Looking for the silver lining

You have to keep looking on the bright side of things quite a lot in this game and it was another frustrating week.
Honeymoon Express usually runs her best race first time out each season and she got the fast ground she loves at Doncaster on Friday so everything was in place for a good run. Unfortunately she got very upset in the stalls and got out the front of the gate. She ran loose down the track and was eventually caught with no serious damage done. She lives to fight another day but she needs to have a stalls test now before she can run again so it is annoying for her schedule has to be put back a few weeks.

On the loose: Honeymoon Express

Moving on to hopefully better things, we have a few good chances this week.
Starting on Tuesday, Meddling has been a bit under par in her last two runs but she seems a lot happier now and her homework has been really impressive. She hasn't run at Wolverhampton in a while so the change of scenery may do her good and I hope she can get in the money.

Meddling (Ross)

Accompanying her to Dunstall Park will be Bushy Glade. She ran a corker at the track to just be edged out last time and she has done really well since then. She doesn't like to be crowded so if things go her way you'd hope another good effort is on the cards.

Vastly (Ryan) & Bushy Glade (Meg)

On Wednesday, the enigmatic Avidly goes to Lingfield. She is a hard one to predict and ran no sort of race last time. However, she did do a really nice gallop on Saturday so it may mean that she is in a good frame of mind at the moment. Whether that will be the case when she runs is anybody's guess!

Avidly (Ryan)

Now we have had our first two-year old runner in Go On Gal, we have a better level to gauge the rest of our babies by. It's A Sheila Thing would have probably been our first runner had she not just picked up a cough last month but she is over that now and did her first gallop at the weekend. She isn't really bred to be too precocious but she does everything really easily and takes it all in her stride.

It's A Sheila Thing (Adam) & Inauguration (Ross)

Harry Bosch (Sarah)

Dakota City has come out of his trip to Redcar absolutely fine but his next race isn't for a few weeks so I'll just keep him ticking over without too much work until closer to the time.

Dakota City (Mark)

Duke Of Diamonds (Megan)

I love watching the London Marathon on TV even though I don't think my body could handle actually doing it! However, one of our owners has remarkably done all 35 London Marathons and has raised a hell of a lot of money in the process. He blasted round the course yet again this morning in an impressive five hours. Well done Charles 'Len' Cousens!

Grey week

It certainly was a week to forget after we lost the popular Tight Lipped at Southwell on Tuesday. He suffered a bad fracture during the race and I just can't believe that it happened, as he never had any problems with his legs but it just goes to show that these freak accidents can happen to anybody. He was a great character and pretty cheeky but this is what made us love him, along with his striking grey coat. He was in terrific form prior to the race and he was even bucking and squealing when we gave him a shampoo bath before he left. It has broken my heart to lose him and Tolly McGuiness within a month of each other and, after going 14 years with a training licence and having no racecourse fatalities up to this point, I can't quite believe it. Hopefully this is our bad luck out of the way for a good long time.

Sadly missed: Tight Lipped

The thing about racing is that you can't sulk around for too long as there is a yard full of horses who need your full attention the very next morning.
Undoubtedly the most popular horse in the yard is The Ducking Stool and she is set to make her seasonal reappearance this week at Weatherby on Sunday. It is the first flat that the track has ever had and I think it will suit her down to the ground as she enjoys galloping, left-handed tracks like her beloved Yarmouth. She is really well and, despite being a bit high in the weights, I hope she can do herself proud.

The Ducking Stool (Sarah)

Candesta (Nick) & Automotive (Ross)

Making the trip up north as well on Sunday will be Automotive. He too hasn't run this year but I don't think I've ever had him fitter at this stage of the season. He is pretty hard to predict but Shellley has built up a good rapport with him recently and they could surprise a few people. He too should love the track and I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes.

Over the last couple of weeks we have been using GPS watches on our horses just to monitor their gallops. It is still in the experimental stage at the minute and you need months and months worth of data to use it properly but it did show us that the application of blinkers on Honeymoon Express certainly woke her up on Saturday morning. She has just been a bit flat in her recent runs and I think the headgear should wake her up a bit. She goes to Doncaster on Friday and it looks a race she could be competitive in, providing the ground is firm. She may need to drop some more in the handicap but we'll find these things out then.

