an exciting prospect.

Avidly (Shelley)

 

Another heading to the races at the end of the month is Veeraya. He came to us from William Haggas' yard and he has done nothing wrong since joining us. He is a bit stiff in the mornings but we have a good routine in place to get him warmed up and his piece of work yesterday was his best yet. He's rated 85 which maybe a bit too high but his form is good so must have ability.

Veeraya (Adam)

No Such Number has been in great order since winning on his hurdles debut a few weeks ago. His confidence seems to have grown and he looks fantastic. He'll be running again on January 6th back at Southwell in a novice hurdle. It's nice to dream of running in big races and if he wins here, he can have a go at bigger prizes.
Sheila's Heart had most of the summer off at his owner's stud and has come back a lot bigger and stronger. He will likely need a long trip to be seen at his best but he has a great attitude and will be winning races.

No Such Number (Ross) & Shelia's Heart (Reno)

 

On first glance, Previous Acclaim's run at Lingfield on Saturday was a shade disappointing but jockey Shelley Birkett said she didn't quite stay the six furlong distance and has a lot of speed so we'll be dropping her down to five furlongs on Friday at Southwell. There won't be many runners in the race but she'll have to prove that she goes on the track's unique deep surface. You can't really tell if she will before the race so the only way to find out is by running.

 

Shares are selling fast in new purchase Meddling with just 30% of her available. She started cantering this week and really impresses me with her fluent action and she seems to enjoy the work too. She will be gradually increasing the speed of her work in the coming weeks and, all being well, should be hitting the track in five to six weeks.

Meddling (Ross)

Ticking up to 20

With just a few weeks of 2013 left, we will be all out to boost our tally of winners to 20 for the year and cap what has been a great 12 months for the yard. After a couple of quiet seasons, we are now back up to the level where we should be and it certainly makes the job a lot more enjoyable when the winners are flowing in.
Having started the season with 19 horses, the yard is now completely full with 26 boxes all containing happy faces. It bodes well for next season and hopefully we can continue to grow in the coming years.

The runners this week kick off at Kempton on Wednesday. Attain is still a maiden but has gone incredibly close to winning in the past. There is nothing wrong with his attitude, he is just pretty one paced so lacks an extra gear in the finish. He's in a 'hands and heels' apprentice race and as our apprentice Shelley Birkett has ridden too many winners to qualify to ride, we have booked Adam Maclean who impressed me when we used him before. Maybe he can finally get that win out of Attain.

Attain (Danny) & Luhaif (Ross)

Omega Omega is another who hasn't hit the winning line in first place yet but she too is a reliable filly who deserves to win. She is a big galloper so I'm hoping that a track like Southwell will suit her style on Wednesday. She is well handicapped and ready to win so should have a great chance if handling the track's unique fibresand surface.

Omega Omega (Adam) & Sheila's Heart (Reno)

Also on Wednesday, Bestfootforward heads to Kempton. She won on her first run for us at Brighton in the summer and hasn't had much luck since. She has been out-paced over shorter recently so we're stepping her up to a mile and if that works, she should go well as she is in great order. Win, lose or draw, it is likely to be her last run as her owner is a keen breeder and wants to get her in foal this winter. When we received her in the spring, our one goal was to win a race with her as she is very well bred so it is job done.

Bestfootforward (Shelley) & Avidly (Graham)

We went to Ascot Sales on Tuesday with Entrance and Lea Valley to sell. Both managed to find new homes with Lea heading to the breeding sheds and Entrance going to race in Germany. They were both good servants but had been a bit disappointing recently so a move was needed. I didn't come back with an empty horsebox though as I bought a little two-year old filly from Richard Hannon called Previous Acclaim. She has been placed at Goodwood and ran recently so the plan is to run her quickly. She'll be entered at Lingfield on Saturday and if I think she is ready, I hope she can provide me with a quick return on the investment!

