25th January Bulletin
Alderbrook Girl
Plumpton, 2 mile 4 furlong handicap chase on soft, 7th January
2nd behind The Hardy Boy, ridden by Charlie Studd
Huntingdon, 3 mile novice handicap chase on soft, 24th January
WON , ridden by Charlie Studd
Plumpton was simply a case of right day and place, not quite the right race. She was making her chasing debut in a handicap and over a little too short, but as Alderbrook Girl and the winner swept clear with a lap to go, the expectations of a win got a rather more strong than they had been at the beginning. A mistake two out and unlucky peck on landing at the last might have cost her the triumph, but as Charlie felt that she was not totally happy on the day (probably the ground) we switched to blinkers for her next run. The idea paid off, 'I love it when a plan comes together,' as Hannibal Smith was wont to say. It was three miles and a novice handicap chase with ground not quite as soft as was official, and it seemed to suit her. Omitted fences made for a long run in, and having outjumped her rivals on the far side to go in front, Alderbrook Girl did idle a bit in the lead, then showing her mettle by rallying well when the pack narrowed the gap round the last. Hurrah for the course surviving two inspections on the day!
Mademoiselle
Lingfield, 1 mile 2 furling claimer on the all-weather, 14th January
2nd behind Diamonds And Dust, ridden by Jimmy Quinn
We could not find a hurdle race on suitably decent ground for Mademoiselle, so the idea of a run on the all-weather was mooted. The partners' enthusiasm for the idea ranged from modestly positive to fairly non-committal, but with the majority being in the south-east, the convenience factor said Lingfield on a Saturday. Alas, only a claimer was available in her grade, and after running a blinder, just being denied a win by one strong finishing rival, she was annoyingly claimed. In her previous yard, she was believed not to act on the surface at Lingfield so had sand experience at Southwell and Wolves, but that theory rather shot it's bolt here and had we expected the performance, she would not have been 33/1.
Near Germany
Near Germany previews his a sense of humour by playing the 'I can stand just a few inches taller than you can reach'' prank on Dawn.
Plumpton, 2 mile novice hurdle on soft, 7th January
Pulled up behind Santando and Thunder Rock, ridden by Charlie Studd
Towcester, 2 mile novice hurdle on heavy, 21st January
Pulled up behind Glinton, ridden by Charlie Studd
Two runs for Near Germany, but they were so similar that they can be described with one sentence. At rear early, to settle him, took off like a bullet going down the hill and led, gave the oppo a few worries then ran out of steam and did not get home. In both races a more tightly packed field may have helped Charlie cover him up (the oppo were also in A Team mode, thinking 'I ain't charging down no hill with a crazy fool') and not see the daylight that motivates Near Germany to take wing, but his tendency to lock hard on the left rain reduces the degree of restraint he can be subjected to at the expense of steering. This can be worked on, but life would be easier for him, us and Mary if he understood the phrase 'please don't do that.'
Madam Cliché
Folkestone, 2 mile 1 furlong bumper on soft, 16th January
12th behind Irish Wedding, ridden by Charlie Studd
Despite the finishing position, this was a positive debut run for Madam Cliché. She was impeccably behaved when she might instead have be overawed by the first ever racecourse appearance, and she has grown up mentally an awful lot for having that first sight of the job in hand. The race was run at a dawdle, contrary to the tactics that some of the riders suggested they would adopt, and when the quickening came, Madam Cliche could not accelerate out of ground that was new to her - certainly much more testing than anything that she has worked on at home. That is about as unclichéd report as could be mustered without adding, 'but in the end, she's done it well.'
Miss Sallyfield
Towcester, 2 mile 3 furlong beginners' chase on heavy, 21st January
7th behind Quirino, ridden by Charlie Studd
It was suspected that Miss Sallyfield would not act on heavy ground (Sheila Crow advised this as well, after we had entered) but she was ready for a run and had to start somewhere. In fact, Charlie felt she could go on the ground, but simply refused to entertain the idea. As a result, she looked after herself and completed in her own time. She ought to be a bit more proactive when the rain stops.
