For 150 people….

Just a normal Sunday then…

A happy gathering for a “Parade Of Yearlings and Older Horses” at Downs House. And then Roast Lamb in the Blue Riband Room in The Queens Stand…

Every single horse that was “for sale” was sold….

Actually, that bit is not entirely true. And we have some fantastic ownership opportunities to suit all budgets. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss. Yearlings with regal pedigrees alongside older horses with proven form and international aspirations…

In conjunction with Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock and Sebastien Desmontils in France, we have bolstered the batting line up. “Good horses make good trainers….”

The final week of the turf flat season. Doncaster’s November Handicap on Saturday – and then it will be the National Hunt guys and girls who take centre stage. And every single road will lead to Cheltenham in March. And then it will be The Lincoln and The Brocklesby and off we go again…

In times gone by, the end of the turf would have seen yards mothballed for months, staff laid off and horses turned away to muddy paddocks. “Thanks Tommy, you have been a great help, winter well and we will see you in February to break in those yearlings….”

Nowadays, there are no natural breaks in the calendar. The All Weather tracks are busier than ever. More so now that Chelmsford is back in action after yet another hiatus. Flat racing is an all year round sport. And it probably won’t be long before we are saddling runners at Wolverhampton or Lingfield or Kempton on Christmas Day…..

“The HoHoHo ‘Enjoy your Christmas Turkey at Lingfield Park’ Selling Stakes…….”

Breeders Cup in Keeneland. Yet another dominant Aidan and Ryan show. The Europeans are in a different league to the US trained horses on turf. With the exception of the superstar sprinter Bacio who added Sprint glory to Royal Ascot and Nunthorpe victories. The fastest horse in the world. In the same colours as Get It – who could just give Bacio a lead through the first furlong or two. We should try that…

No runners today….

In the #HaveHorseWilltravel gig…

Breeders Cup. Next year maybe. When the season ending American jamboree will take place at the newly refurbished Belmont Park. Which apparently is a spectacular venue now. I guess we had better make that a plan then…

Although that Aidan O’Brien fellow is extremely hard to beat Stateside. Not even his soaring son Joseph could muster the firepower to defeat his father last night. A father and son dual forecast in two of the races. Remarkable. Ireland with two unparalleled racing dynasties right now in the O’Briens and the Mullins…

Great to see George Boughey (GB Junior) winning with Libertango. And Billy Loughnane remarkably shedding pounds that he has never shed before to take the ride. Hitting the correct weight on the scales a mere 45 minutes before the gates opened. Tough on Flavien Prat who had spent days expecting to ride the favourite, but thoroughly deserved for “Billy The Kid…”

What a year he has had. Champion Jockey. A supreme talent. He looked ashen faced on pulling up after the winning line, and here’s hoping he had a decent steak last night to redress the weight balance….

The Juvenile contests last night. A fascinating aperitif to today’s carder of older horse fields. Europeans with some great chances. Roll on Belmont in November 2027. See you there…

Newmarket yesterday. DARK SUPREMACY (Neil Callan) running a decent race to be 4th in a Newmarket Novices’ that could easily turn out to have been very decent indeed. The winner Covet could be a Guineas horse. A winter on our boy’s back will see him strengthen in every way and here’s hoping that he’s a “Saturday horse” for next year…

MARSH BENHAM. Is Marsh Benham. Help from the Handicapper needed. Which will come. And he will drift back down to a level from which he can win again…

One runner back at HQ today. TEX in the concluding handicap. Callum Shepherd up. Tex has had an excellent season, winning two at Ascot and running well elsewhere. End of season and highly competitive today – we will see whether there is more to come, or whether a short break is on the cards…

Sunday. Yearling Parade. Lunch. A fabulous bunch of horses to parade. And sell – I hope….!!

This morning. As opposed to the “one more trot please” of the past few days at Tattersalls…

Galloping four unraced 2-year-olds at Kempton as the sun rises. If the sun rises today. Too dark and early and pitch black to tell much on that front. The Coulsty filly “Coulin Rouge”. The Blue Point filly “Stepney Blue”. The Tasleet filly “Tentasion” and the Ghaiyyath filly “Spirit of Mika”…

Elsa Tan and Kenergy with them to do a bit of “hand holding” but also a piece of work ahead of impending engagements…

A “work experience’ day for young horses. Kempton is perfect for the exercise. You can never replicate the raceday experience of debut, but mornings like this open the eyes and prick the ears…

We will miss Kempton very much if it disappears under 500 Redrow starter homes. Quiet on that front – is “quiet” good, or just the calm before the storm of a devastating announcement…