Honeymoon Express (Adam)

Bethan became a bit frustrating last year and, despite a barrow load of placings, she couldn't  get her head in front. Having said that, she never really got the soft ground she loves but she has returned from her winter break a much stronger and mature mare and I think 2015 could be her year. She is pretty low in the weights so it would be good if she could take advantage of this over staying distances.

Bethan (Mark) & Bushy Glade (Ryan)

Veeraya and Dakota City have come back from their trip to Redcar absolutely fine and the firm ground might have just been against them. I'll keep my head buried in the programme book to find their next target but Dakota City might just try a handicap next time if he drops to an attractive mark.

Veeraya (Megan)

As most of you know, we like to let the horses have some play time at the weekend as they tear around the fields and get back to being horses. I certainly think it helps some of the older horses come back year after year as their regimes are channelled towards giving them the most enjoyable experience possible. Horses like Silver Alliance and The Ducking Stool have been with us for years now but their enthusiasm for the game is unwavering.

Automotive & Silver Alliance have a wild time in the paddock

Thank you all for the Three To Follow entries, the record-breaking 70-plus of you who entered have given Ross plenty to work on and he says the next update will be coming in a week or two when a few points have been scored.

Riding to Redcar

The great thing about horse racing is that it can take you any where in the world. In most countries, civilized and otherwise, there is bound to be a racetrack and, if you have an interest in this great game, you are sure to be kept occupied for a day.
Today racing has taken me out of Newmarket...to Redcar! With two runners here tomorrow, it made sense to make the five-hour journey the day before to get the horses to the track in the best possible condition. It reminds me of my honeymoon after marrying John - we took two horses up to Newcastle only for the meeting to be abandoned due to fog! He still hasn't made up for it...
Anyway, back to the runners. Making the journey up north are Dakota City and Veeraya. It looks a winnable maiden for Dakota and he has improved on his debut for us when he needed the run for fitness ad experience. We still don't know much about him and the firmish ground is an unknown but hopefully he can get his season into top gear now.
Veeraya has come right down in the weights and will eventually find his level again but I'm not sure if this is it. The blinkers and drop in trip should be in his favour so he might just earn some diesel money.

Veeraya (Mark), Tight Lipped (Ross) & Harry Bosch (Adam)

A bit closer to home on the same day is Harry Bosch at Windsor. His owners bought him specifically to run at the course and with three placings from three runs there, it looks a good move. He is going well at home and is on a decent handicap mark now but I think he should come on for the run as he is quite a big horse and carries a fair bit of condition.
The horsebox will have barely cooled down before it is off out again on Tuesday when Tight Lipped heads to Southwell. He bounced right back to form last time when second at Chelmsford and hopefully the blinkers he had on that day will work again. Everyone keeps telling me to run at the track as he has good past form there so we shall see if they're right.

Guising (Adam) & Bethan (Ryan)

We get a quick breather before racing again on Thursday at Chelmsford.
Guising ran an absolute stinker on debut for us at Doncaster but it was pretty clear that he wasn't trying too hard and a pair of blinkers will now be tried. He has been in good form since the run so hopefully the combination of the head gear and a step up in trip will see him in a better light.
Inauguration will be accompanying him there and she is another who has a bit to prove. Her last run was a lot better and a drop to six furlongs shouldn't trouble her so maybe she can land some money.

Honeymoon Express (Shelley) & Inauguration (Adam)

Honeymoon Express has been progressing nicely and is on course for her comeback at Doncaster in a couple of weeks. She had a great three-year old season but really struggled last year and it may have been that the handicapper had her in his grips. She is still quite high in the weights but should find things a bit easier when getting her favoured firm ground.

Automotive (Ross), Handheld (Shelley) & The Ducking Stool (Mark)

Duke Of Diamonds (Megan)

Bavarica's second foal has been progressing very nicely and is already a real character despite only being six weeks old! He is very independent and was keen to show his mum just how fast he was this week in an impromptu gallop around the field. Watch out Royal Ascot 2017!

