Potentially the hottest day on records so the team kindly agreed to come in extra early to get the horses ridden out before it got any hotter. Thanks to them for their support.
We do have two runners at Southwell but they have brought racing forward and Mr Mafia runs now at 11.55am. Southwell have put lots in place to ensure that the horses are well looked after – horses will be unsaddled on the track where they will be met by vets, lots of helpers with buckets of water etc so everything has been thought about.
Mr Mafia won almost too well at Southwell last week and has been raised 12lbs by the Handicapper for his 20 length win. Richard Johnson is back in the saddle again today and but he does have a tough opponent in Irish raider Home Place but we’d be thrilled if ours could win again for owner Peter Boggis.
Enforcement is also partnered by Richard Johnson and needs to up his game somewhat! He’s lower than his winning mark but has been disappointing since that win and is getting frustrating. He looks an absolute picture too so it would be great if he ran like he looks!
Belinda & Freddie were with the Shetland Pony Grand National Team at Dunster Castle with his pony Brewards Kerwen. They had a fun day and were thrilled to see Sarah Hobbs and their Assistant Trainer Johnson White who invited them back to look around their yard which was 5 minutes from Dunster Castle. They looked after so well so thanks to Sarah & Johnson and all the team there for being so generous with their time.
This morning Freddie’s pony racing friend Richard Cook, who is a bit older than him, came to ride out for the first time and loved it. He’s a keen pony racing jockey and was joined this morning by Harry Greasby who is also pony racing but who is a regular here. We enjoy encouraging these children to ride out and obviously ensure they are on the safer horses and have their own insurance. They are our future employees and even if they decide not to be jockeys there is so much opportunity for people to make a career in British racing.
We had a fun evening on Tuesday night for Harley Cornock’s leaving party – yes he’s sadly going after 6 1/2 years working here – he did try and leave once before but returned! He has our superstar Any Currency in retirement with him and he’s busy show jumping him with great success. Anyway, on one of the hottest nights of the year we went Go Karting in Gloucester with Harley! No surprise that he won the Grand Prix at the end but Alice flew the flag for the girls finishing 2nd on the podium and Harry Stock was 3rd. A really fun night and Harley will be missed when he leaves at the end of the month but we are sure he will keep very much in touch.