As I said earlier, all 26 of our stables are full up but we also have another horse elsewhere. Duke of Diamonds was bought to replace old stalwart Sancho Panza in October and he is still at school learning how to be a racehorse. He is getting along fine but probably won't be ready for the move to us until January. He is a good-looking yearling who is bred to be a winner.

Duke of Diamonds with owners Jonathan, Carol & Richard

I must thank all of you who have dropped in gifts recently for myself and the staff. Any food that goes into the yard certainly doesn't get wasted and you'd think I work the crew too hard judging by the amount of chocolate they eat! Thank you also for the cash gifts which will be spent this Saturday as all of us are heading out into town for a curry and a Christmas party. There'll be a few sore heads on Sunday morning but as long as they turn up for work, I don't mind!

There have been some strong winds this week and with the threat of tiles blowing off the roof, assistant trainer Rolo was taking no chances with his homemade helmet!

Safety first: Rolo

Jumping for joy!

I've trained some big price winners during my career, the biggest being a filly called Welsh Touch who won at Redcar at 100/1, and we added another surprise winner to the records after No Such Number won at 50/1 at Southwell on Tuesday.
He was making his debut over hurdles but had been jumping well at home so we thought he would run respectably despite worries that the two mile trip might be a bit short for him. In the end, it turned out that the distance was spot on as he travelled smoothly and quickened well to win with a bit in hand. We will give him another low-key race next time to see how he fares before we aim him at some bigger prizes.
We don't have many jumpers (only two this winter) but it is nice to prove that I'm perfectly capable of winning over obstacles and it was great for Number's owners to be back in the winners' enclosure after a frustrating season. I never bet but his finishing odds just go to show that all our horses are at the races to try their best and you can never write off our chances.

Hopefully Number's win is a good omen for Hamble who makes his hurdling debut at Southwell on Sunday. If anything, Hamble has seemed more of a natural at home over the hurdles and is a lot quicker getting from A to B. The only question mark with him is the two mile distance as he runs over a mile on the flat so we will have to see if he can last the trip. If he does, I hope he has a great chance.
Hmable did a nice bit of work yesterday with Avidly on the polytrack. Avidly joined us in October from Juddmonte in France and I'm delighted with how she is coming along. If all goes to plan, she could be out before the end of the month. She'll have to run in a maiden but she might be good enough to win one anyway.

Hamble (Danny) & Avidly (Graham)

There have been plenty of new faces coming into the yard over the last month or so and we welcomed another this week after I bought a lovely looking filly called Meddling from Sir Michael Stoute. She has shown some smart form in her five career runs to date and looks likely to keep improving as she develops. Demand has been high for a syndicate horse so you'll have to be quick to get a share in her - ten percent shares are available for £500 with £180 a month training fees. Contact me for more info.

Meddling

Along with Avidly, in October we also added Luhaif and Candesta to the string.
Luhaif is a well-known name having been placed in group company as a juvenile and also raced in Dubai last winter. I think we got him for a great price and after a summer break he'll be ready for action on the all-weather. He's rated 95 so winning won't be easy but he has a lot of ability and his front-running style should suit a track like Lingfield.

Luhaif (Ross)

Candesta is very much a dark horse having only run once in France before joining us. He is a lovely big horse with a very kind nature and he has taken all his work well. He is quite a late maturer and will need a trip but he is coming along nicely and is one to look forward to.

Candesta (Leslie)

Another slow-burner is Sheila's Heart. We managed to get a run into him during the summer but he was very weak and needed time to grow. He spent a good few months at owner Peter Foster's yard and he has returned a much stronger horse. He seems to have grown tall as well as wide and is very enthusiastic in his work. It is still early days yet but he looks nice and could even jump a hurdle in time (if the owner lets me!).

Sheila's Heart (Reno)

It is still well over four months before they can run but the yearlings are already going very professionally up the gallops.
The two fillies we bought as yearlings have been ridden for a couple of months now and are looking nice sorts, with Celestine Abbey catching the eye in particular whilst her friend Mercy Me is a live wire and keeps Graham on his toes!

