Happy in defeat

Most of the time I'd be a bit annoyed about a string of defeats but we have gone so close with our runners over the past fortnight or so that I'm just happy all the horses are in such great health. Over the past two weeks we have had eight runners, with four of them finishing 2nd and two others finishing fourth. Frustrating, but when you see the odds of those seconds (14/1, 14/1, 9/4, 8/1), it shows that they are running above or to market expectations. After a good start to the year we were due a run of seconds but hopefully it doesn't go on too long!

We have just the two runners this week to try and go one better.
Limerick Lord was meant to run over hurdles last time but the ground has just been too soft for him to have a go over two miles. I'm not sure he'd stay that far on fast ground, never mind slow, so we are giving him another run on the flat. He heads to Brighton on Tuesday and it is a typically competitive handicap for the track. He ran OK in quite a hot race last time and I think soft ground over a mile could be ideal for him as he has won at Southwell over that trip before.

Limerick Lord (Mark)

We will have plenty of time to get jobs done in the yard then as the horsebox isn't in action again until Friday when Duke Of Diamonds heads to Doncaster. He came alive last time with an easy win at Nottingham and I hope the 9lb rise by the handicapper isn't enough to stop him. He is dropping down in distance but the softer ground should make up for this. He is improving all the time and hopefully hasn't stopped yet.

Duke Of Diamonds (Caitlin)

The Requinto gelding I bought from the Breeze-Up sales is now all but sold with just a couple of shares left in him. He has been named Pitch High and will be set to make his debut at Sandown in a couple of weeks. He is a lovely laid-back horse who has done all his homework very well. I can't wait to run him.

Pitch High

The owners' golf day was a big hit last year with the sun playing ball as well. Readers of the newsletter (which can be seen by CLICKING HERE) will have seen that we are organising it again for this year with the date pencilled in as Thursday 18th August. Venue and timings will be confirmed closer to the day depending on numbers but you must register your interest with Ross by emailing rbirkett1989@hotmail.co.uk as soon as possible.

Last year's winning golf team

THREE TO FOLLOW LEADERBOARD

Annette Hall	46
Jonathan Kinge	42
David Haddrell	39
Barbara Walton	37
Maureen Case	34
Anthea Telford	34
Pauline Kennedy	32
Jean Allen	30
Chris Shirran	30
Gay Chalklin	30
Dudley Lever	30

So near yet so far for Valley

It was a quiet week with just two runners but we went a lot closer than we thought we would to winning with Valley Lodge on Saturday night. The trip up to Haydock was a long one but we thought it'd be worth it as the ground was soft and that's just what the horse needs. He started as the 14/1 outsider of the lot but we knew he would out-run those odds on this going and he did just that, only losing out by a head in a photo finish. It was a shame to get beaten as the race also carried the 'Plus 10' £10,000 bonus if he had won but it was a step in the right direction for the horse and gave owner Dick Creese plenty to look forward to.

Valley Lodge just misses out at Haydock

The coming week will be a much busier one, despite our two jumpers not going to Southwell on Monday due to the soft ground.
So starting on Tuesday we will be heading up the A1 to Beverley. Spirit Of Sarwan improved to win on just his second career start at Brighton last time and he has come out of that win full of beans. He is stepping up to seven furlongs but that looks ideal for him and I really hope he can win another race before we start thinking about some better races.
Accompanying him will be Star Of The Stage. He won last time out but there haven't been any races for him since and he had a little back issue, hence the time off. He is now fighting fit and could run well, even though I think he is a better horse on the all-weather.

Spirit Of Sarwan (Adam) & Star Of The Stage (Sarah)

Dakota City has had some time off to freshen up after a successful winter campaign but he is fully fit again now and goes up the road to Newmarket on Thursday. He has shown very little on the turf so far but he gallops well on it at home and I hope that now he is a bit more mature, he can start to translate his all-weather form to the green stuff.
Meanwhile, Handheld will be going to Nottingham that day. He loves soft ground and it is just that there at the moment so I wouldn't be surprised if he bounces back to form. He has good form in apprentice riders' races so that shouldn't be a worry.

Sabre Rock (Mark) & Dakota City (Chelsea)

As Harry Bosch looked likely to miss his hurdles run on Monday, I had a back-up plan of Yarmouth on Friday so that's where he goes now. He was a bit too keen in the blinkers last time so I may leave them off and hope he can finally get back into some form as he is very well handicapped now.

Harry Bosch (Tess) & Limerick Lord (Ross)

Rounding off the week, Sabre Rock will be our first runner at Newcastle's new all-weather track. He hasn't shone in a few turf runs since returning from injury and I hope it is just a case that he is better on the all-weather. He still seems to have plenty of ability at home but he needs to be showing us some racetrack form soon.
I'll also enter Valley Lodge at Lingfield that day as the soft ground is key to him and he needs to make the most of it before the weather improves. I'll see how he recovers from this weekend's exertions before making any solid plans.