“Announcements” aplenty from within the Chancellor’s battered briefcase yesterday. The 5% hike on Machine Game Duty (MGD) is at the lower end of the scales discussed, but still a 25% rise. And if bookmaker predictions are proven correct, the Betting Shop Estate is set to be decimated as a result. Bringing thousands of job losses and removing community hubs that have been a sanctuary for so many down the years…

Yet again, the Government has approached the Gambling sector with nil understanding of the ripple effect. Viewed as a pariah industry, and put in the same basket as “dodgy vape shops and barbers”, they don’t get the bigger picture. And the ramifications that will tsunami across so many people’s lives…

Tattersalls yesterday. Lots 1053 (FIERCE FORTITUDE) and 1105 (OVERSOUL) knocked down to us. #HaveHorseWillTravel aspirations for both…

Two runners today. Callum Shepherd up on both at Southwell…

ALCARAZ and LILLY LUX…

Right, Thursday is the new Friday in terms of traffic chaos. An A3 and an M25 to negotiate to reach that Kempton place before the sun rises. If it rises….

That was Golden Brown at dawn. And bright and rather magical…

And then perhaps those Weather Gods remembered that it is Budget Day and bright dawn was inappropriate…

My advice goes as follows. Hold off those gherkin and garlic purchases until the Chancellor has spoken…

What will be will be. Decisions have been made, and we will learn later whether intensive lobbying from our quarter has fallen on deaf ears or not…

The doorstop catalogue that is the Tattersalls “Horses In Training” catalogue not even halfway done. Some that I would love to have on the team skyrocketed into the hundreds of thousand of Guineas. Walk away. Regroup….

Others that were on the margins knocked down at reasonable prices. But only “reasonable” if they can do a job on a big stage. A couple of “what if I have had one more bid” moments – but the other fella might have had a punchier war chest than us anyway…

So back we go. “Can you give him a trot please”. “Do you ride him at home ?” “Has she got any vices ?” “Would he be one for the fast ground in the Middle East ?”

Plenty to see. A short list that needs to be shorter…

Must dash…

I have not got privileged information. And I am not party to a leak. But I’m delighted to be able to confirm that I have heard on the radio this morning (three times) that some of the news held in the battered old red briefcase is good….

As from tomorrow, the price of gherkins, garlic and marmalade will be reduced. Also on that list are plant based drinks – whatever they are…?!

Yeeehaaa, Yippee and Hoooray…..

Big day for our sport tomorrow. The consequences of a potential rise in Gaming Duty (a 5 percentage point rise would effectively be a 25% hike) cannot be underestimated. Wiser folk than me have been lobbying hard with the Government to explain the detrimental effects to horse racing as an industry, the inevitable job losses and the economic impact upon so many….

Here’s hoping that common sense will prevail and that racing’s bus is not pushed even closer to the teetering edge of that precipice. Michael Caine and The Italian Job…

Tattersalls yesterday. Windswept and very grey and damp. Horses to buy and sell. And so I was unable to get to the races to watch our runners. Who went like this. In order of their runs…

MARSH BENHAM……??!! Jockey Sean Levey called post race. “After three strides I knew that it was not a going day.” If only the old boy could talk. It would be hilarious….??!!

Next up, Tess Hoppeler on POWER OF PRAYER (Poppy), riding her own horse in an Amateur Riders race. Confined to jockeys who had ridden 3 or fewer winners. Wide draw – so Tess cannily stayed wide on the better ground from the start in the back straight. Think Frankie in The Arc on Golden Horn. Tess and Poppy turned for home in front – and then a 50/1 outsider came scorching past as if its tail was on fire….

The “outsider” looked to have nicked it – but Tess stayed balanced and patient and steadily the gap began to narrow. To huge roars from the Back Bar at Tatts (I was watching with Tess’ boyfriend Tom and his brother Charlie), Tess hit the front at the furlong pole and scooted home by 7 lengths…

Brilliant. A great watch. An extraordinary horse race. Well done Tess and POWER OF PRAYER…

Kempton under lights. FIZZY BEAR running another fine race under Callum Shepherd to finish an honourable 3rd. Tough horse who tries hard. Days ahead with him for sure….

One new addition to the team from yesterday’s Tattersalls skirmishes. SHOW AND TELL. Lot 33. Early worms sometimes…

A gorgeous 2-year-old daughter of Showcasing. A £65,000 Breeze Up purchase in the spring. Picked up for 20,000 Guineas yesterday for a great fun new syndicate. Have I missed something ? Almost certainly….

No runners today…

Raining hard in Newmarket. Autumn leaves are blowing. “One more trot please…..”

