Climate change

Well I'd love to say it's good to be back, but to come home to all this white stuff was quite depressing. It is good though to be back in the swing of things as it was getting quite tedious lying in the sun all day! I would of been welcomed back with a visit straight from the airport to Kempton to see Sail Home run, but it was abandoned to I was welcomed back to ride out three lots the next morning instead!

Luckily now though all the snow has disappeared, but it has left alot of puddles everywhere and if it freezes we will have alot of trouble getting the horses out as the road outside the yard will be an ice rink. It was a lovely day yesterday though and we managed to get over to the Cambridge Road polytrack to get some proper work into the animals.

Pictured below is Automotive (nearest) and stable star Spirit of Sharjah, the latter was supposed to be engaged last Sunday but that too was abandoned so we will have to wait a couple more weeks again before his sort of race pops up. 'Mo' will also be out in the near future although as to what his sort of race is still eludes us.

Vastly (middle) was having his first piece of work and was towed along by Silver Alliance (nearest) and followed up by The Ducking Stool. He has taken quite a while to get ready and judging by his wind at the top of the canter a few more bits of work are in order, but he is an exciting sort who could be anything at this stage. 'Silver' runs on Friday, he has been unlucky not to of got his head infront lately as he is always there abouts. he loves this time of year and is a course and distance winner, another good run is expected.

A few snowy pics from the week...



Khajaaly being led through the yard




Horses on the deserted heath




Alfie still manages a smile in the blistering cold!

Exopuntia gave everyone a few exciting moments at Kempton on Wednesday, she was still infront with half a furlong to go but her run just petered out and was caught in the dying strides. It is nice though to be shouting one home and showed that they are still running well. Khajaaly, however, on Friday didn't give us the same buzz. He has taken a disliking to Lingfield before and he showed again that Wolverhampton is probably where he wants to be, although he may of needed the run after a short break.

Along with Silver next week will be Sail Home and Lea Valley both tomorrow. Sail runs at Wolverhampton, she was 2nd in the race last year and although it is alot more competitive this time around she has been in good form. Lea on the other hand has taken a bit more time to come to herself, but the track at Kempton last time was far too deep so we couldn't analyse whether the longer trip suited. Also on Friday with Silver is Faraway Land but at Lingfield. She has taken a while to get right but we think we have found the perfect race for her if she can navigate the bends ok as she is a huge animal and takes a while to get going.

All snow, no play

I don't know what all the fuss is about with all the 'bad weather' talk, it's lovely here in Dubai! Although, it is a different story back home, almost all jump fixtures of late have been off, although this doesn't effect us too much as we don't have any jumpers, but all-weather meetings have also fallen foul to the weather, which kind of contradicts the whole idea of 'all-weather'! Today John was supposed to be at Kempton with Spirit of Sharjah but that was called off and Lingfield and Wolverhampton have also been off of late. The snow also means that it is hard to keep them going at home, it's not so much the gallops that are bad, it is the road right outside the yard that gets dangerous and we cannot risk the horses going down there especially with cars to contend with too. It will of been pretty boring for everyone at home but the runners have been kept going and I'm sure a few of the horses wouldn't of minded a few easy days.

Here's a few pics John has sent through from the yard, sends a shiver down my spine just looking at them!



Attain being led in from the horse walker





Entrance checking out the camera out in the field



Handheld also having a nose!



Bonnie cute as ever!

So I will be back on the continent tomorrow, just in time (fingers crossed it will be on) to travel to Kempton to see Sail Home run. She will of really benefited from having a few weeks inbetween runs, she won the race last year and has been really consistent again this time around, she would hopefully be in with a shout. Our only other runner of the week will probably be Khajaaly on Friday, he also likes time between his runs and after a close up 3rd last time he wouldn't be far away again.

Our only runner this week was Lea Valley at Kempton, she again finished down the field, but was trying a longer trip for the first time and I don't think the surface would of suited her as they harrow it very deep in this kind of weather so it would of been harder for her to pick up on.