2nd January Bulletin
Happy New Year to all our readers
(in a font supplied as a treat for those who find the Christmas festivities leaving them nostalgic for Mexican restaurant menus!)
Back to the more legible text and there are just a few runners since the last bulletin, and they appear in alphabetical order, rather than more or less ranked by result!
Alderbrook Girl
Hereford, 3 mile 2 furlong handicap hurdle on good to soft, 23rd December
Pulled up behind Radnor Lad, ridden by Charlie Studd
The going was the start and finish of the problem in this instance as the combined effect of frost, snow and a busy day's racing a day earlier combined to render it in to a sticky gloop. This was exactly the going that Alderbrook Girl has been defeated by in the past, and so it was again. She has been schooling over fences and is likely to turn out next in a chase.
Mademoiselle
Uttoxeter, 2 mile amateur and conditional jockeys' novice handicap hurdle on heavy, 15th December
Unseated behind Never So Blue, ridden by Tom Copeland
The pre-meeting going was already heavy and en route the message came through that further rain had rendered it heavy. Perhaps that should have been HEAVY. Or Ultra Heavy. Or Good to Yielding in Ireland. Whatever you choose to call it, Mademoiselle loathed it with a deep and true passion that was surprising given the newness of her acquaintance with it. She neither travelled not jumped well, and tried to pull herself up passing the stable exit. Tom somehow managed to get her to pick up a little going away from that point, but they were tailed off by then, and Mademoiselle showed her displeasure by burying him at the fifth flight. All part of life's rich tapestry?
Miss Defying
Taunton, 3 mile mares' maiden hurdle on good to soft, 18th December
Pulled up behind Classic Fair, ridden by Andrew Tinkler
Although the ground turned out to be softer than she wanted (not what is usually encountered at Taunton), far more harmful to Miss Defying's prospects was the fact that she managed to pull muscles in her quarters. Another short break follows...
Mucho Loco
Fontwell, 2 mile 2 furlong juvenile maiden hurdle on good to soft, 23rd December
9th behind Raslan, ridden by Andrew Tinkler
On his debut for us Mucho Loco posted a bit better performance than the bare result. In rear early, he made some ground past the stragglers in the back straight and had a squeak of a top six spot until his stamina gave out early in the home straight. Andrew's verdict was that he is capable of winning a handicap hurdle but would need better ground and an easy two miles - the extra quarter of a mile here was a complete no-no. Despite two sixteen runner races on the card, the course had narrowed the finishing straight and top bend a great deal and in all the rough housing and scrimmaging, Mucho Loco was struck into, requiring ten staples, which came out after the turn of the year, preventing a follow up run before the middle of January.
Romney Marsh
Taunton, 2 mile 3 furlong novice hurdle on soft, 29th December
9th behind Armariver, ridden by John Kington
After her run on rock hard ground in November, this very rapidly easing ground caught Romney Marsh out a little and she ran a bit green, and also stuffily having not been fully wound up after her mini-break. It served the main purpose which was to get qualified for a handicap mark, but not soon enough for her intended target at Folkestone on 2nd January, as she had been balloted out of a couple of better timed alternatives. After this race, the main question was whether she would get further, to which John initially said yes, but then wondered if today's race might be her optimum. He also had a second thought that a drop in trip would not be a problem. With a novice handicap hurdle in mind, it is nice that we have complete flexibility over the distance!
10th November Bulletin
h h h 75/1 Double at sunny Plumpton h h h
RUNNERS
Coppermalt
Plumpton, 2 mile handicap hurdle on good to soft, 17th November
WON , ridden by Charlie Studd
With the weather forecast being very poor, we had half a mind to withdraw Coppermalt before we left, but the actual conditions were much milder and on arriving at the track, the ground looked just about suitable. Trainer and jockey had a conflab whilst walking the course and planned out a route that would be best for Coppermalt, if not the shortest way round. Even then he travelled more sweetly than could be imagined, Charlie suggesting he gave him a better feel than when they won here earlier, and when his main rival blundered and dropped away two out, it was plain sailing. The horses that he saw off had a variety of reasons (ground, trip, match fitness etc etc) why they were not at their best on the day, and hopefully the handicapper noticed and will not be too harsh...
