Double delight in a week of mixed emotions

The strange thing about horse racing, and life in general, is that you wake up each morning and you do not have a clue what the day is going to bring. Lady luck could shine on you or misfortune could hang over you like a cloud.
Monday was one of those days. My Norfolk Terrier Oscar had been a part of the furniture here at Harraton Stud for all of his 13 years. He had reached a ripe old age yet still seemed in fine health and hadn't suffered any of the usual ailments veterans of his breed usual do. He had got a bit slow on his legs though and unfortunately he got in the way of a car when the staff were leaving last Monday. I took him to the vets straight away and scans revealed he had broken his leg but also that he had a big tumour in his abdomen. The vet was amazed that Oscar hadn't been ill at all but, probably due to the shock, he passed away on the vet's table. Considering I had bought Roy the rat catcher as Oscar's replacement and Roy is almost two years old, he didn't do too badly!

Oscar grafting as usual

Like the horses, the dogs are part of the family so, naturally, I was a bit down in the dumps. However, just a couple of hours later, Sue from Northmore Stud rang me to say Emma's Gift had just had her foal, three weeks overdue! It seemed very appropriate and it didn't take too much imagination to name the foal Oscar!

Emma's Gift and her colt foal 'Oscar'

Whilst checking out the new arrival, I popped in to see how Bavarica was getting on with her filly. Both have blossomed since the birth three weeks ago and will be back with us soon.

Bavarica and her Cityscape filly

On the track there was plenty to cheer me up too as Southwell on Wednesday saw us have a magnificent double.
Dark Diamond started odds-on favourite for a claimer and duly won like one...by a whopping 22 lengths! Unsurprisingly, others were impressed and he was bought after the race. It was a shame to lose him as he was a lovely, kind character but the money for him was good and we had got the best out of him with two wins this winter.
Completing the double was Star Of The Stage. He has taken a while to come to the boil but Adam gave him a lovely ride to fend off his rivals. Owner George Bhatti has had to be patient but I'm glad he could be there to cheer on his winner.

Dark Diamond & Star Of The Stage victorious at Southwell

The double made it eight winners for the year so far - the best start to a year we've ever made. It would be fantastic to keep the momentum going although spring time is usually a bit quieter for us.
Wednesday will be a busy one with four runners at two different meetings.
Over at Southwell, Kemsing will be trying to make his brilliant winter even better by adding a fourth win to his CV. He is up in grade now and needs to prove himself but he has come out of his short break in rude health and I hope he can continue his progression back at his favourite course.

Kemsing (Ross) & Go  On Gal (Chloe)

One horse I'm sure everyone will be glad to see back in action is The Ducking Stool. She too goes to Southwell on Wednesday but her record at the track isn't very good and she usually needs a run or two to get back race-fit so it is likely that she will improve for the run.

Attain (Mark) & The Ducking Stool (Nick)

Over at Southwell, we have Serendib's Glory bidding to lose her maiden tag. She ran well last time and drops into 0-60 grade for the first time so I think she should be thereabouts with Milly Naseb claiming a useful 7lbs.

Serendib's Glory (Tess)

Accompanying her will be Little Orchid. She was weak last year and has needed time to strengthen up. This will be her third run to qualify for handicaps but I think the distance will suit her and I hope she can run respectably.

Duke Of Diamonds (Caitlin) & Little Orchid (Sam)

Sunday sees the return of out highest rated horse, Sabre Rock, at Doncaster. He has had well over a year off through injury but has come back stronger than before and I can't wait to get him back, providing the ground isn't too soft. He isn't fully wound up as it was more important to keep him sound than fully fit first time but I hope he can show us he still has that spark which saw him win all his five races for us last winter.

Handheld (Liam) & Sabre Rock (Shelley)

I know many of you enjoy reading the blog and it is a great way to keep everyone updated on all the week's events. However, Ross has started to put together a monthly newsletter which will give you a good look behind the scenes of life here at Harraton Stud. It should be in all owners' inboxes on Tuesday but, with over 1200 email addresses in my contacts, he may have missed some of you so, if you don't receive one, let him know on rbirkett1989@hotmail.co.uk
The newsletter is available to anyone, so if you're not an owner but would like a copy, let him know.



THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE

The plaudits this week go to Annette Hall who was also cheering on Wednesday as both her selections won and she now moves into the lead.

Annette Hall	21
Paul Matthews	16
Pauline Kennedy	12
Jonathan Kinge	12
Dudley Lever	12
Jean Allen	12
Sam Feilden	11
Ivan Gibbs	11
Barbara Walton	11
David Haddrell	11
John Chalkin	10
Michael Buckley	7
Jane Shirran	6
Dee Clarke	6
George Hall	6
Nick Feilden	3
Mason Brown	3
Clare Peacock	3
Gordon Hill	3
Kelly O'Boyle	3
Finley Lawson	3
Dave Morris	2
Linda Wright	2
Dave Barnett	2
Dominic Lisle	2
Trevor Fuller	2
Margaret Buckley	2

PLUS 38 on 1 point

PLUS 25 on 0 points

Raring to go!

With the Cheltenham Festival out of the way, it's not long now until the turf season kicks off again and I can't wait. As I've said before, this is the first time we have had two designated winter and summer squads so it is a great feeling to know we are heading into a new campaign with fresh (and hopefully well-handicapped) horses. The all-weather team did themselves proud by notching plenty of winners and giving us a healthy strike-rate, let's hope the turf team can keep up the good work.

Before that though, there are still a few weeks to wait until Doncaster opens the season on April 2nd. After a quiet fortnight or so with only a trickle of runners, we will be busy at Southwell on Wednesday with four horses entered.
Dark Diamond kicks things off and I hope the step up to 1m6f can show him up well as he looked like he needed further last time. He is in off a low weight and it just depends if there is something better than him on the day.
Limerick Lord bounced right back to form with a second place at the course last week and I've put him in again over the the same course and distance this time. He has come out of the run well and I don't see why he shouldn't fare well again.

Handheld (Liam) & Dark Diamond (Nick)

Another coming back into form is Star Of The Stage who showed he likes Southwell's unique surface with a placing there last time. On that run, one mile should be perfect for him and I hope he can back up that solid debut.
Completing the quartet is Candesta. He is least likely to run however as he had an abscess on his cheek pop this week and it has been a bit sore, even though he has been doing all his exercise with plenty of enthusiasm. We will have to wait and see how he fares before declaring.

Sunday could see the return of yard favourite Silver Alliance as he kicks off another campaign at Kempton. You can always rely on him to win a race and he has managed to get his head in front six times since we bought him. He usually hits peak form in the summer so I expect him to need the run.
Also there will be Veeraya. He is becoming well handicapped now and showed that to be true with a close third at Wolverhampton last time. He usually needs a long break between his races so that is a concern but he has been fresh and well at home since that run last week.

Silver Alliance (Tess) & Vastly (Mark)

I couldn't be happier with how stable star Sabre Rock's return to full fitness has been going and he got through another gallop in style this weekend. All being well, I think we could see him out again at Doncaster on April 3rd. He is an unbeaten 5 from 5 for us but I still think he is very unexposed as all his wins were at Lingfield - a track I don't think even suits him!
It is likely that The Ducking Stool will be accompanying him to Doncaster for her comeback too as there is another race for her there.

The Ducking Stool (Ross) & Sabre Rock (Mark)

Duke Of Diamonds (Caitlin) & Little Orchid (Sam)

Go On Gal has taken all her work well and looks set to return to action very soon. She has a great attitude and that counts for a lot in racehorses as, when the going gets tough, you need a horse who is willing to stick their neck out, dig deep and win races.
Kemsing has been freshened up after a busy and successful spell. He seems to be a much better horse at Southwell than anywhere else so I'll save him for a race there at the end of the month.

