The door finally opens again for Entrance!

They say good things come to those who wait and the proverb was proved correct on Friday evening after Entrance finally got her head in front again, the first time she has won since her 40/1 success back in 2011.

I had been riding her in most of her work and was happy with her well-being but it's hard to be too confident about a horse who seems to find winning hard. Hopefully this win will do her confidence some good and we won't have to wait two years for the next victory!


Entrance and Shelley win at Lingfield


With the horses seemingly in good nick at the minute, it's onwards and upwards with a winner in the next seven days being the objective.
No Such Number gets the ball rolling at Brighton on Monday and the conditions seem to have turned in his favour. He has to have very firm ground and the recent dry spell will have come just in time for him. The only worry is that it will be his first taste of Brighton's unique undulations but most of my horses seem to handle them and he is a well-balanced horse so I can't see it posing too big a threat. There aren't many runners in the race and if he gets a good ride, I could see him winning.


No Such Number (Ross) & Handheld (Alfie)

As the ground on the grass gallops was a bit firm, we had to use the all-weather on Saturday morning to give some of this week's runners a good blow-out.

Our pair of grey boys, Silver Alliance and Vastly, both go to Yarmouth on Wednesday with great chances.

Vastly bounced back to form last time on the all-weather but I'm keen to exploit his lower turf handicap rating and the race he is in looks so bad, he shouldn't need to be at his best to win it.

He matched strides with Silver who has been revitalised recently by the application of cheek pieces. He has won at the track and seems in rude health so we are hopeful of a good show.

Vastly (Julia) & Silver Alliance (Shelley)

Automotive saved himself from heading to the sales last time by finishing second but he'll have to prove it was no fluke at Newbury on Thursday. He is unexposed on the turf and seems to enjoy running in amateur races where they go a good pace for him to settle into. He works at home like a horse rated in the 80s - let's hope he can start running like one.

Last time out winner Sancho Panza accompanied him and he has come out of his success absolutely fine with no sign of leg issues which kept him off the track for so long. He needs some cut in the ground so won't be out again until the heavens open.

Automotive (Ross) & Sancho Panza (Reno) 



We still haven't seen the best from Chilli Green yet and I'm confident that she can win a good race somewhere down the line. She is quite tricky at home, being a head-strong sprinter, but her rider Billy gets on well with her and she seems to settle well for him. She is falling down the ratings at present and I hope she can start climbing back up them again soon.

Chilli Green (Billy)



Despite it being June already, we still have some horses yet to hit the racetrack and a couple of them were put through their paces at the weekend.

We have a chestnut filly in the yard by Firebreak who was called Honey Boo Boo (after an American TV programme) but she can't be called that now because it infringes copyright laws, so the owner has got to put his thinking cap on again. Anyway, she is coming along very nicely and did a really good piece of work under jockey Jimmy Quinn. She will probably need a trip as she is an out and out galloper but the way she sticks her neck out and tries really impresses me.

She was partnered by Exopuntia and Sheila's Heart. Exo had a long winter break but is well into the old routine now and will be out again when we have some rain as she does like juice in the ground.

Sheila's Heart is improving every week and I can see him hitting the racetrack within the next month.

Firebreak filly (Jimmy), Exopuntia (Alfie) & Sheila's Heart (Annalie)

After last week's Mushroom of the Week Award, I can this time bring you the Fashion Disaster of the Week Award. Our Swedish jockey Annalie gets plenty of stick from the other lads in the yard over her 'European' fashion sense but her crowning glory had to be the floral trousers she wore on Saturday....they certainly did stand out.

The eccentric style seems to be catching on though as another member of staff (who shall remain anonymous for the time being) has been seen sporting some very red breeches during morning lots. I feel another award is on the way!

Feeling Floral

 

If you still haven't seen them, I definitely advise you to come and have a look at our foals who arrived back to us last weekend. As you would expect, they are proving very popular on the tours which my husband John does and the pair of them are starting to show their true characters. Bavarica's colt is becoming a right cheeky bugger and likes to strut his stuff in front of a big crowd. Hopefully he will enjoy showing his ability when eventually hitting the track!

Playboy - Bavarica's foal