A glorious week of sunshine and perfect for the horses out on their summer holidays. We could no doubt do with some rain but it’s great weather for the team to be working outside in so they are all happy! The strimmer and mower are in action too and also the annual deep steam clean. We do however do a complete ‘fog’ of our stables once a week too where we bring the banks of the bedding into the middle so that the four walls of every stable can be cleaned with disinfectant. With runners meeting horses from so many different yards at the races it is hard to keep them bug free all season but we are always striving for more ways to try our best to.
A few runners so far this week but the most bizarre weather was at Ludlow for the last race on Monday. Both Raving Bonkers and Matravers appreciate quick ground therefore the ‘good, good to firm in places’ should have been perfect for them and we saddled them up and were hopeful, especially with Raving Bonkers, that they’d enjoy the run. However, we hadn’t prepared ourselves for an absolutely torrential rain shower which descended as the runners were in the paddock. In hindsight I should have pulled them out but we weren’t to know that the rain could have got into the ground and changed it so dramatically.
Neither enjoyed it and although Raving Bonkers was 4th, he was beaten a long way and Harry Stock reported he didn’t enjoy one moment. Harry weighed in 7lbs heavy which just goes to show how heavy the storm was. Ella McCarty-Jones, who adores RB, chose to go racing whilst on her holiday to lead up and Harry’s mother Zoe, who was celebrating her birthday, were still pretty soaked by the time they returned to the yard. Crazy weather and what a shame as the race looked perfect.
Yesterday Oscar World ran at Huntingdon evening meeting. She made a mistake on the final circuit that knocked the stuffing out of her and couldn’t get back into the race after that. She now heads for the Sales tomorrow as her owner is moving abroad.
Abi Stock has been in to ride out plenty of times recently ahead of her Ride of Their Lives Macmillan Charity Race at York in under a months time and was in again today. She’s raised over £20,000 so far and is doing such a wonderful job for a special charity close to all our hearts.
Earlier this week Belinda met with Neil Lloyd, who has a share in our Califet yearling and also James Worthington who was here to share ideas for branded kit for the team. Good to meet up with them both.