Alderbrook Girl
Plumpton, 3 mile 1 furlong novices handicap hurdle on good to soft, 17th November
WON , ridden by Charlie Studd
As she can be a bit stuffy at home, we did not expect Alderbrook Girl to be race fit, but the ground was at least similar to that on which she ran her best races last season - not sticky and holding. Charlie's orders were to ride her conservatively, and see how long her fitness held out. As it happened, nobody wanted to make the running, and we set off at a steady pace in front. Every time a challenger came near, Alderbrook Girl spied it out of the slit in the visor and made an effort to stay in front. The last threat was closing at the line, but overall it was a very pleasant surprise that she got her first win. Obviously, she was very tired after and had a good kip, barely bothering to get up for a couple of days, but it will hopefully be onwards and upwards with her now.
Mademoiselle
Kempton, 2 mile conditional jockeys' novice handicap hurdle on good to soft, 21st November
9th behind Tashkandi, ridden by John Kington
Despite the bare stat of finishing ninth, this was actually an improved effort, as she was second jumping two from home, but hit the wall at that point and faded out of the frame, whilst showing enough to suggest that she can win over hurdles. Thinking that she was not quite spot on for this, Kempton got the verdict thanks to it's convenience, over what was an easier race at Hereford. When we got there, the free sandwiches in the owners and trainers bar were no longer provided, which might have tipped the balance had this been known.
10th November Bulletin
RUNNERS
Coppermalt
Stratford, 2 mile lady riders' handicap hurdle on good, 14th October
5th behind Dishdasha, ridden by Zoe Lilly
Taunton, 2 mile 3 furlong amateur riders' handicap hurdle on good, 9th November
2nd behind Figaro Du Rocher, ridden by Tom Copeland
This race
was sabotaged by trainer pessimism, which probably cost Coppermalt a place. The
race was the last of the day, and the ground had taken a bit of a hammering,
which would not have suited him. Instead of bowling along on the rails, Zoe’s
orders were to go to the outer and ride a more restrained race. As it turned
out, the conditions were better than expected and Coppermalt ran on strongly in
the straight for fifth. On that evidence, he could have been placed by sticking
to what had worked at Plumpton.
Mademoiselle
Brighton, 1 mile 4 furlong apprentices' handicap on good to soft, 19th October
13th behind Kick And Prance, ridden by Jamie Jones
This was a better run than the bare result. The race had been selected because she needs plenty of mud and the weather forecast for the days before the race had several of the Brighton locals clubbing together to build an ark. It was a bit worrying when we arrived to find the ground fast, but a torrential downpour arrived just in time, rendering the race even more invisible from the stands than normal. Mademoiselle made the running (we think) but failed to stay and Jamie suggested that she needed no more than nine furlongs but on soft. All of her riders have proposed stamina as the key to Mademoiselle, but some opinions have been divided on whether the trip or the going provides it.
Flying Penne
Leicester, 1 mile 4 furlong claimer on good to soft, 10th October
8th behind War At Sea, ridden by Frankie McDonald
Huntingdon, 2 mile fillies juvenile hurdle on good to firm, 1st November
Pulled up behind My Petra, ridden by Charlie Studd
She has proved very frustrating for all of us lately, and through nothing that we have any control over. She has been balloted out of no less than eighteen races, including eight in one week. The Leicester race was over too far and on too soft, but she got in, so at least those able to high tail it to the East Midlands and had not given up on her lining up for an actual race got a chance to see Flying Penne run. After the week of eliminations (known as Week Zero in the calendars of all cults revolving around levitating pasta – you’d be surprised how many of them there are), we again resorted to a low priority option just to get a run into her. This confirmed that she has not really taken to hurdles, and would not see out the trip at this stage of her career. Fortunately for Flying Penne, Charlie pulled up before the last bend, where a pile up on the flat in midfield would have been tricky for her to avoid. She is destined to go to the sales shortly, as whilst we remain confident that there is a little race in her, getting into that race is proving impossible as it attracts a substantial minority of the horse population.