Bavarica and foal

Last chance to enter the Three To Follow

Even though we weren't represented at the meeting, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the All-Weather Championships at Lingfield on Good Friday and it looks as though the initiative, now in its second year, is a success.
Runners from Godolphin have certainly helped raise the quality of the races but it was great to see the smaller trainers having some success. Our neighbour Gay Kelleway had a day to remember after winning the three-year old sprint with a whopping £93,000 to the winner! She held a party in town last night and it was a rare occasion to have a free bar paid for by her so we made the most of it!

The runners from our yard all ran respectably last week with no one finishing out of the prize money. Candesta was really unlucky to finish second again, he had a wide draw and gave away quite a lot of ground. He deserves to win a race soon and hopefully he won't have to wait too long.
The trio who went to Chelmsford on Wednesday all fared well too. Dakota City is a horse I really like and this run should have sharpened him right up and hopefully he can go a lot closer next time.

Onto this week and it looks to be a pretty busy one.
Silver Alliance put in a career best to win at Pontefract last summer and we're heading back up there with him on Tuesday. He wouldn't want the ground too soft but has come out of his comeback run in flying form and, if he's in the mood, he should run well.

Meddling ran a good race at Chelmsford last week and she seems to have taken it well too so I've put her in again at Lingfield on Wednesday. She has won twice around the course and should put in another good effort.

Then on Thursday we have Bushy Glade at Chelmsford. She was just mugged on the line last time but has thrived since and probably has the best looking coat in the yard. The 1m6f trip is new to her but all she does is stay so it shouldn't pose a problem.

Attain (Adam), Avidly (Tina) & Bushy Glade (Ryan)

If we haven't had any luck by Saturday, hopefully things could get a bit better with three runners.
Go On Gal will be our first two-year old runner of the year and she is definitely ready for it. I was tempted to run her on the opening day of the season but I'm glad I gave her another couple of weeks as she has progressed some more. It's unlikely she will win first time out but if she can show some promise, I think she can build on it in the future months.
Accompanying her to Wolverhampton is Avidly. It is well-known that she has plenty of ability but trying to get it out of her is proving troublesome. She ran better last time and George Baker said she needs to step up in trip so hopefully that is the answer.

Honeymoon Express (Mark), Go On Gal (Adam) & Veeraya (Ross)

Everyone knows that Handheld is my favourite horse in the yard and, as he didn't need to do any serious work, I took him up the gallop to watch the horses work. I can't say he's an ideal hack though as when all the horses came past, he set off to join them!

Handheld in hack mode

I have been really happy with how Harry Bosch has been progressing. He came to me a few months ago and his preparation has been relatively trouble-free. His owners bought him to run at Windsor, a track he has good form at, and all being well he will run the in a couple of weeks. He likes firm ground though so we'll keep an eye on the weather.
Automotive had a bit of a winter holiday and he is in great form coming out of it. He will be back on the track in a few weeks' time with his big aim being the Newbury handicap in June which he has won for the past two years.

The Ducking Stool (Nick), Automotive (Ross) & Harry Bosch (Mark)

Vastly has had a year off with tendon trouble and his comeback has been a steady one to keep him fully sound. He is gradually stepping up his work and seems to be taking it fine. He is rated really low on the grass and it would be nice to take advantage of this when he returns.

Vastly (Sarah)

Like Vastly, Duke Of Diamonds had a touch of a tendon last year too. He is on a similar training programme and is taking it just as well.  He is unraced and still pretty green but he will be ok when running over a longer trip.

Duke Of Diamonds (Megan)

Candesta (Tina), Tight Lipped (Ryan) & Bethan (Megan)

THREE TO FOLLOW COMPETITION
Due to an 'administration error' (ie Ross cocking up) the blog for the last two weeks has said the Three To Follow starts on 28th April but it actually started 28th March. Don't worry though if you haven't already entered as the points haven't started coming in yet so this is your last chance to get your entries in before this Wednesday (8th April) when the competition will be officially closed!


The format is simple: pick three horses from our yard to score you points throughout the season - 5 points for a win, 3 for a second and 1 for a third.
The only rule is that you pick ONE horse from Pool A (two-year olds and three-year olds) and TWO horses from Pool B (older horses). When you've made your mind up, email your choices to rbirkett1989@hotmail.co.uk
The competition runs from 28th March - 7th November so don't delay - get your entries in and you could win the £100 first prize!