Different sale. Different rules…

Tattersalls. “Horses In Training” sale…

Walk and trot. Looking for the signs. Vetting. Vetting again. Listening to the chat. Plotting. Trying to put it all together into something that makes sense. Not total sense – but some sense will do…

Get It came from this Sale for 40,000 Guineas. And changed my life. Genuinely. He has done stuff that can never be taken away. And when the nights are dark and long and troubled, a replay of a Stewards Cup and a Wokingham helps heaps. Days that defined. Forever…

But it would be a massive lie to pretend that when I stuck the hand up to make him mine, I knew. Of course I did not. I hoped. But that wave of the catalogue that caught the auctioneer’s eye was more down to luck and chance than considered thought. Sometimes, those cards fall very right…

A doorstop of a catalogue. That will make a mighty fine doorstop when this week is dusted and done…

But before the final gavel falls at week’s end, here’s hoping that we will find another Get It or Lucander or Belgian Bill or Harry Hurricane or Humidor to take us on the next journey…

Short lists drawn up. And refined. And refined again…

A different gig to the unraced and untested yearlings that have wandered across our gaze in recent times. Horses with form and tales and stories. Much to decipher. Why are they for sale ? Who is selling ? Why should we buy…??

Conundrums and variables. Smoke and mirrors. Wits and about…

Long week. May it be a kind one. And throw a favour or two (or three) our way…

Runners. Two at Leicester. One to Kempton…

Marsh Benham (Sean Levey). “Marsh is Marsh”. Who knows ?? He’s won two this year. He might have decided that is enough showing off for one year. Or…..

Power Of Prayer. Tess Hoppeler up. Tess has done so well to get her amateur licence, we love having her on the team, she’s a great and lovely mate. Here’s hoping they muddle through the mud happily and well. Both horse and jockey have what it takes….

Fizzy Bear to Kempton. Callum Shepherd up. Unlucky loser last time. Tough draw today. But if all drops right….

Stupid early alarm. But M25 is no fun with others on it. So best to hit the road in black darkness. And that breakfast at Tattersalls (one more piece of fried bread please…) makes it all worthwhile. Nearly….

Let’s go find another Get It…

High bridges too…

And then The Channel. Homeward bound. The joy of French motorways as far as Calais. And then the drudge dull of the M25…

A Filly added to the growing list of wonderfully unbeaten Yearlings. Lot 229. By Zarak, a son of Dubawi, and out of Helles, a Wootton Bassett mare. If looks and pedigree count for anything….

https://www.arqana.com/lots/october_yearling_sale/415/112839

The supermodel swagger and attitude and demeanour. She kinda knows that she’s stunning. €45,000. We will give her time to fill into her frame, and she is going to be a proper middle distance prospect. And when she has done her winning on the Flat, Willie or Gordon or Henry will pay a King’s Ransom for her to jump a hurdle. Or we can go and do that Cheltenham bit ourselves – after Royal Ascot and Glorious. Obvs….

A few more to follow through the ring today and tomorrow. From afar. Seb Desmontils on the ground whilst we scuttle and shuttle our way to Calais and beyond…

Time to go. Pitch black here in Deauville. Clock changing time of year..

Must dash. Motorways, please be kind…

“On va marcher, s’il vous plaît…..”

“Quelle est la réserve…?” Deauville. Arqana sales ring. Puddles on sodden sand. Wet weather gear. A gentler feel to the place than Tattersalls or Goffs back home…

“Monsieur Boulanger, ça va…??”

Hustle and bustle, and hither and thither across the sales grounds. But in a laid back French way. Straw in the occasional tail. Cigarettes hanging from the lips of those charged with guiding young horses to the gate of the sales ring. And cleaning up after them with orange headed spades. I sense that if those in the same role at Tatts or Goffs had rolled up fags hanging from their bottom lips, the air would be filled with the expletives of the big bosses…

Following a few yearlings through. And reserves met and soared away from before we can so much as flicker a half bid. Patience…

Not long after eleven and the clink of champagne glasses the backdrop to the auctioneer’s cries…

A couple of yearlings that we loved. But plenty of the big boys are in town, and when they assume their bidding positions, best to keep the head down and walk away…

Patience…

Brings reward. Lot 99. A flashy chestnut son of Galiway. Out of a Sea The Stars mare. A few of the “Breeze Up” boys and girls on him, but hope that he might not be precocious enough for them. And so it proved. €14,000. Write that again – €14,000……!!!