Romney Marsh
Huntingdon, 2 mile novice hurdle on good to firm, 1st November
Pulled up behind Buster Hyvonen, ridden by Tom Doyle
The ground was far too fast for her, as Roger’s trusty stick (a twenty first century Clickybar?) would only go in a couple of inches, a record low. Tom felt that the track to post was fine, and Romney Marsh quite keen, but the racing surface was not to her liking, with her refusing to pick up the bridle and changing her legs until Tom took the hint and pulled up.
Liberman
Wolverhampton, 2 mile handicap on the all-weather, 8th October
10th behind Synonymy, ridden by Dale Gibson
Chepstow, 3 mile handicap hurdle on good to soft, 21st October
Pulled up behind Desert Tommy, ridden by Charlie Studd
Wolverhampton served to prove that haring round tight bends at breakneck pace (by staying standards) is not really his cup of tea, and although he showed some zip up at the vanguard to start with, the constant hassle became more than Liberman would tolerate, and Dale greatly eased him once the chance had gone. The hurdle race at Chepstow was a Pertemps Final qualifier, and we were keen to get Liberman qualified for the final, so dived in at the first opportunity. The going was totally unsuitable, but by turning up the objective was achieved.
NEARLY A RUNNER
Near Germany: He got as far as being declared for a flat race at Nottingham, with ideal ground and a trip of a mile possibly being right on the button – maybe a furling or two longer may be what he wants. In his fast work, Near Germany had been inclined to lug to the right, so the draw on the stands side was perfect. Then we had the idea that we better give him a quick run through the stalls, as it was an apprentice race and we wanted to be ready for any wobble. Coppermalt was used as a lead horse, and he was not on his best behaviour, but Near Germany went in without a fuss, and pinged out when the gate opened. Tom Copeland pulled him up quickly and it appeared to be job done. Then Near Germany somehow managed to bolt sideways, going out of the railed run, throwing Tom and barging through a barbed wire fence. Tom seemed OK, but the horse had to have 60 stitches, although thankfully there wounds were not too deep. He should return to full work in the near future.
DEPARTURES
Saddlers Lady
Sadly, she broke a leg at Taunton and could not be saved, a bleak day for everyone, none more than Tom Copeland, who was having his first ride for us since joining the team. This was not the leg she injured at Ludlow and it appears that despite her very light-footed running style, she was just very unlucky with injuries in her career.
10th October Bulletin
Yes, it is another of those briefer but more up to date bulletins that teases everyone into thinking that a regular schedule can be achieved, but proves very much to be a false idol in the pantheon of routine website updates.
Coppermalt
Fontwell, 2 mile 2 furlong handicap hurdle on good to firm (it sez 'ere), 30th September
10th behind Madiba, ridden by Charlie Studd
Upped twelve pounds for the Plumpton win, this was always going to be tougher for Coppermalt, but the puddingish going eliminated any chance he had. In fairness, anyone who had seen the heavy rain in the days before the race, ought not to have believed that it would be good to firm, but the course confirmed it to be so over the phone, and only on arrival did the reality become clear. Charlie set off in front again, and once beaten was not unduly hard on Coppermalt. The only possible plus was that he would drop back a bit in the handicap. He did. By one pound. In hindsight, we would have been better off withdrawing him.
Flying Penne
Windsor, 1 mile 2 furlong seller on soft, 2nd October
8th behind Helen Wood, ridden by Dane O'Neill
Rather like Coppermalt above, the rain was to blame, but in this case it had not reared it's head until the day of the race, and what with the 48 hour declarations, conditions had been fine when we chose to run. Dane's view was that soft was underestimating how testing it was, and although Flying Penne could not handle it at all, she was at ease with her racing and had a win in her at a modest level.
