Stone keeps rolling...

We were lucky enough to get on the score sheet last week but the gods didn't look so favourably upon us this time around as we went narrowly close to adding another to the tally.

Exopuntia isn't the most reliable but in the last few days leading up to her run she had really started to come into herself and headed off to Kempton for a first try at the track on Thursday night. With James Doyle aboard, she ran an absolute blinder to finish second after hitting the front with a furlong to race and just being headed on the line. Hopefully this good effort can be backed-up next time.

It's onwards and upwards though in the next seven days as we have just two runners but I'm quite confident about the chances of both.

Entrance (below right) has only won once in her whole career to date but has gone agonisingly close to doubling her CV on several occasions. Most of those near-misses have come under my daughter Shelley and she'll be aboard her at Beverley on Tuesday, if the forecast rain stays away. I have fancied Entrance on her last few runs as she is so well handicapped now but things haven't panned out right but hopefully Shelley can get her on another going day and maintain her 100% strike-rate at the track (1 from 1!). 

The mare was having her final blow-out in the company of Silver Alliance (below) and jockey Jimmy Quinn had a sit on him ahead of the team pairing up at Wolverhampton next Saturday night. Silver too has becoming slightly frustrating, sometimes not looking like he's giving his all, but Jimmy has won on him at the course and he is galloping really well so, with a bit of luck, should go close.

Making up the trio was No Such Number. He won last time on his debut for us and has had a couple of easy weeks since then. There's a nice race for him at Salisbury in a fortnight's time and I hope we can get Richard Hughes to ride him once more. He's back in full work now and should be spot-on for his next assignment.

Last week Jimmy rode Wiggo (below far side) in his first proper gallop and the two-year old seems to have come on a lot for that. He worked alongside Didn't I Do Well who has come on leaps and bounds for his run at Kempton two weeks ago. Before that race he didn't move very well but has since turned into a good galloper who seems more fluid in his action. I don't know what the reason for this is but it can't be a bad thing.

Believe In Me (below) had quite a bad viral infection after her last run but after a week off and some antibiotics, she is back to full health. She just did a swinging canter on her own but looks ready to step up her work again.

Another one who is getting back into the swing of things is stable star Spirit of Sharjah (below). We gave him the summer off after his campaign in Dubai and it's probably just as well because he wouldn't have liked the soft ground we've had for most of the summer here. He's just started cantering again and it would be nice to get a win into him here on the all-weather before hopefully another spell in sunnier climes.

Spirit went out with some of last week's runners including Emma's Gift (below grey). If you had told me before her run at Yarmouth on Wednesday that we'd beat group 1 winner Timepiece in the race, I would have been delighted and we did just that despite finishing down the field. Admittedly, the favourite wasn't at her best but Emma is getting back to form and should be nicely treated for another successful all-weather campaign.

Attain (right) ran on Wednesday too at Kempton. He was trying blinkers and 1m4f for the first time and whilst the former worked, he just didn't stay the distance and will be worth following when running over a bit shorter.

Automotive hasn't been mentioned on a blog for a while but he is slowly upping his work after an injury lay-off and has just started cantering again. He is a bit of a 'character' but has shown glimmers of his ability and I hope he can stay sound because he definitely has a race in him.


This morning we held a stable open day as part of Newmarket Open Day and I was surprised by the great turn-out. Ross and Shelley had put on a good spread of food, inspired by The Great British Bake Off and I think visitors liked seeing the horses in the field enjoying themselves. Luckily, the rain stayed away until the afternoon but it caused a bit of havoc with our team in the stable staff go-karting competition; two of the four had big crashes. I won't be letting them near my new horsebox anytime soon!