Our two-year olds are already doing great on the racecourse but we also have some lovely unraced ones at home. The Requinto gelding I bought at the Guineas Breeze-Up is absolutely flying and I cannot wait to get him started over seven furlongs soon. He is still unnamed and there are a couple of shares left in him so as soon as he is ready, he will be racing...don't miss out!
Mungo Madness has really improved recently and won't be far off running either. He has a great attitude towards his work now and I know it will give his owner/breeder Emma Raffan lots of pleasure to see him in action.

Requinto gelding (Adam), Serendib's Glory (Chloe) & Mungo Madness (Liam)

Moment To Dream (Chelsea)

The Ducking Stool (Sarah)

Little Orchid (Chloe)

We've had a hell of a lot of rain recently but it has also been very localised. On Thursday night, we had 16mm of rain at the stud and got pretty flooded whilst just a stone's throw away, the July Course only had 8mm of rain and raced on good to soft ground the following day! Our mares are teaching their foals all about the weather and managed to herd them into the field shelter to keep dry.

Emma's Gift babysitting

THREE TO FOLLOW LEADERBOARD

Annette Hall	45
Jonathan Kinge	41
David Haddrell	37
Barbara Walton	36
Maureen Case	34
Anthea Telford	34
Pauline Kennedy	31
Jean Allen	29
Chris Shirran	29
Gay Chalklin	29

May May go away!

The saying "never cast a clout until May be out" is usually used as a warning against getting your hopes up about the weather before the month of May is over but it seems to apply to our yard as our usual May drought ended in the best way possible with two winners this week.
Spirit Of Sarwan had shown on his Newmarket debut that he has plenty of ability and he improved a whole chunk more from that experience to get up late at Brighton on Monday. It was a relief to have a two-year old winner as it has been a while since our last one but that is mainly because we hadn't really had many over the past few years. This season is the first time we have made a concerted effort to buy some nice and precocious juveniles and I'm glad it's starting to pay off.
The second winner of the week required a bit more patience from his owners as Duke Of Diamonds finally lost his maiden tag at the age of four. It was only his sixth career run and his owners, Carol Bushnell and Jonathan Kinge, had bought him knowing he would need time to mature and I'm delighted that their belief in the horse and my team paid off. Duke has really thrived this year and I think there is more to come.

Patience rewarded: Carol & Jonathan collected their prize at Nottingham

As well as the two winners, both Silver Alliance and The Ducking Stool bounced back to form with a second and a third this week so I can only be happy about the well-being of the string.
Having said that, we don't have many runners this week as there just weren't the right races for them.
I'm delighted to report that after a three-month battle with the BHA, our apprentice Liam Doran has been granted an apprentice licence. At the age of 25, the BHA thought he was too old but, after compiling substantial evidence to prove he was capable, they eventually caved in (probably helped by the fact they've had enough bad press recently due to their own inadequacies) and Liam will be making his debut for us on Friday night at Newmarket aboard Attain. The poor horse has had no luck recently, being caught in the wrong position in his last three races. He remains in good order and goes on most types of going.

Attain (Liam)

Forecasters are predicting it to be a wet Royal Ascot next week with soft ground an important factor. Sadly we won't be represented at the big meeting but the ease in the going could provide Valley Lodge with a great opportunity at Lingfield on Saturday. He was disappointing last time but is much better than that and soft ground will be right up his street. Hopefully the mud is flying and he can too.

The rest of the two-year old squad continue to improve fast and I'm delighted with the way the Requinto gelding I bought from the Breeze-Ups is coming along. I'd love to run him but he still needs to be paid for and named so don't miss this opportunity to get involved in an exciting juvenile for £1550 per 10% share. Email me on juliafeilden@aol.com for more details.
Also improving fast is Mungo Madness. A few years back his mother, Emma's Gift, finished fifth this week at Royal Ascot in the Albany Stakes and, although he isn't as early as she was, he certainly is catching up fast and should be hitting the racetrack in a few weeks' time.
Tallulah's Quest is a lovely, big filly who has grown some more over the past couple of weeks and has gone a bit weak as a result so I may back off her for a week or two just to let her body catch up. I do love her though and she will be worth the wait.

Tallulah's Quest, My Name Is Jeff,  Requinto gelding & Mungo Madness

Both Dakota City and Sabre Rock are all-weather specialists and run over the same trip with nearly the same ratings so it's no wonder they are likely to go head to head at Newcastle in a couple of weeks. Both seem in good form and fit for the task.

