Summer seems to have arrived although it did mean that I wasn’t happy enough with the ground at Worcester on Friday night so I pulled out Genovese, Duke of Luckley and Ambassador after walking the course and having a chat with the jockeys. There is always another day and we were desperately disappointed to see Spanish Present sustain a tendon injury at Southwell on Wednesday night when looking a certain winner but are so grateful that Sean Bowen pulled him up instantly. The team in the stable yard there were very helpful and I was very keen to get him home to see our vet and get his thoughts. A sleepless night but thankfully Jeremy Swan, our vet, is hopeful of a return to racing given the time he needs and plenty of TLC too. He’ll want for nothing and, as he’s one of Belinda’s favourites, I’ve already seen an extra 8 packs of carrots arrive in yesterday’s grocery delivery for him!
Spanish’s owner David Maughan was here on yesterday morning to see both him and visit Redbridge Rambler and Back On The Lash who are on their summer holidays at David Bridgwater’s base just outside Stow on the Wold. He’s got so much grass and, as our fields are grazed all year round as we turn out daily when horses are in training, we don’t have nearly as much as him. It’s as idylic as our fields though and they were all happy to see us.
On Friday Fern O’Brien was in for three lots as she’s in the middle of A Level study leave and Freddie squeezed in Lot riding work on Mr Mafia before school with Fern on Lantic Bay.
Last night we had a Martin Keighley Racing Partnerships Picnic and were blessed with glorious sunshine. Around 50 members of our various partnerships descended on us and I cooked anything they brought to me on the BBQ so had a busy night!
A busy night also for Ernesta who kindly offered to take groups of owners for sunset tours of the horses that have stayed here for their summer holidays and everyone seemed to love it.
Paul Davis did a draw for the prizes won by the syndicates over the season and a really good time was had by all.
Uttoxeter today and Matthew Baker’s Brianna Rose makes her chasing debut under Adam Wedge. Unfortunately she only has one opponent and so it could be a trappy type of race but she’ll hopefully jump well and enjoy herself.
We also run Witness Protection for Foxtrot Racing under James Best who gets on so well with him. A very competitive race as you’d expect for the grade and we hope he’ll appreciate the drop back in trip.