Surprise. That surprise that is touched by “what have we missed ??” Clean vetting. Gorgeous horse. Could do with a good feed or three and the most important commodity of all, time. Delighted and thrilled that he’s now on our team. Love Galiway as a stallion. Love that we have one of his progeny…

https://www.arqana.com/lots/october_yearling_sale/415/11270

He is “For Sale”. Obviously. As is Lot 142, an easy moving son of Little Big Bear. He felt great value too, albeit at €70,000. A swagger and a forward going walk that screamed, “I know what my job is, and let’s get on with getting it done…”

https://www.arqana.com/lots/vente_de_yearlings_d-octobre_/415/112752

Both horses have the “Owners Premiums in France” attached. Which means that they qualify for 60% premiums on top of prize money won this side of the Channel. Which means that, whilst Epsom and Ascot and Glorious are on their agendas, so are Deauville, Chantilly, St Cloud, Fontainebleau, Clairefontaine et al…

#HaveHorseWillTravel. As ever…

Roll up, roll up. “Venez faire la fete”…….!!

Wikipedia – The name Périgord noir (black Périgord) is derived from the dark colour of its evergreen oak forests (Quercus ilex) and also from the dark, fertile soil in the Sarladais, not, as is often asserted, from the black truffle. Historically, the Périgord noir was the oldest of the four subdivisions of the Périgord.
Now you know…

It is also the name of a very cool 2-year-old racehorse by Invincible Army who broke his maiden at Bath yesterday afternoon under an exemplary ride from Tom Marquand….

“Raced in second, led one furlong out, soon ridden, ran on well….”

Uncomplicated. Keep it simple. Lovely young horse who will be better with another winter on his back…

8 runs as a juvenile. 8….??!!

I’m certain we have never run a horse so many times as a 2-year-old. But every step has been progressive and beneficial and the right call…

Wonderful owners in Stevo Goodrich, Peter Metcalfe, Jeff Randall and Will Downs. Much to look forward to…

Purple Moon. Trainer error. The drop back to a mile not a clever call. Trainer will learn…

Sceptic running a mighty race on his first run for us. A very honourable and promising 3rd. A first ride for us for Olivia Haines. Claiming 7 pounds, she looked more than competent…

Bought for Charity races for Martha Allhusen to ride, Sceptic will give all connected with him some happy days along the way…

No runners today…

“On va marcher s’il vous plaît….”

Deauville. A soft morning more resonant of Limerick than Normandy. Some very handsome and very beautiful yearlings. Also some whose mother would struggle to describe as such. The way of it….

A gentle feel to the place. Fewer preening peacocks showing off loudly with other people’s money. They will emerge later this morning for sure. And several horses for sale will attract the telephone number bids from the usual suspects…

We will try to do that “sneaking under the radar” bit. And if that does not work out, we can always retreat to a street corner bistro…

“Six escargots et un verre de vin rouge, s’il vous plaît…..”

And trains. And the M25. And French motorways and tolls and empty roads….

I get the motorways and Eurostar and tolls bit on my way to Deauville…

Candida and Sophie sensibly did the jet out out of Stansted earlier today. And in France in time for Sunday lunch and a wander around the Sales Ground and the “he walks well” bit…

I will catch them up later. By which time the long list will be a shorter list. And then a short list..

“On va marcher s’il Vous Plait…”

To be repeated over and over in the days ahead…

French bred horses. French Breeders Premiums. 60% (and sometimes more) on top of prize money. Meaning that we run around in Deauville, Compiegne, St Cloud, Angers etc for proper money…

And the wine lists and menus tend to be a little more alluring than at Wolverhampton…

I still love Wolverhampton. Many favours done at Dunstall Park..

A French Syndicate that already appeals to many. Let me know if you would like to be kept in the loop. Pre Covid and Brexit, we had a lot of fun and success with French bred 2-yr-olds. We go again…

Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday. A raging success. A huge crowd…

Major on this…

In Australia on Saturday, vast crowds to watch the Everest and the Caulfield Cup. A gap in the local rugby calendar meaning that racing “Down Under” is sitting slap bang and centre stage for the next few weeks. Everybody is talking about racing and the Melbourne Cup and Spring Carnival. Everybody….

Racing at the forefront in a sports obsessed nation…

I’m there next year. Try to stop me…

Ascot was superb yesterday. But several furlongs from “forefront” in terms of wider media coverage. I was driving when the early Ascot races were taking place. Hoping that Five Live would cover. But instead I listened to a reprise of Rugby League action that had finished hours earlier…

I’m sure (not sure, but hope…) that later races were covered live by the BBC…

In Australia, horse racing is centre stage at this time of year. A country engaged…

Ascot. Fantastic and dramatic and brilliant. A raging success. But peripheral at best in the bigger sporting scheme…

That is the way of it I guess. We have a fabulous sport, but we cannot force our way into the collective psyche….