POOL A (Two and three-year olds) PICK ONE
Inauguration
Big Bang
Moment To Dream
Duke Of Diamonds
Unnamed (Archipenko colt)
Serendib's Glory
It's A Sheila Thing
Little Orchid
Go On Gal

POOL B (Older horses) PICK TWO
Dakota City
Silver Alliance
Vastly
Harry Bosch
Tight Lipped
Meddling
Avidly
Veeraya
Automotive
Bethan
Attain
The Ducking Stool
Honeymoon Express
Bushy Glade
Guising
Candesta
Handheld

The turf is back...or is it?

It was great to see the turf season kick off again this weekend and it hopefully means the warmer days are coming and I can finally cast off the thermals!
Unfortunately we didn't get off to the best possible start with Guising at Doncaster yesterday. It was his first run for us and it was clear to see that he will benefit for the fitting of blinkers and can improve for this effort.

Even though we are now officially racing on the green stuff, you wouldn't think so by looking at the fixture list as there is no flat racing full stop on Monday and Tuesday just sees all-weather racing at Southwell! This happens every year and I don't see why the start of the turf season couldn't be put back a week to avoid a clash with the Dubai World Cup, to make the beginning of the new campaign a bit more 'official' and to give the turf tracks another week to prepare for racing as the condition of the ground is never that great currently.

Talking of Southwell tomorrow, we will be there with Candesta. He ran a very promising race last time and was unlucky not to finish closer. It's his first try at the track but he has run well at Chelmsford which seems to be quite similar and he is American bred which seems to be a positive there too. He has a wide draw but it isn't the end of the world and I hope he can finally get that elusive first win.

Jumping out of his skin: Candesta (Shelley)

 

We've had some good results at Chelmsford since it was reopened a couple of months ago but a first win there still hasn't come. We've a trio of chances on Wednesday though and hopefully one can hit the target.
Dakota City is a big gelding we bought last autumn and decided to give the winter off to help him strengthen up. He has come out of the break in great order and his homework has been very pleasing. He is likely to improve for the run, and there is a hot favourite to beat, but this is a good starting place for him and it can hopefully lead to better things in 2015.
Meddling was a bit disappointing last time but she couldn't get to the front as she likes and sulked a bit as a result. Things should be a bit easier on Tuesday though with only four runners in the field. She is having a massage just to correct a sore muscle in her back this afternoon so, if she is fine after that, she will take her chance.

Attain (Ross) & Dakota City (Mark)

 

Completing the trio is Inauguration. We bought her from Charlie Hills' yard in February and she ran a stinker on her debut for us earlier this month. She is better than that and we're going to try some more patient riding tactics this time just to save her for the finish. These aren't ideal tactics at Chelmsford but it should benefit her and we just want to see her finishing her race better this time.

Honeymoon Express (Ross), Go On Gal (Adam) & Inauguration (Mark)

Trainer Mark Johnston had a phenomenal day on Saturday by winning all three two-year old races with his horses. I knew plenty of other trainers fancied there runners in those races and it just goes to show that you don't truly know how good your babies are until they hit the track.

I thought Go On Gal would be ready for the first day of the season but a little more time will do her the world of good and she should make her debut at Wolverhampton in a couple of weeks. She did a nice piece of work on the grass on Saturday and her attitude is faultless - she really does have the will to win.

 

Fans of The Ducking Stool will be pleased to know that she is in great form and making progress towards her seasonal return. With her beloved Yarmouth closed for redevelopment, we're having to go elsewhere with her for the first part of the year and it looks like she'll head up north to Wetherby for her return. It will be the course's first ever flat meeting and I think the flat, galloping, left-handed configuration will be ideal for her.

The Ducking Stool (Nick) & Harry Bosch (Tess)

 

Also likely to be going to Wetherby is Veeraya. Things didn't go his way at Chelmsford last time but it was a start to his year after he suffered some serious colic issues last autumn. He is very happy in himself and he'll eventually find his grade again.
One who always shows his best is Silver Alliance. He won at Pontefract last summer and he could head back there in a few weeks. He just loves his work and is a pleasure to train.