Saddlers Lady
Exeter, 2 mile 6 furlong novice handicap hurdle on good to firm, 4th October
7th behind Presenting Express, ridden by Charlie Studd
This was likely to be a key step along the route forward for Saddlers Lady, as on such a tough track as Exeter, she would not be able to make the running as she has preferred, but it is nice and wide, so that if she did settle as desired, she would still be able to get some space and a clear view of the hurdles. Things started well, as she did get room without being at the front, and jumped well. However, on the far side, when she was a bit closer to the pack, the leader jumped sharply left, right across Saddlers Lady, and gave her the sort of fright that has scuppered her in the past. She quickly dropped away, but Charlie felt that there was plenty in the tank as far as energy goes, but her confidence storage is very leaky. Next time we will try her in a visor.
BITS'N'BOBS
Brostaig Ort
Helen took him to the Horse Of The Year Show to try and retain the Champion Retired Racehorse title that Brostaig Ort picked up in 2005. It was not his day, as he bit both Helen and her groom and generally decided that he had better things to do. Despite this, 8th place was the result. Better, and less bitten, luck in 2007!
Tom Copeland
Formerly with Linda Jewell and Venetia Williams, Tom has joined as initially as an amateur rider, with a view to eventually taking out a conditional's licence. He was riding in point-to-points last season {Those who saw him urging a rather lazy Grand Ambition around Godstone and Charing will vouch for his fitness - Ed?}.
Best Turned Out Rush
In a remarkable run, Dawn managed to pick up four best turned out prizes in a week, with Flying Penne and Liberman to start with and a Plumpton double to close with Saddlers Lady and Coppermalt. The only one that did not deliver was Mademoiselle, who is a bit too keyed up on racedays to start pampering her, so that prize was not tried for.
Gallops Update
The Jockey Club have purchased the Lambourn Gallops and taken over the lease on the Long Hedge Gallop (not sure whether the red kite and Mahatma Gandhi are included). They have already upgraded the back of the hill all-weather gallop, spending half as million pounds on it, and producing a facility surely unparalleled in Europe. Work has begun improving other routes, and the walking grounds as well. Plus the fees have been dropped to £75 per month per horse.
Charity Dinner-Dance
On 28th October, there is a charity function at Newbury race course in aid of JP McNamara, who suffered serious spinal injuries in a fall at Bangor last April. There is a champagne reception at 7.30pm, followed by a three course meal with wine, and an auction, with a late finish. Tickets are £75 each, and we will be getting a table together - please contact Roger to book a place.
20th September Bulletin
Firstly an acknowledgement of becoming hoist with my own petard, as after a succession of timely updates, this one is seriously belated. Partly this is because knocks and scrapes of varied severity kept the likeliest runners off track. Partly it is because the web master was overcome by the heat and humidity of August and early September, which does at least prove that the site is not being outsourced to a call centre in south-east Asia.
On the people side, Wayne had left, but his replacement is Tom Copeland, who was previously with Linda Jewell, and earlier Venetia Williams. He currently has a amateur's licence, but is planning to switch to a conditional jockey along the way.
Coppermalt
Worcester, 2 mile 4 furlong claiming hurdle on good to firm, 11th August
8th behind Lupin, ridden by Tom Doyle
Plumpton, 2 mile selling handicap hurdle on good to firm, 17th September
WON , ridden by Charlie Studd
The seeds of the Plumpton win lay in Worcester - or should it be pips in the land of the pears? Anyhoo, Coppermalt ran rather well in a race where he was not especially well in at the weights - up to a point. Three out a place looked realistic but his effort flattened out. He had been struck into but Tom felt that the scrape was not an excuse, it was just a touch of indifference that was to blame. His work at home suggested that Coppermalt has become rather fussy with age and it was decided to give Tom's suggestion a try and put the horse in a visor next time. There were intangibles involved: Would it work? Would it cause him to run too freely to see out his more normal trip? Would he be distracted by concerns over the situation in the Middle East? Tom had a three line whip for Paul Webber's open day, so Charlie Studd, who has ridden out for us in the past and had the odd ride was booked. In fact, none of the pitfalls materialised, and Coppermalt had a whale of a time bowling along in front. Approaching the third last, he had all the opposition working harder than he was, and only one was able to make any inroads at all. The value of the form is hard to weigh up, but Shingle Street had won two non-sellers about twelve months earlier and Canni Thinkaar in third had run a couple of his better races recently, so we shall see how it turns out. Another plus was that the time was only a whisker behind that in the £15,000 hurdle run half an hour earlier.
