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)

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