Veeraya (Adam) & Silver Alliance (Ryan)

 

THREE TO FOLLOW COMPETITION
The entries have been flooding in so don't miss out - get your trio in now!
The format is simple: pick three horses from our yard to score you points throughout the season - 5 points for a win, 3 for a second and 1 for a third.
The only rule is that you pick ONE horse from Pool A (two-year olds and three-year olds) and TWO horses from Pool B (older horses). When you've made your mind up, email your choices to rbirkett1989@hotmail.co.uk
The competition runs from 28th April - 7th November so don't delay - get your entries in and you could win the £100 first prize!

POOL A (Two and three-year olds) PICK ONE
Inauguration
Big Bang
Moment To Dream
Duke Of Diamonds
Unnamed (Archipenko colt)
Serendib's Glory
It's A Sheila Thing
Little Orchid
Go On Gal

POOL B (Older horses) PICK TWO
Dakota City
Silver Alliance
Vastly
Harry Bosch
Tight Lipped
Meddling
Avidly
Veeraya
Automotive
Bethan
Attain
The Ducking Stool
Honeymoon Express
Bushy Glade
Guising
Candesta
Handheld

The Three To Follow is back!

It's not just the turf season that returns this week but also our hugely popular Three To Follow competition. More details can be found at the end of this blog.

Firstly, it's on to the most important matter - the horses.
It wasn't a bad week runners-wise with a few horses putting in good efforts and finishing in the money. It was encouraging to see both Candesta and Avidly running well as they have both had problems and hopefully we are getting on top of them and a win isn't too far away.
Meddling ran a bit below par when favourite at Lingfield on Friday for no apparent reason. She didn't travel with her usual zest and it may have just been that she got in behind a few horses and sulked a bit. She is better than this effort and I hope she can get back to form next time.

Looking on to this week, we are straight into action at Wolverhampton tomorrow. Tight Lipped has put in some good runs for us over the winter but just found one mile way too short for him last time. He's back up in trip and had a little pop over some hurdles at the weekend to freshen him up. He has run over hurdles once before for previous connections but he seemed to have forgotten that and put in some hairy jumps!

Tight Lipped (Ross) goes jumping

To help the inexperienced jumpers out I usually accompany them with a more experienced partner to show them the ropes and, although we don't have any national hunt horses in at the minute, good old Silver Alliance is a great jumper and thoroughly enjoys lending a hand.

Silver Alliance (Adam) shows him how it's done

Back on the level, it was a busy morning on Saturday with plenty of horses to be put through their paces.
The turf season kicks off at the weekend with the Lincoln meeting at Doncaster and we will be represented on Sunday with Guising. He was bought last autumn and given a winter holiday after not showing much form for his previous trainer. He is fresh and well now and has done plenty of work so should be fit enough. I don't really know what his level is at the moment so it will be a bit of a fact-finding mission with him.

Guising (Ross), Dakota City (Mark) & Attain (Adam)

Dakota City was bought at the same time as Guising and he too was given a winter holiday. He has done very well for the break and is a bull of a horse now. He showed some decent form in three French runs so I hope he will be good enough to win a maiden here before going on to bigger things. He has just started his faster work so will hopefully be hitting the course next month.
Attain has come out of his win last time in good order and seems very pleased with himself. He acts well on the all-weather so I will try to find a similar race for him.

Our two-year olds have been a pleasure to train this year without any major problems. A couple of them have a bit of a cough at the moment so that has set them back a week or two but other than that they are going well.
Go On Gal seems to be the most forward of the lot and, all being well, could make her debut as early as this Saturday at Kempton. It is usually a very good race, as shown by last year's winner of it - Tiggy Wiggy - but our filly looks ready for a run and the experience will do her plenty of good and should give her a head-start on her rivals in the coming months.

Go On Gal (Mark)

The return of the turf means the return of the legend that is The Ducking Stool. Now 8-years old, she shows no signs of slowing down and has come out of her winter holiday in rude health. It's a shame that her beloved Yarmouth won't be re-opening after maintenance work until the summer but she showed last season that she is more than capable of running well at other tracks so I hope she can finally break her hoodoo and win somewhere else other than by the seaside!