Amelia George (Reno), Celestine Abbey (Shelley) & Mercy Me (Graham)

Captain Navarre came back from school a bit later than the two fillies so is going a bit steadier but his attitude is faultless and he even leads the lead horse! He is quite big so has some growing to do but the early signs are pleasing.


Captain Navarre (Danny)

There was a great turn-out of owners on Saturday morning and it is always pleasing to see everyone taking pleasure from seeing their horses strutting their stuff. Remember you are free to drop in any time so don't hesitate to come in!

 

Jump to it!

I'm in Spain this weekend for a quick getaway with my husband John to celebrate fellow trainer Gay Kelleway's 50th birthday. The party is a masquerade ball but knowing Gay it won't be uneventful! I'm back to the yard on Monday so Ross has been left in charge to hold the fort at home for a few days.
Attain has been busy in recent weeks but he is taking his racing very well and is set to run again on Saturday. He seems to like the deep surface at Wolverhampton but everything needs to go perfectly for him to get his head in front. He is kept happy at home by going out in the field with his friends for a chill out and I'm sure he'll put in another good show.
Bethan has only had four runs in her career and was unlucky to not finish closer last time. She is taking a step up in trip to two miles on Wednesday and, although I can't say for sure that she will stay, her gallops at home and her pedigree suggest she wants a trip so we will find out for sure. She is a nice big filly who is going well at home.

Bethan (Reno) & Attain (Danny)

Veeraya has been with us a few weeks now since coming from across town in William Haggas' yard. We were delighted to take him and his owner Mr Ahamed Ferook into the yard. He has quite a high rating at the minute but some of his early work suggests he is of above average ability. He will be stepping up his work next week and will be hitting the track in a fortnight or so time.

Veeraya (Shelley)

Candesta and Avidly were another pair of new recruits to come to us last month and they are both doing great with some faster work now on the agenda. They are two different types of horse - Candesta is a big, laid back colt who will probably need a trip whilst Avidly is a buzzy filly who may be running over a mile. They are going the right way and I'm looking forward to seeing them race.

Candesta (Leslie) & Avidly (Graham)

We don't always have hurdlers in the yard but with the few we have had in the past, we have been quite successful with.
This winter we will have two to go over the jumps and first of those to run is No Such Number on Tuesday at Southwell. He has been running consistently on the flat but doesn't like the all-weather so I thought giving him a try over hurdles would be worth a try. He has been very tidy at home but the concern is that the two miles distance might be a bit short for him as he usually runs over that trip on the flat. However, the experience will do him could and he can improve upon it.
The other hurdler is Hamble. He has lost his way on the flat so we though jumping would perk him up. His schooling at home has been brilliant and he seems to love it. If he stays the distance, he could do well at the game when trying it in a few weeks' time.


No Such Number (Ross) & Hamble (Trevor Whelan)

Heading Home

Chilly clipping

There's certainly a chill in the air now and I have been busy in the yard clipping horses as they have grown longer coats with the drop in temperature recently. Obviously the horses grow longer coats to keep warm but it is no good for the horses in training as it means they sweat more at exercise and then could get scabby skin underneath the thick coat so that's why we clip them. We make sure they are wrapped up in plenty of rugs afterwards to keep toasty with their new haircut.

It was a frustrating week with not much luck going our way. Attain didn't have the race run how he likes it at Wolverhampton on Friday whilst the flip start for Bestfootforward at Lingfield on Saturday was a farce after the starting stalls were vandalised overnight. She was slowly away and could never get involved.

Hopefully the new week will bring a bit more luck as we have a couple of runners.
Tiger's Home has been due a holiday but she keeps on running really well so it keeps getting postponed. However, whatever the result on Tuesday at Wolverhampton, she'll be given a break. She doesn't have a great draw but is in fine form so can hopefully end on a high.