Warm where I am!

Another January means another holiday in Dubai! I love it out here as it's just like a mini Newmarket, now all the horses for the racing carnival have come over all the folk from back home are here too. I'm lucky that I don't have to worry about hotels and stuff as I'm just staying with my son Ross, who presents for Dubai Racing Channel, he spends 6 months out there every year and manages to miss all the horrid weather! Unfortunately we will not be having our own horse out here this year as the racing is just so competitive and Spirit of Sharjah who went last year will probably have a more fruitful winter in the native land.

However it's all guns blazing back at home and I can still keep an eye on things with the help of my husband John who is running the show. Prolific all-weather performer Sail Home will be running the day I get back so it will be a quick dash from the airport over to Kempton, she has been really consistent of late and I just hope she can be rewarded and get her head infront soon. Working with her was Automotive, he has been a real head-scratcher for us and we are still trying to figure out why he doesn't deliver on the track.

Stable favourite Silver Alliance is also in cracking form, he had a slight setback which ruled him out of running last week, as you can see he is back in the swing of things and won't be long until he is out again. He was followed up by the returning Al Reefa, after a few years out he is back in training and now bigger and more powerful than ever. Another brute to follow up was Vastly, he has taken a while to get ready as he is a real horse with a huge stance, he has been impressing at home and will not be long off a run.

Two yearling/ two-year-olds we have got on the go are Opus Too, a colt by Lawman and Bushy Glade, a filly by Bushranger. The filly is really well put together and nippy, we hope to run her as soon as we can she she seems quite early. The colt however is much larger and will be worth waiting a bit longer for. It's early days yet but something to look forward to.

Opus Too



Bushy Glade

Just the two runners this week and although they finished out of the placings they still ran creditably. Faraway Land was having her third run, she has taken a long time to get right and I am just glad she got round in one piece! She wants a trip and plugged on into 5th. Where as Handheld, also running that day, did not see the trip out. He is bred to want further but with a slow early gallop he just didn't have the pace at the end.


At least someones still smiling!

SOS saves our skins!

We got the first winner of the year in unusual circumstances at Kempton on Wednesday, superstar yard-stick Spirit of Sharjah came home infront beating only one other finisher. Three jumped off but sadly the Margarson horse was fatally injured and did not finish, luckily our boy was infront and so did not suffer any interference and came home quite easily at the end. Although it was marred by the loss of the horse it was nice to finally get a winner as we have been hitting the cross bar alot. It wasn't a bad day all round really as Sail Home came in 3rd over at Lingfield and the other two at Kempton Automotive and Lea Valley were 3rd and 4th in the same race.


It has been a hectic week as I have been trying to get everything done before I jet away to Dubai for two weeks to visit my son Ross who works as a presenter for Dubai Racing Channel. I don't mind working all year round but there is a time every year when I just have to get away and relax for a while, luckily we have a good team at home and they can keep the show running smoothly while I am away. I won't be taking my phone with me as I want some piece and quiet! Instead you can ring my husband John on 07969590394.

We also had some unlucky losers this week in The Ducking Stool and Handheld. On Friday Ducky made her re-appearance after some time off to finish a close up 5th only being beaten a length by the winner after being boxed in turning for home. Then Andy ran at Lingfield on Saturday and got beaten a nose for 3rd! He runs again on Friday over a longer trip as we think he will settle and there shouldn't be as many that are faster than him at the finish as that is what has been catching him out. Joining him that day at Lingfield will be the long awaited return of Faraway Land. She is a real character in the yard, probably because she has been a nightmare to get to the races as she is riddled with problems, I can't believe we have even got to the stage of entering her and she is still in one piece! But there is a reason we have been persistent with her, she goes extremely well at home and if she can deliver that at the races then she is a banker.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year, to be honest I am glad it is all over as we can all go back to normality and I can train my horses again!

(sorry no pictures this week, computer is on the blink again!)