The Ducking Stool (Tina)

Bushy Glade put in a career best effort to finish second last time and she goes from strength to strength. She looks fantastic and I hope she can follow up that good run next time. I have entered her for Wolverhampton on Thursday but there are lots of entries and she might miss the ballot.

Bushy Glade (Megan)

Harry Bosch was bought by one of my owners a few months back with the intention of running him at Windsor's popular Monday evening fixtures and that looks to still be the plan as his training has been going well. He hasn't won in a while but Windsor is where he has run best so maybe a return to there could perk him up again when the time comes.

Harry Bosch (Ryan)

Many of you would have seen a few weeks ago that our star mare Bavarica had her second foal and this week they returned back to us. He is by first-season sire Cityscape and looks outstanding with a great character. It's hard to tell at this stage whether he will be fast or not but that's not a bad thing as it means I can dream that he will be a champion!

Bavarica's Cityscape colt

One month old but already a handful!

THREE TO FOLLOW COMPETITION

Due to popular demand, the Three To Follow is back!
The format is simple: pick three horses from our yard to score you points throughout the season - 5 points for a win, 3 for a second and 1 for a third.
The only rule is that you pick ONE horse from Pool A (two-year olds and three-year olds) and TWO horses from Pool B (older horses). When you've made your mind up, email your choices to rbirkett1989@hotmail.co.uk
The competiton runs from 28th April - 7th November so don't delay - get your entries in and you could win the £100 first prize!

POOL A (Two and three-year olds) PICK ONE
Inauguration
Big Bang
Moment To Dream
Duke Of Diamonds
Unnamed (Archipenko colt)
Serendib's Glory
It's A Sheila Thing
Little Orchid
Go On Gal

POOL B (Older horses) PICK TWO
Dakota City
Silver Alliance
Vastly
Harry Bosch
Tight Lipped
Meddling
Avidly
Veeraya
Automotive
Bethan
Attain
The Ducking Stool
Honeymoon Express
Bushy Glade
Guising
Candesta
Handheld

Counting the days!!!

I know you should never wish your life away, but I am so looking forward to the end of March not only because the new Flat season starts at Doncaster on 28th March but also Ross will be back from his travels in Australia to write this blog!! As you will probably have guessed the blog is probably not up to the usual standard of writing and layout.

The gallops on Saturday certainly stepped up a gear when we galloped all three lots that went out, it is very unusal to have that many horses to work. The two year olds are now ready to run and did a great piece of work over 4 furlongs on the polytrack All Weather, we will probably have our first two year old running at Kempton on 28th March with It's a Sheila Thing, a sharp filly by Sir Percy. Another filly ready to run is Go On Gal who will also be running in the next couple of weeks, she is by the good sire of two year olds Approve.

L/R It's a SheilaThing (Mark) Inauguration (Niall) Go On Gal (Adam)

The runners kick off this week on Monday with Silver Alliance at Chelmsford City, he has had a Winter break after having a fruitful season, winning twice but has paid the price by starting this year probably a little too high in the handicap, but he is a horse that can surprise you now and again.

Wednesday sees Avidly and Veeraya back on the track also at Chelmsford. Avidly seems to have the spark back doing a very good piece of work with Meddling on Saturday.

Avidly (Adam) leads Meddling (Mark)

 The two horses we have lined up for the first turf meeting of the season at Doncaster on Sunday, 29th March, did a good piece of work over 1 mile on Saturday. Handheld with me back in the plate! worked upsides Guising who will run in the Amateur riders handicap on that day.
Another exciting horse we have gearing up to run is Dakota City a stunning 4 year old half brother to Rapid City who won 6 races for us a few years ago. He has had three runs in France and has a rating of 75, so he will probably start off in a maiden. He has been syndicated and has some excited owners waiting in the wings!!

Handheld far side (Julia) upsides Guising (Tessa)

Dakota City (Mark) strides out on Cambridge Road polytrack

We are back at Chelmsford on Thursday with Candesta, he has also had a short break and will run back over 1m, as it seems this distance suits him best, he finished second there over course and distance two runs back. Tight Lipped has been ticking over waiting for a suitable race, he is best running fresh, so should be out again in a week or two.

Candesta (Rebecca) near side upsides Veeraya (Adam)

Tight Lipped (Niall) strides out on Cambridge Road polytrack