{Between these runs, I was awaiting the bus in the car park at Huntingdon, when Terry exclusively predicted that a win was imminent, as long as Coppermalt got the run of the race. You cannot get much more imminent than next time out, less than three weeks later. It certainly made me feel less guilty about stealing his cab. Ed}
Liberman
Pontefract, 2 mile 2 furlong conditions stakes on good to soft, 14th September
3rd behind Som Tala, ridden by Dale Gibson
When we arrived at Pontefract, the ground was an ideal good to firm, but a serious downpour soon put paid to that, and the easier conditions were not to Liberman's liking. As it happened, there was a fear that he had been left a little short of work, as the theory that we are working to is that he is not one for a hectic life, and his previous disappointments have been due to not having a chance to take his training regime at his own pace (the analogy amongst comedians is that he is more Steven Wright than Lee Evans). This meant that even had the rain not come, we would not have expected anything more than to be a closer third. More importantly, Liberman seemed to enjoy the race and not get in a tizz about anything, with Dale's verdict being that he still felt like a classy horse. This was only his third flat run, and his mark is 75 (the first two in this race were both rated in the 90s), so we will explore some options on the level before thinking about jumping with him.
Saddlers Lady
Newton Abbot, 2 mile 3 furlong novice hurdle on good to firm, 26th August
4th behind Vintage Fabric, ridden by Marcus Foley
Fontwell, 2 mile 2 furlong novice hurdle on good to firm, 3rd September
9th behind The Bonus King, ridden by Tom Doyle
Plumpton, 2 mile novice hurdle on good to firm, 17th September
9th behind Kings Quay, ridden by Charlie Studd
After her bumper runs, the above trio of appearances are Saddlers Lady's entire hurdling career. The first was a relief, as she came through unscathed on her injured knee. She was settled at the back in a small field, and Marcus' orders were to make sure that she avoided a bad experience of her first jumping in anger. He reported that she put down at a couple of hurdles when he tried to set the agenda, but when left alone Saddlers Lady was happy with her own judgement. After this she was ready to run again soon, but in a bigger field at Fontwell, she fluffed the first and had a scare when there was some chaos in front of her at the next. Tom felt the confidence had drained out of her in an instant, and her knee was fine as long as her mind was right. Plumpton was a rather different kettle of fish, as the plan was to sit right up with the leader, but she took off and enjoyed hurtling along clear of the field. Charlie had been warned that she may resent being organised at the hurdles, but this time, presumably just to be bloody minded, she fiddled them when Charlie let her sort herself out, and jumped well when he took charge of the situation. All in all, after the disappointment last time, this was a step forward again, although Saddlers Lady was not happy when the pack swamped her at the end of the back straight. She can now run in handicaps, and a step up in trip plus a lack of intimidation from the oppo is essential. The knee has been no problem so far, touch wood, lucky rabbits foot, step in a dog do etc etc.