Bestfootforward will be making a quick reappearance on Wednesday as she didn't have much of a race at the weekend so she is still fresh and well. She needs a few to come out to get into the race but I hope she does as it certainly looks winnable...providing there are stalls this time!

Unfortunately Believe In Me is now retired after her below par run on Wednesday at Kempton. She has always gone well at home but never really shown it on the track. She is a lovely looking filly who will make someone a lovely pony. If you are interested in having her, or know someone who can provide a good home, please get in touch.

We bought a trio of new horses at the sales last month and they're all coming along great. Avidly ran in France pretty recently so she was quite fit when she arrived. We gave her her first piece of work on Saturday and although it was only a gentle workout, she showed plenty of promise. She has only run twice in her career and is still a bit green but all the early signs are pleasing.

No Such Number (Shelley), Avidly (Ross) & Bethan (Adam)

Tolly McGuinness is also lightly raced having only graced the track once. He is a lovely little horse who is a favourite of many in the yard because he is so kind and gentle. He's needed time to strengthen but he is going strongly now and won't be far off a run. He is no world beater but I certainly hope he can win a race.

Tolly McGuinness (Danny) & Omega Omega (Reno)

Suffering seconditis

After such a great season with plenty of different horses surprising us and winning, it's no surprise that luck has turned on us a bit. That's not to say things have gone dramatically down hill, far from it, but we are currently suffering with a bit of 'seconditis'.
First it was Handheld being mugged at Newmarket a few weeks ago and now it is Tiger's Home and Attain who both found one too good at Wolverhampton recently. I suppose finishing second is better than finishing last so the horses must still be in great order but it is a bit frustrating to keep hitting the woodwork!

Hopefully we can get win number 19 on the board this week with a few good chances.
First up is Hamble on Wednesday at Lingfield. After winning at Newmarket in the summer, he has struggled a bit since but remains in good order and is not too exposed on the all-weather so there could be more to come. The trip and track should suit him so hopefully he can grind it out from the front.

Believe In Me has a couple of entries and will run on Wednesday too providing she isn't balloted out but if she is, she'll head to Kempton on Thursday. She had a few problems over the summer so didn't run but made a promising comeback over too far last time. She's improved a lot for the run and the drop to one mile will be ideal. She may just surprise us if things go right.

As already mentioned, Attain was mugged at Wolverhampton last week but it was good to know he can handle the track's deep surface so we're heading back to the course with him again this Friday. He's still a maiden after 18 runs but there's nothing wrong with his attitude and he'll win one very shortly.

Bestfootforward keeps getting balloted out of races and it's very frustrating as she is ready to win again. She's in at Lingfield on Saturday and will go close if getting a run.

No Such Number is going hurdling at the start of next month and he had another session over the sticks on Friday. He was a lot more professional this time and got nice and low at the jumps. He'll have another refresher just before he runs and hopefully he can do well at the game.

No Such Number (Trevor Whelan)

We had a visit from two old friends today as Richard Perham came to see us aboard Spirit of Sharjah. After Spirit of Sharjah retired from racing in August, Richard agreed to have him as a pony and the pair seem very happy with each other in their new life. Richard used to ride Spirit when he was racing so it's good that he knows him and I think Richard enjoys the distraction of riding him after a hectic day working as a jockey coach at the British Racing School. I'm pleased to report neither of them have put on too much weight since leaving the yard!

Richard Perham & Spirit of Sharjah

 

Last weekend our apprentice jockey Shelley Birkett rode in Abu Dhabi in an international apprentice riders' race and she did well to finish sixth despite the horse not being the fittest. She didn't come back with much of a tan but had plenty of fun and is freshened up for the winter action. Unfortunately she didn't bring any rich Arab owners back to the yard though!

