Martin’s Blog 30th January

Found On jumped really well on her second start over fences yesterday at Uttoxeter under Sean Bowen to finish 3rd for Ollie & Irene Ryan although could never quite get into it enough to challenge the leaders on drying ground. She needs it softer under foot and so needs the rain to come as so many do … never happy us Trainers are we?! The team are enjoying riding out and working in dry weather but at this time of year with soft ground horses in training we all do need the heavens to open.

Yesterday was a manic morning but a really enjoyable one with lots of owners in to watch their horses and also visits from quite a few who hadn’t been to our yard before. 1st lot Jon Hughes, Tilly Jarrett, Paul Davis and Brendan Merriman with friend Steve to watch the horses doing fast work including Spanish Present, Brorson, Melekhov, Sarasota Star, Carumba, Sojourn, Cut And Run, Forecast, Love of Neymore and Finescope. The rest mainly just cantered.

Harry Paget Wall-Collins and her father in law ‘Dribbler’ (who did so much of the electrical work at Jackdaws Castle when we were all there with The Duke) were in along with Peter Fletcher and Lee Glanville and his family were in to watch 2nd lot and Sheila Lindsay, Hilz and Fi Gamble too en route to Cheltenham.

Racegoers of the future enjoying the cakes & as comfy on the shavings as the horses seem to be!

We had a visit from a coachload of racing enthusiasts from The West Berkshire Racing Club, also en route to Cheltenham, and it was fabulous to host them all and hope that they all enjoyed meeting our team, watching the horses on the gallops and the refreshments too that Tilly Jarrett, Dave & Mary Cull so kindly helped Belinda serve them.

Thanks to MJAYPhotography.com for this fabulous photo of some of the West Berkshire Racing Club

We’ve had lovely feedback following the email comments we shared in our Blog on Friday from an owner whose identity we didn’t feel it fair to share but who was happy for us to share the content on here – so much so we have another owner who’d also prefer to remain anonymous but who would like to endorse the comments too regarding the communication they receive from all of us at Team Keighley including Jon & Jack Hughes & Paul Davis who run so many of our syndicates here and are a big part of our team:

“Just thought I would E-Mail you to endorse the comments made in your blog from the anonymous E-Mailer regarding yourselves, Jon & Jack Hughes and Paul. I know we live 150 miles away but sometimes we feel as if we are standing on the gallops with all the info et cetera that reaches this part of the globe. It should be an object lesson to many other syndicates and training establishments that fail in communication skills.”

We are obviously delighted to receive such amazing comments – of course I’m sure there are always things to improve upon but we do all we can to keep all of our owners involved and up to date with their horses and especially where syndicates are involved we are proud to be members of the Racehorse Syndicates Association ensuring all of our syndicates are correctly run to the highest of standards. Any owner we have, however large or small, we feel are part of our racing family and we love having so many fabulous people supporting us and consider them all a vital part of Team Keighley.

My boys have been busy this weekend too. Saturday was such a busy one that sadly I couldn’t go to support Harry as he made his league debut for Broadway FC Under 12s. He only moved clubs a couple of weeks ago after about 4 years in another local club that whilst playing for them he not only made fantastic friends (who most are now at secondary school with him) but learnt so much too however he was ready for the next step up into a really competitive team. Having assumed he’d not be able to play in a league match until next season but he must have made enough of an impression in a friendly last weekend that his coach asked for Belinda’s help to rush through his forms so he could play yesterday (Harry has joked it was just in time for the end of the January transfer window!). He had a fantastic game, they won 4-1 beating the team that are currently top of the league and he managed to get on the score sheet too scoring his first goal for his new team. Well done Hazzer!

Hazzer with his mates Monty, left, and Max, right.

Older brother Freddie therefore had a lot to live up to today as he played, also at home, but for his team Northleach Woolies against a tough Malmesbury Team. With no runners today I managed to get to his game for the second half and he defended so well he earnt himself Man of the Match and his team played brilliantly to win 4-2 clawing themselves back from 1-2 earlier in the match.

Freddie – thrilled with Man of the Match

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