Our final runners of the season tonight with one runner at Southwell and one runner at Chepstow. I’m heading to Southwell Racecourse with Owners for Owners’ Dreamundermyfeet who’ll be partnered by Rex Dingle, who has won on him already this season but who is replacing regular pilot James Best who is sadly out injured. He’s won four times this season and is returning after a much deserved three month break so will definitely come on for the run today. No pressure for Rex but he is currently on a 100% strike rate for us this season having won Dreamer, as previously mentioned, and our much missed Sarasota Star.
Across at Chepstow where Paddy Berkins is in charge we run Windy Cove for Adam Morgan and Nicola Clifford and she is partnered by Lorcan Williams. We are running her in a hood today in the hope that she will settle and finsh her race off better than she has as she’s been very keen so far. She jumps well at home and hopefully will put in a decent round of jumping and run a solid race tonight.
Yesterday we made a dream come true for young Claudia Groves, a talented rider who has been racing with Freddie on the Shetland Pony Grand National Circuit for 4 years and is also a very good rider in the Show Ring too. She came here and rode out a racehorse for the very first time and absolutely loved it. She’s never without a smile on her face anyway but yesterday, after riding Mozzaro on our sand loop gallop and then once up the long carpet gallop, her smile was even larger! Rachael Blackmore is her hero and I wouldn’t bet against her becoming a top jockey in the future either. She also brought two ponies with her, so an early start for her and mum Sam from their Dorset home, and had fun jumping around our Fun Ride – a busy day for her and one she’ll never, ever forget.
Paul Davis has been in today to watch the horses on the gallops but was in yesterday too to meet Anna Walmsley to see Spice Boy and it was lovely to see Anna – she certainly brought the sunshine!
Huge congratulations to owners Ollie & Irene who officially became Mr & Mrs Ryan on Wednesday in South Africa. We very much look forward to celebrating with them when they return and wish them every happiness for their future together.
