“Listen to your horses. Let them come to you. Never ever force the issue….”
Wise words. Instilled in me right at the beginning by a very wise man. Who had danced every dance and most certainly knew what he was talking about…
Patience is only possible when you are surrounded by fabulous owners. Patience with Flat horses in March is very simple. April is pretty much the same, although the passing of the baton from National Hunt to Flat polarises the mind. Drifting into May, and patience can just begin to stretch even the most patient…
But a long game to play, and 6 months of the core flat season lies ahead…
We have been waiting for our horses this Spring. A brutally wet winter and a dreak early spring. The occasional ray of bright sunshine, but then cold nights that call for another blanket. Coats struggling for midsummer sheen – but no surprise there as “midsummer” is not what it has been…
But then…
A couple of weeks ago, freshness and bounce and purpose in the strides of many. Bright eyes. On their toes. Coats turning. Tide turning too. Waiting for our horses. Now they are here. Working with zest. Corners turned. Here we go…
Imperial Cult getting the ball rolling last week, and Atlantis Blue showing up well…
Kempton yesterday. Four runners. A day that would tell us plenty. A day that would tell us where we are with our horses, and whether the patient wait is coming to an end…
PREIGORD NOIR (Neil Callan) our first 2-year-old runner of the year. Despite doing some stuff the wrong way around, a lovely debut. 3rd. Behind the right ones, and nicely clear of the rest. A cool young horse for Stevo and Charlie Goodrich, Peter Metcalfe, Will Downs and Jeff Randall…
TRINCULO (Neil) up next. The “work in progress” cliche. A gorgeous horse. Align the mind with the body and we have a racehorse. Running on into 3rd in the famous Chasemore colours. Neil taught him plenty. Back on track. Half time in our day at the races, and going pretty well so far…
MUST BELIEVE. Never really travelling. Trainer’s call to take the headgear off on his first run for us. Got away with it – just. The “just” bit being a head bobbing nose. Jack Dace’s first double. Benji Arter’s first horse with us. A huge number of his family and friends were on hand to do the cheering bit. Scenes in the Winner’s Enclosure. This day is going pretty well so far…
GOOLOOGONG. In the last. But by no means least. “An armchair ride” according to Neil. Winning well. Such a likeable horse for Mark and Lavinia who were watching on from warmer climes…
The waiting is over. Waiting for our horses for weeks. And now they are here…
Two winners and two thirds on the day is a good day in our office…
Huge credit to the fantastic team at home, and to our wonderfully supportive friends who are on this mad journey every step of the way. Loyalty counts for so much…
No runners today. Annoyingly…
Racing Post headline – ASCOT STARTS A REVOLUTION. Time for some cages to be rattled, for the vested to no longer have the power of veto, for the collective to move forward for the greater good of the whole. Hats off to Ascot – just the beginning. A big space that will take plenty of watching. Time for fundamental change at several levels….
MUST BELIEVE and GOOLOOGONG….
https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/the-racing/race-replays/#injured_jockeys_fund_handicap
https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/the-racing/race-replays/#wimbledon_greyhound_welfare_handicap