Shelley in 4th place with a circuit to go at Abu Dhabi

 

Sights on the sand

Just like last week, we started with some intended runners but the weather scuppered our plans and the intended meeting was abandoned. This time it was Redcar where we where meant to trek up to on Monday but a waterlogged track put paid to that. Luckily the meeting was called off the day before so no-one made any wasted journeys.

Talking of wasted journeys, I must praise the much-maligned ARC. This is the company which owns the majority of the tracks we race on, including Bath where we went to last month, only for the meeting to be abandoned due to a flooded jockeys' changing room. It was a long and expensive journey for us to make and at the time ARC said they would compensate connections for their journeys. We're used to hearing this guff before but ARC fulfilled the promise and this week I received a cheque which covered the diesel and staff expenses for the day. It was a shame not to run Tiger's Home as she was in top form but this helps to soothe any hard feelings.

The turf season is now officially over so there are no worries of any flat meetings being rained off as we switch to the all-weather for the winter and we're making the most of it this week.
First up tomorrow is Omega Omega at Kempton. She has taken a long time to fill into her big frame but she is getting there now and her third place at Yarmouth last time was a career best. She will probably struggle to beat the hot favourite but the rest look beatable so I hope she can land a place.

On Tuesday we head up to Wolverhampton. I haven't had any runners there since the surface was replaced a few months ago as the jockeys said it wasn't very good ground but now it has settled down, I'm happy to return. We have two runners and both have great chances. Tiger's Home finally got her head in front last time and has been flying at home since so I hope she can continue her recent improvement.
Bethan will be accompanying her and making her handicap debut. She has shown promise in a trio of maidens and has been given a nice handicap. The step up in trip will suit her so she should fare better now providing she still isn't too inexperienced.

Tiger's Home (Shelley)

Bethan (Graham) & Hamble (Danny)

The horsebox won't be given much time to cool down as on Wednesday we're off to Lingfield with another two. Hamble has been running consistently on the turf and is in need of this step up to a mile. He hasn't been tried much on the all-weather before so that will be a bit of an unknown but he is jumping out of his skin at home.
Bestfootforward will be keeping him company and she too is in great order. The trip and track should be ideal for her and I'd love to win another race with her.

I'd also love to win a race with Attain who has proven very frustrating with many good runs but no wins. He has been pretty consistent recently and is in a bad race so fingers crossed it may be his day at last.

Entrance is also an elusive character to win with nowadays but she consented to put her head in front at Lingfield in the summer. She hasn't done a lot on turf since but I hope the return to her favoured track on Saturday will mean she puts in a good effort.
On the contrary, an unexposed horse who will be travelling with her down to Surrey is Believe In Me. A series of small problems have kept her off the track for most of the year but her comeback run was full of promise as she travelled well before getting very tired. She's a lot fitter now and the drop in trip will be a big bonus.

Tolly McGuinness (Bruce) & Entrance (Norm)

We don't have many jumpers in the yard nowadays but it's always nice when an ideal type comes along as we have had a few National Hunt winners in the past. No Such Number has always struck me as a candidate to go over the obstacles and he has had a few schooling sessions now and looked a natural. Up and coming jockey Trevor Whelan has been down to have a sit on him and was impressed with him. He'll still need a few more practice runs to fine tune his jumping but he'll be out soon and should be doing himself proud.

No Such Number (Trevor)

We have been without our apprentice jockey Shelley Birkett over the weekend as she has been out in Abu Dhabi. I'm sure she got plenty of sun bathing in but that wasn't the reason why she was out there as she had been chosen to ride in an international apprentice riders' race at the city's racetrack. We managed to find a dodgy internet feed of the race so saw it all. She finished in sixth after a bit of a troubled passage with a faller in the race early on. The race was won by a South African jockey who was riding for the same trainer for whom Shelley was riding for. She's back tomorrow evening and the experience will have done her some good.

Changing seasons & new faces

I'm pleased to report that the yard is back to full strength and there isn't a space to let in our 26-box yard (although there's always room for a good horse!). I was very busy at the Tattersalls horses in training sale last week and managed to come away with three purchases. More on them later.

