The week seems to have flown by and certainly all change in our house (and many others of course) with the boys back at school and they seem to have had a good week. We’ve had quite a busy week even though we haven’t had any runners so I’ve ensured Belinda hasn’t had time to put her feet up and reflect on her time as a teacher!
On Monday Belinda & I had a rare trip out together (she only usually goes out to shop & I only go to the races!). We headed to Gatcombe Park to collect a nice homebred 4 year old gelding of Princess Anne’s and she also took time to show us around her lovely bunch of youngsters too. Great to catch up and her gelding has settled in well here and James Best rode him today and liked him. We then made the short drive to collect Mozzaro from Zara Tindall’s yard where he has been having intensive schooling to hopefully help him with his jumping and help him mentally too. He looked an absolute picture, a real credit to them so we look forward to cracking on with him.
We’ve had a few jockeys in to ride out this week in addition to James Best including Fergus Gregory, Kai Lenehan and Lilly Pinchin too. This morning Harry Greasby came in for a couple of lots along with Warren Marston. We worked Witness Protection, Solstice Star, City Never Sleeps, Ten Past Midnight, Robsam, Eclat Des Mottes and Brorson up the grass and they all worked well. The rest of the horses did either a swinging canter or just a canter.
Samtara runs today at Hereford under James Best. He’s been so unlucky as he was beaten a neck into 2nd in his penultimate start and last time out just a short head into 2nd and obviously still being raised in the weights by the handicapper but without winning. Frustrating and I could think of nothing better than for him to get his head in front today for Roger and Yvonne Allsop. He will hopefully be there or thereabouts again.