Trying to second guess the weather is head frying and declarations time yesterday and today was particularly fraught as I tried to work out where the best ground / most suitable ground was going to be in 48 hours time for those that are ready for runs. Not the easiest task! We had about 20mm, Royal Ascot was nearly abandoned with over 40mm whilst Worcester Racecourse seems to have missed most of it which is really frustrating as our hopeful runners, Debden Bank and Pay The Woman need enough to ensure there is no jar in the ground. More tonight I hope – from all the weather forecasts I’ve watched they surely can’t miss it!
On Thursday we were able to treat Anna McDonagh to tickets to Royal Ascot and she took her mother Wendy, who is in our Racing Club and is Landlady to our local The Coach & Horses in Longborough, and they looked to have a super day and missed most of the rain showers. Thanks to Ascot for helping make it possible. With the rest of the full time team here unable to take up the final pair of tickets we were thrilled that Paul Davis, who runs our Racing Club, our in-house partnerships and looks after our finances too as well as being an owner in more horses than he ever intends to here, was able to enjoy a day at Royal Ascot today – again, much deserved. Everyone here works so hard and it is fantastic to be able to reward them when we can.
Lisa Hughes brought her dad Steve in this morning as a Fathers’ Day present. He didn’t know anything about his visit until she picked him up this morning and they had a lovely morning.
James Best, Warren Marston and Harry Atkins all in to ride out. We worked a few including Miss Antipova, Be Thankful, Back on the Lash, Capricia and Ben Buie. We also schooled Debden Bank over fences and both Pay The Woman and Eclat Des Mottes over hurdles.
No runners today but, as mentioned above, hopefully we’ll be able to run Debden Bank and Pay The Woman tomorrow at Worcester on Fathers’ Day. Champion Court once won there on Fathers’ Day….will history repeat itself?!
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