Yarmouth closed it's doors for 2013 on Tuesday and we had a raiding party of four there, all of whom ran well despite not winning. A third place each from The Ducking Stool and Omega Omega was very respectable whilst Silver Alliance told us he needs a holiday with a bit of a flat run. There was plenty of promise from Believe In Me as she travelled well but just got tired in her first run for a few months. I think she should be able to win on the all-weather this winter.

We are now entering the final week of the British flat racing season which is a depressing thought but it has flown by and hopefully we can end it with a bang as we target 20 winners for the year.
Redcar is our only opportunity to do it this week and the course is holding an inspection tomorrow to see if they can race on Tuesday due to flooding. I'm praying it passes the test as Attain needs the ground virtually waterlogged. He's in a weak seller and hopefully this is finally his day to get his head in front otherwise I might just leave him on the beach!
Bestfootforward will also be making the journey up north and she too doesn't mind soft going, having won on it at Brighton last month. Her race certainly looks winnable and she is in top order so hopefully can double her tally for the season.
We don't go to Redcar much but it has been a very lucky track for me - I rode my first winner as an amateur jockey there and I've also trained a 100/1 winner at the course. Let's home the luck continues!

Bestfootforward (Ross)

Hamble (Graham) & Attain (Shelley)

Bethan has had three runs now and got a handicap rating of 60 which I think is very fair on what she has shown so far. She'll need a trip to be seen at her best but there are loads of opportunities for her on the all-weather and her sire (Nayef) has a lot of winners at Southwell so the options are open for her.
Tolly McGuinness is a little star in the yard. He isn't very big and is still a colt but he is a very kind horse. He went a bit flat after his debut run in the summer but we've given him plenty of time and he is much better now and can hopefully earn some money on the sand this winter.

Bethan (Norm)

Tolly McGuinness (Bruce)

As you can see from the two photos above, we have a couple of new members to the team for the next few weeks. We annually take in some South Korean riders who are here to improve their riding and the pair we have this year are great. Norm and Bruce both ride very well and have very friendly attitudes so they fit right into yard life.

As I mentioned, we bought a trio of horses at the sales last week and here they are.
Avidly was trained by Pascal Bary in France for Juddmonte and finished second on her racecourse debut earlier this year at Chantilly. She then finished mid-division in her next start and looks an ideal type to be winning on the all-weather this winter. She is by successful sire Beat Hollow and from a good family so it all bodes well. She may be up for syndication but I am awaiting on one offer for her so I will keep you all informed.

Avidly (Ross)

We've bought lots of winners from Juddmonte down the years so I thought I'd get another and at 4,000gns, I think I've got a bargain. Candesta has only run once and you can see why - he is a big, rangy colt who has obviously needed time to grow. Even though he is still a full horse he has an incredibly kind temperament and is a pleasure to deal with. He is only in light work at the minute but could be anything.

Candesta (Graham)

The third member added to the squad is a more familiar name in Luhaif. He was an extremely talented two year old and finished third in a Group 3 at Glorious Goodwood behind Olympic Glory. He probably hasn't trained on but still shows smart form, as when filling the runner-up spot in a listed race at Lingfield earlier in the season. He looks an ideal type to target these valuable races they are promoting on the all-weather this winter so hopefully he can get our name onto the big stage.

Luhaif

We did actually receive a fourth new horse too, although he was placed with us, rather than bought. Veeraya was formally trained by William Haggas who felt he would benefit from a change of scenery and luckily he suggested to the owner that we have him. He has shown some good form and is rated quite highly. He has only been doing steady canters as he works his way back to full fitness but could be another to win some pounds on the all-weather.

Veeraya (Shelley)

Wind, rain and winners?

We've battened down the hatches in preparation for the strong winds tonight as gusts of up to 90mph have been forecast to hit us and we just have to hope not too much damage is found in the morning. We might be waking up in Cambridge as our log cabin house isn't too sturdy!