Whilst talk in bars and pubs here revolves around football and cricket and rugby, Down Under it is all about “what do you fancy for the Cup…??”

What fun that must be. A racing obsessed nation that would not conceive of missing the race that stops a nation…

The Derby filling that slot one day ? We need that nation stopper…

Busy at Bath today….

PERIGORD NOIR (Tom Marquand) – lovely 2-yr-old. Learning. Proper horse in time. And beyond….

PURPLE MOON (Benoit). St Moritz plans. Stepping stones.

SCEPTIC. New boy on the team. He has Charity race jobs ahead. A first ride for us for Olivia Haines….

52,000 Australian voices as runners head to post. Not for everybody. Works for me…

Ka Ying Rising. The best racehorse in the world…

Beaten by the barest of margins in the £3.5 million (yes, that number is correct…) Group 1 TAB Everest about 20 minutes ago. Wide draw, heavy going, out of his ground, getting there with every stride. “By the barest of margins….”

Glorious spring sunshine in Randwick. The Caulfield Cup in half an hour. A Group 1 Handicap. £1.63 million to the winner. Prize money that defines. Prize money that is a mere mirage for us…

The number of young trainers here in the UK is declining year on year. Fewer folk prepared to take the plunge into deep and sometimes murky waters. Some who have taken that leap of faith in recent times have done so on foreign shores – with the prize money numbers being bandied around at Randwick and Caulfield this morning, who can blame them….??

Despite the “headwinds”, we have the most fabulous sporting product here, and Ascot this afternoon will be a showcase of the very highest equine and human talent. We have something very special. Some of the very best horses in the world, fantastically skilful jockeys, superb trainers – and today they will race over those gilded Berkshire acres for viable prize money in front of packed stands…

We can do this. As a sport, we can make this work. We have a unique global product that remains aspirational internationally. Governmental support would be appreciated and welcome. Foot shooting being consigned to the past would help as well…

It is a privilege to be involved, albeit on a shop floor that is sometimes tormented by fragility. But there will be a way – and we plan to be part of it all for many years to come…

A cool time of year. A little daunting as well. Stables filling up with gorgeous yearlings. Several of them need lucky owners. Roll up….!!

Billy Loughnane, Jack Callan, Henry Callan – take a bow…

Champion Jockey. Champion Apprentice. Champion Amateur. Bright lights…

So thrilled for our great mates Neil and Trish Callan. A pretty good sire and dam…

Weekend well….!!

Come along. Inevitably…

Crossbar rattling. A lot better than peppering the corner flag..

Most of our runners recently have wandered back into the Winners Enclosure. Just not the sweet point reserved for those who have prevailed. FIZZY BEAR running tough and game and brave yesterday at Brighton under Callum Shepherd. Beaten an annoying neck….

Personally, I think distances of a neck or less should be called a dead heat. Precluding the long “if only” drive home…..??!!

Of course I don’t really think that – but it would make life one hell of a lot easier not having to deal with the dull thud of disappointment. Part and parcel…

And so much better to see the team running their races. A lot better than falling out of the back of the TV. Their times will come. The handicapper inevitably slow to relent. I do not have the evidence to corroborate, but it feels that horses get pushed up the grades much faster than they slide back down. Banging the head against hard walls from lofty marks is no fun…

No runners today. Or for a day or three…

The Tattersalls Yearling treadmill churns on for one final day. Four youngsters with dreams attached have joined the team. They remain wonderfully unbeaten…

FIZZY BEAR beaten by one of Gary Moore’s. Quite possibly the great man’s last winner as he announced yesterday that Jamie will be joining Josh on the licence. Gary will no longer be on the licence, but you can bet that very last dollar that he will be amongst the first on the yard…

A top man. Head of a remarkable racing dynasty…

Way back in the mists of time, I was Captain of the South Racing League Team. Prompting Gaz to refer to me as “Brigadier” when our paths crossed, or running plans were discussed on the phone. We see each other plenty around the southern tracks, and he is “General” to me…

I’m sure he will not retreat too deep into those shadows…

Budget concerns rattling around racing’s top tables. And specifically the potential impact of a further rise in Gambling and Gaming taxes. This could be devastating – and what is more than a little scary is the apparent inability to grasp the ramifications for our sport from those in Government…

I have heard of several occasions when MPs have turned up to lobby meetings – but shown total indifference to the points being put forward. Scrolling on their phones as opposed to taking on board what is being said by those who care so deeply about our sport…

Budget Day on the horizon. What fun…

In better news, QPR continue to defy logic as they sit high and pretty near the top of the Championship. Midwinter reality surely not far away…