Rain glorious rain – not great for those wishing to enjoy a Bank Holiday Monday outside but perfect for our grass gallops, schooling ground and hopefully lots fell on the racecourses too!
Before then the weekend was sunny and our two runners at Uttoxeter on Saturday ran well without winning. Dreamsundermyfeet ran his most competitive race to date and, had he not missed the last two hurdles, could have finished 3rd but 5th place was an encouraging one anyway for this good looking but big horse. He’ll come on for that run too. Enforcement was given a fabulous ride by James Best, making his mind up for him and forcing him to be handy over the first despite all of the large field of runners looking as if they wanted to make the running! He enjoys it up with the pace and James ensured he was always up there and he jumped well too to finish 4th – encouraging. He’s bouncing since his run too and you’d not know he’d had two runs in short succession!
This morning we worked quite a few and James was in along with Warren Marston too. Horses that worked included Back on the Lash, Goldie’s Lovingit, Mr Mafia, Found On, Reve, Be Thankful, Mozzaro, Capricia, Miss Antipova, Kazontherazz, Witness Protection, Brianna Rose, Ten Past Midnight and Herecomeshogan. Sarasota Star schooled over the fences.
Four runners tonight at Southwell with Big Nasty our first runner for Peel Racing Syndicate with David Bass having his first ride for us in the Novices’ Handicap Chase. He seems in good form but does need to put a disappointing run last time out behind him.
Brorson makes his second appearance for us after a very encouraging run last time when he finished 2nd in a competitive bumper. This is competitive too but I hope he’ll come on for that run and a similar performance should see him thereabouts again. James Best on board and also on Robsam who runs later on in the evening in a 3 mile Handicap Hurdle for Matt Capp. A reproduction of his handicap debut where he was 2nd would see him in the mix.
Dariya (Patrick Cowley) didn’t look to enjoy herself last time out and maybe didn’t face the combination of a tongue tie and a visor so the tongue tie is removed and cheek pieces replace the visor. She schooled very well last week under Patrick and I hope she’ll run with much more encouragement tonight.
I mentioned on Saturday’s blog that we had been visited by Freja Thackray and her parents as Freja made her way around the country running up or down gallops and at racecourses. At just 8 years old, she’s raising money for Racing Welfare who look after us all so well and she was joined on her run here by our sponsor Neil Lloyd and she got to sit on Champion Court too. Here’s a video she sent us afterwards and a link to her fundraising page….please support her if you can by clicking HERE and donating.