Kemsing (Ross) & Go On Gal (Chloe)

Secret Ballerina remains on course to be our first two-year old runner of the year at Windsor on April 18th. She is getting sharper with every gallop she does and I hope she can give her syndicate of owners plenty of fun this year.

Secret Ballerina (Adam) & Harry Bosch (Mark)

My Name Is Jeff (Ross) & Star Of The Stage (Caitlin)

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE

Michael Buckley	6
Jane Shirran	5
Dee Clarke	5
George Hall	5
Paul Matthews	5
Nick Feilden	3
Mason Brown	3
Clare Peacock	3
Pauline Kennedy	2
Jonathan Kinge	2
Dave Morris	2
Linda Wright	2
Dave Barnett	2
Dudley Lever	2

PLUS 36 others on 1 point

PLUS 39 others on 0 points

Festival Fever

The build-up seems to have gone on forever but The Cheltenham Festival is finally here. Although we deal with flat horses 99% of the time, I still love to watch the jumps racing and will be glued to the TV when time allows. You can't beat the atmosphere at Prestbury Park during the coming four days and every racegoer is there as they love racing and not just for the drinking or some pop band playing after racing. I do hate it when a horse gets injured jumping though so I can only wish all involved next week the best of luck and hope all horses and riders come home safe and sound.

Sadly I won't be able to watch the tapes fly up for the opening race at the Festival as we have a busy day with two runners at two different meetings.
Limerick Lord has been a bit disappointing since winning late last year but he drops into claiming company this time at Southwell and I hope he can find a bit of form again at a track he has won at before.

Limerick Lord (Ross)

Veeraya is another who is hard to predict but he too could go well at Wolverhampton the same day. He has dropped down to a good handicap mark now and the seven furlong trip looks well within his compass.

Veeraya at the beach

Most of the horses who have had a winter break had their first proper stretch of the legs this week and I'm happy to report that they all came out of their first gallops in great health.
Moment To Dream went very nicely, so much so that I gave her a preliminary entry at Lingfield on Friday. I doubt she will run but there weren't many entries and it could be a good starting point if looking like a weak contest.

Duke Of Diamonds (Caitlin) & Moment To Dream (Sam)

Sabre Rock continues to steamroll through his comeback and he stepped it up another notch this week when striding out alongside Handheld over seven furlongs. Due to his history of leg trouble, we are in no rush to get Sabre back but he still seems to have all his old ability, if not more. Mark, who rides him everyday, does a great job to keep him safe and hopefully his hard work can be rewarded when Sabre returns to the track.
Handheld is another with lots of ability and I hope to have him ready for the Lincoln meeting at Doncaster next month. He loves soft ground so early season would be his time to strike, you would think.

Sabre Rock (Mark) & Handheld (Liam)

The Ducking Stool looks as good as ever too and she could make her seasonal reappearance in a couple of weeks. It will be on the all-weather, a surface she has shown little form on, but she usually needs a couple of runs to get back race-sharp so it will be a good starting point.

Dark Diamond (Ross) & The Ducking Stool (Nick)

Silver Alliance (Chloe)

Big Bang (Chloe) & Architech (Liam)

Go On Gal and Little Orchid were both a little weak last year as two-year olds but seem to have strengthened up over the winter and have been doing their work very lively. Orchid needs one more maiden run to get handicapped but Go On Gal is good to go now and I'll try to find an ideal race for her as she should be winning off her current handicap mark.

Go On Gal (Adam) & Little Orchid (Caitlin)

THREE TO FOLLOW POINTS UPDATE

Nick Feilden	3
Mason Brown	3
Clare Peacock	3
Pauline Kennedy	2
Jonathan Kinge	2
Dave Morris	2
Linda Wright	2
Dave Barnett	2
Dudley Lever	2

PLUS 37 others on 1 point

PLUS 43 others on 0 points

Cheers to all the mothers!