Flying Penne
Newton Abbot, 2 mile 1 furlong juvenile hurdle on good to firm, 15th August
pulled up behind Canopus, ridden by Jamie Moore
Kempton, 2 mile handicap on the all-weather, 3rd September
11th behind Skit, ridden by Liam Keniry
Lingfield, 1 mile 1f seller on good, 12th September
7th behind Danish Monarch, ridden by Francis Norton
Rather like Liberman, this has been a work in progress, as in this case she had historically been running with an injury, and Flying Penne's mind needed to be sorted once her back had been done. All the suitable flat races for her were in the north or Scotland, so we decided to give her a go over hurdles. She had schooled reasonably well, although giving the impression that she had not necessarily understood all that was expected of her. The problem at Newton Abbot came before the race started. As soon as the PA announcements came into her earshot, she made a Pavlovian connection with her bad back and suffered something equivalent to a panic attack. By the time they got to the first, jumping it was the last thing Flying Penne had on her mind, and she was very awkward at it. Jamie gave her a chance to warm to the task, but she did not and he wisely decided that to go all the way would most likely result in her doing herself a mischief, and pulled up. The idea of running over two miles on the flat, which she realistically had no chance of staying, was to give her an experience in which things were done at a sedate and comfortable pace. She was near the front early, and allowed to come home in her own time when the pressure increased. Liam's verdict was that she was best sold as soon as possible, but 19 of the 20 partners decided that loyalty deserves reward and we had a bash at a seller over a more suitable 9 furlongs. Frannie Norton rode, and he admitted that he did not have one of his season highlights in this instance, settling her behind a slowcoach that resulted in being too far off of the leaders. He did, however, conclude that Flying Penne was not this time frightened or irritated by the race itself (the 2 mile all weather comfort blanket having done it's job), and suggested she could win a little race - and had a good shot at getting in the frame next time.
Mademoiselle
Nottingham, 1 mile 2 furlong handicap on good, 15th September
16th behind Ruby Legend, ridden by TP O'Shea
This was a bit of a cock up, in that she ran here when the plan was not to do so. Start with the phrase 'Do not run at Nottingham' and removing only 15% of the letters makes a radical change to the meaning, especially if they are N, O and T. {There is so much scope for pedantry on this - Ed.}, However, this time it was Weatherby's computer's fault. Mademoiselle had been kept ticking over in case of some rain, and was entered in a Nottingham race when there was some cause for hope in the weather forecast. The precipitation was inadequate, but as there were 107 entries, of which 62 were declared, she was left in simply to get the entry fee back. To the consternation of the trainer, the ballot left Mademoiselle in as the last to get a run. The ground was in decent nick, but she needs softer, and TP said that she blew up and hung a bit under pressure, but she gave him the impression of being capable of quite a lot better.
{When asked for a comment, the computer at Weatherby's said: "You can still libel an inanimate object. Exterminate. Exterminate." We made our excuses and left.}
Horse News from off the course
Cape Venus
She has been retired to stud. The injuries that she seemed unable to avoid started to look a bit of a risk when considering her close family relationship with Ouija Board.
Alderbrook Girl, Two Shillings & Romney Marsh
The trio have all returned from their summer break and are doing road work before stepping up to cantering by the end of the month. Unlike the other two, Alderbrook Girl has not eaten herself silly during the break, so may be a step ahead of them.
Near Germany
He is pretty much ready to run, but really fast ground is not his thing, and as soon as we get some rain, he will make his UK debut.
Miss Defying
She has been ready to run for a while, but seems to be in an overcrowded sector of the horse population which means all suitable races have vast entries and she is a victim of the ballot procedure. Yes, the same computer that balloted Mademoiselle in when we did not want to run, keeps balloting Miss Defying out. Long Live the Abacus.
Classic Cliché filly
We have been gradually easing her into the routine, and she is about to be advertised for syndication.
Physios' Bench
Tech Eagle
His injured tendon was operated on, with encouraging results and the vet's prognosis is very good. Whilst this must have been a relief to Tech Eagle, the opportunity was taken to geld him, which we must presume was a less enjoyable experience. However, rather than develop a sense of persecution, his lack of medical training will hopefully allow the horse to assume it was all part of the tendon repair procedure and not bear any grudges.
J'Adore
Unlike Tech Eagle, being a helpful patient is not part of J'Adore's make up, and he is still confined to his box, which makes him more impatient than ever. His tendon op will probably be in about a month. If anyone wishes to spend time keeping him amused, he seems the sort who would enjoy 'Hungry, Hungry Hippos.' Any donations of unwanted videos for either of these injured horses should ideally avoid stuff like 'The Dambusters.'
Canny Scot & Paula Lane
Have been turned out together, but they are on a slow recuperation process, and are hopefully enjoying each other's company as there will be plenty of it.