The winds will also have an effect on the runners this week too as Leicester are holding an inspection at 7.30am tomorrow to see if racing can take place. We have Hamble going there, just a few days after he ran at Yarmouth last week. He came out of that race well and opportunities are running out for him on the turf now so we have to get him out quickly and make the most of the soft ground. He probably wants a mile but the finish is a stiff one so hopefully that will negate the seven furlong trip.

We'll be mob handed at our favourite track of Yarmouth on Tuesday as the course hosts its final meeting of 2013. Remarkably, I'm in the top three of leading trainers at the track this year with 8 winners - we have had a lot of luck by the seaside.
One course regular with five victories at the course is The Ducking Stool and she'll be heading there for one last hurrah. She keeps on improving and probably ran a career best when second last time. She is high in the handicap now but never lets us down so must have a chance.

The Ducking Stool (Reno)

Completing the quartet of runners at Yarmouth on Tuesday are Believe In Me, Omega Omega and Silver Alliance. Silver has had a great year with three wins and ran a blinder to finish third at Nottingham last time. He's high in the handicap but still in great form so could land a place.

Omega Omega has been a bit disappointing but has shown ability on the gallops. She's running out of chances now so needs to put up a good show.

Believe In Me keeps finding ways to avoid running and as a result has only been seen once this year. She is fine now and needs to show us what she has got.

Believe In Me (Shelley), Omega Omega (Adam) & Silver Alliance (Ross)

 

Our apprentice Shelley Birkett has had a season to remember with 22 winners in her debut year and Friday at Newbury was another memorable occasion as she was crowned champion of the 'hands and heels' apprentice riders' series. Richard Hughes did the honours of presenting her trophy and she also received a mechanical horse to practice her riding on. The day got better for her as she won the final race on the card by a whopping eight lengths!

Two Champions: Shelley & Hughsie

 

It's a busy time of year in the yard as not only do we have the older horses still on the go but also the babies are starting to come into the yard. We currently have five yearlings, three of which are still at school being taught the basics. However, the two fillies who we have had since they were foals are now back with us and I'm very happy with them.

Mercy Me is a strong filly who looks like she could be decent whilst her mate Celestine Abbey will probably need a bit more time to grow but has a really nice attitude and is by a successful sire in Authorized. They will just be hacking and trotting to strengthen up and there is no rush with them as they cannot run until they are two year olds next April.

Mercy Me

Celestine Abbey

 

Despite the astronomical prices seen at Tattersalls yearling sales over the past few weeks, I managed to pick up a few bargains and, amazingly, they all have owners!

The one who I think will be a real racy two year old is a filly by Zebedee owned by Dick Creese. Zebedee himself was a top class juvenile and she is from a precocious family so is certainly bred to be speedy. 

Dick Creese meets his Zebedee filly

 

Owner Carol Bushnell was looking for a replacement for her old star Sancho Panza who was retired in the summer. She got just that and couldn't have picked a better replacement! The colt by Duke of Marmalade is a dead-ringer for Sancho and even has his grey-specked coat. He will likely get better with age but the sire is an exciting young one and he is related to some very good horses.

Duke of Marmalade colt

 

I'm going to be flat out this week because we have runners everyday and the horses in training sale at Tattersalls is on all week. I'm hoping to buy a couple and we usually find a decent handicapper here.

 

Exopuntia heads to Nottingham on Wednesday and we're hoping the step up to 1m2f will bring about some improvement. She is well handicapped but hasn't been getting competitive over one mile.

One with plenty of speed is Bestfootforward and she goes to Lingfield the following day. She was a bit outclassed last time but drops in grade now and the seven furlongs at Lingfield should suit her perfectly so hopefully we can get another win out of her.

Finally, on Friday we're closer to home as Handheld heads to Newmarket. He won with a bit in hand last time and is thriving so could get us a rare HQ winner.