Happy mother's day to every hard-working mum out there and enjoy the only day of the year where you can feel appreciated! We housed three expectant mothers on the stud over the winter and, with only Bavarica giving birth to her filly a fortnight ago, we are still waiting for two new arrivals. Emma's Gift was due a week ago but the foal seems reluctant to come into the world and, after the weather this week, I don't blame him/her! The third mare we have is Dick Creese's Bushy Dell who isn't due until May after taking three covers to get pregnant last spring.

There's no twiddling of the thumbs waiting around in the yard though as we have plenty to keep us busy with the horses in training.
We just had a couple of runners last week and I thought Serendib's Glory ran a great race to be beaten only two and a half lengths at Lingfield on Friday but she still finished last! It was a very tight finish between the whole field and the handicapper will be proud of that as it means he has actually done his job well for once.
Candesta ran well too earlier in the week to finish third and he is entered again on Wednesday at Kempton but will only run if the race divides as he prefers smaller field sizes. I have given young apprentice Milly Naseb a couple of rides recently after her boss Stuart Williams recommended her. She gave Candesta a great ride last time and rode perfectly to orders so it is only right that she keeps the ride and claims a handy seven pound allowance. It is useful to have a good apprentice at our services whilst our claimer Liam waits for the BHA to grant his licence.

Candesta (Shelley)

Entered the following day is Star Of The Stage at Southwell. It will be a first try at the track for him but I get the impression he should act there and he is now coming down to a handicap mark which he should be competitive off.

Star Of The Stage (Adam) & Veeraya (Sam)

As you can see from the photos taken on Saturday morning, spring has officially begun but no-one has told the weather! The Ducking Stool doesn't usually come into form until the sun is on her back but she has been more forward than usual this year. I have her entered at Chelmsford on Thursday but it is a very speculative entry and she will only run if there are few runners. She usually needs a couple of runs to get fully fit so it is a starting point.
Dakota City will round off the week at Wolverhampton on Saturday and I hope he can continue his improvement this winter. It is good to dream so if he is successful here we will seriously think about having a run in the marathon race on Good Friday at the all-weather Championships. He has done nothing but improve all winter and, now that we have figured out how to ride him, there could be more to come over longer distances.

Dakota City (Mark) & The Ducking Stool (Ross)

The two-year olds are stepping up their workload all the time and the one who stands out way above the others at the minute as an early-season type is Secret Ballerina. She is leaving the others in her wake and I'll be keen to get her going as soon as the juvenile races commence next month. There is still 20% available for syndication in her at a very low price and if you want to join a great bunch of people who could have an exciting filly on their hands, drop me an email at juliafeilden@aol.com for more info.

Mungo Madness (Liam) & Secret Ballerina (Ross)

Sunset Bounty (Caitlin) & Our Cilla (Chloe)

As I've said before, we have a healthy-sized and good-looking squad for the upcoming turf season and they are building up to making a return to the track. Duke Of Diamonds is a very lightly-raced four-year old and he has done very well physically over the winter. He is still immature mentally but there seems to be ability in him and he should appreciate the soft ground in the Spring.
Dark Diamond is a horse for all seasons and I gave him a few weeks off just to freshen up after some quick races. He is in good order again now and I'll send him to Southwell in a few weeks' time as that's where he won before.

Duke Of Diamonds (Caitlin) & Dark Diamond (Tess)

Others getting ready for the turf include old boys Silver Alliance and Handheld who seem as enthusiastic as ever and can be relied upon to supply us with a winner or two throughout the year. Another lightly-raced type is Moment To Dream and she too has filled her frame really well over the winter.

Silver Alliance (Nick), Moment To Dream (Chloe) & Handheld (Liam)

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE

We may only be a week into the competition but some people have made a quick start after Candesta's placing during the week.

Current standings: 

Nick Feilden	3
Mason Brown	3
Clare Peacock	3
David Smyth	1
Pauline Kennedy	1
Dominic Lisle	1
Liz Moore	1
Dave Morris	1
Shelley Birkett	1
Sam Feilden	1
Trevor Fuller	1
Linda Wright	1
Dave Barnett	1
Martyn Clark	1
Jonathan Kinge	1

PLUS 79 others on zero points