Sabre Rock (Mark) & Dakota City (Tess)

Little Orchid probably suffered the most out of the whole yard when the pollen count was high last month but she is now feeling a lot better and going really well. She is a tough and genuine filly who will pay her way.

Little Orchid (Sam)

After much deliberation between syndicate members, Limerick Lord has got the go-ahead to run over hurdles in a fortnight's time. We schooled him a while ago just to perk him up and he was a natural and, with no races on the all-weather at Southwell for him to run in, a change of tack will do no harm. He jumped brilliantly again this week and, if he stays the two mile trip, I think he could do very well in this sphere.

Limerick Lord (Ross)

After years of no hurdle runners, we'll probably have two in the same race as Harry Bosch is likely to go jumping the same day as well. His owners are mad keen National Hunt fans and, with Harry showing little interest on the flat, a go over the jumps could wake him up. He jumps well at home too and could prove useful if staying the distance.

'Flying' Harry Bosch (Graham)

THREE TO FOLLOW LEADER BOARD

Annette Hall	45
Jonathan Kinge	41
David Haddrell	37
Barbara Walton	35
Maureen Case	33
Anthea Telford	33
Pauline Kennedy	31
Jean Allen	29
Dudley Lever	28
Chris Shirran	28
Gay Chalklin	28

Limerick dogs it!

We did something a bit out of the ordinary this week as Limerick Lord headed to Towcester - not to run over hurdles but to race a greyhound in an epic duel.
The encounter was over a distance of three furlongs and was arranged by bookmakers William Hill to promote both the Epsom Derby and the greyhound Derby which took place this weekend. Handily at the track, both the dog and horse winning lines are in the same place, meaning the finish is easy to judge. I thought it would be a tight call but, in the end, the greyhound came home an easy winner by eight 'dog lengths'. However, as per usual, our rider Adam was full of excuses after and said the greyhound had a decent head start as there was a communication error which meant the horse stalls were opened late. Add to that the fact we had to race on very soft ground, I'd be happy to have a rematch in fairer conditions! Jokes aside, it was a good morning out and I was happy to be part of something unusual like this - I even think Limercick had fun too! A video of the day can be seen by CLICKING HERE.

Horse & hound ahead of their duel

The greyhound scores a controversial victory!

Back to the proper racing and we have another busy week in store.
Kicking off at Brighton on Monday is Spirit Of Sarwan. He made a very encouraging debut at Newmarket last month and has come out of the run in great form. I think that effort entitles him to go close this time, providing he handles the course's unique undulations.

Spirit Of Sarwan (Adam) leads the string

Wednesday sees the return of Great Yarmouth after its recent ground issues and we'll be there with Harry Bosch. He was ready to run a big race last time but got taken on for the lead and went far too fast, so it is best to ignore that run. He is on a mark he can win off and this is his time of year so I hope he can start to get competitive again.

Harry Bosch (Tess)

Thursday looks set to be a busy one with runners all over the country.
Close to home, we have Serendib's Glory at Yarmouth. She shows lots of ability at home but hasn't matched it on the track. I'm inclined to think her breathing is holding her back so I'll put a tongue strap on to help her out and see if it can get her into top gear.
At Nottingham, Duke Of Diamonds looks to hold a great chance, providing the ground isn't too firm. The form of his Catterick run is working out very well and he has improved again since then. Also there will be Attain who has been unlucky the last twice after being in the wrong place during his races. He takes all his work well and is still in good form.

Duke Of Diamonds (Mark) & The Ducking Stool (Sarah)

Also on Thursday we have Silver Alliance at Newbury. He hasn't been putting in much effort since coming back this year so he'll wear a pair of blinkers in the hope that they can wake him up. We've won this race five times in the past before so hopefully some of that luck can rub off on the old boy.

Handheld runs at York on Saturday but you won't see him in your newspapers as he is taking part in a charity race. I was asked a month ago by a friend if I had a horse suitable for a young lady to ride and Andy was the perfect candidate. His rider Siobhan has raised over £10,000 and has come in to have a sit on Andy for the past few weeks. It's all for a good cause and for once the result doesn't matter so hopefully the pair have plenty of fun and come back safe and sound.

Handheld (Siobhan) & Attain (Ross)

Finally, on Sunday, The Ducking Stool heads to Doncaster. She missed a few weeks' work with a skin infection and needed her run last time so now she should be a lot fitter. She seems best in late summer nowadays and I'd be happy if she can just show a bit more spark.

My Name is Jeff, Our Cilla & Tallulah's Quest gallop on the grass

THREE TO FOLLOW LEADERBOARD

Annette Hall	45
David Haddrell	37
Barbara Walton	34
Jonathan Kinge	30
Pauline Kennedy	30
Dudley Lever	28
Chris Shirran	27
Gay Chalklin	27
Maureen Case	27
Anthea Telford	27