First of all huge apologies if you have received an email / emails from me (well from a hotmail address pretending to be us!) – Belinda isn’t stuck in Istanbul …. Our phones have rung endlessly this morning – we do know and are trying to rectify it as soon as we can. Frustrating and annoying.
However, nothing compared to the awful news that fellow Trainer Richard Woollacott has died aged only 40. What shocking and devastating news – thoughts with all his friends, family and team. Tragic.
Yesterday Belinda and I went to Mary Hambro’s funeral at Batsford and it was a beautiful service and I think she’d have been delighted with the send off we all gave her. Lovely to hear that Buckle Street was one of her absolute favourites and that her PA and the nurses were shouting him home by her bedside at Cheltenham earlier this month. May she rest in peace.
Work morning here and Warren Marston in. We worked Solstice Star, Brillare Momento, Dr Dunraven, Morning Herald, Fairmount, Mister Valentine, Spice Boy, Lord Condi, Pomme De Nuit, Hartshorne Abbie, Ballymountain Boy and Cup of Ambition. All the rest cantered.
We had an early start to receive a gorgeous Presenting Gelding from PJ Colville’s yard in Ireland. We can’t wait to get going with him as he looks a fabulous sort and has improved physically again since Belinda & I went out to see him in October. We’ve had a few new additions this week so exciting times here. Another is Pirate Look and there are still two shares available in him so do call in and watch these good looking youngsters if you are interested in getting involved.
Spice Girl is our only runner today. She runs at Leicester with Champion Jockey Richard Johnson on board. She seems in good form and we hope she will go through the heavy ground but it will be softer than she has encountered before so we can’t be certain she will enjoy it. She’s won three bumpers and one hurdle race this season so has already done us proud – it would be great if she could add to it again today.