A busy schooling morning with Leighton Aspell and James Best both in to school alongside the team we have here headed by Conditional Jockey Patrick Cowley.
We schooled Big Nasty, Forecast, Capital Force, Chequered View, Lord Condi, Back on the Lash, Reve, Lucky Circle, World War, Pinnacle Peak Ben Buie, Enforcement, Samtara, Debden Bank & Robsam.
We then went to Cheltenham to school over the Cross Country fences there and Mr Mafia (James Best) schooled over them for the first time along with Solstice Star (Leighton Aspell) who has jumped them before. Jamie Snowdon’s two horses schooled too. I was very pleased with both of mine and thanks to Cheltenham and, in particular, Ben Hastie, for being so accommodating.
In fact one of our horses that schooled today, Lucky Circle, has a Cheltenham connection as Lee Moulson, Regional Head of Sales for Jockey Club Racecourses and based at Cheltenham, heads her syndicate and has promised to come and ride her out very soon! She’s a nice filly who didn’t show anything on the flat but looks much more a National Hunt type and is growing all the time too so we hope she’ll improve with a hurdle in front of her. She’s been schooling at Jon Trice-Rolph’s but today was her first session on our schooling ground on the grass and, although a little novicey to start with, she impressed us with her attitude. Who knows – a change to hurdles may be the making of her – it’s all about dreams isn’t it?!
Paul Davis and Jon Hughes were in the office this morning meeting Belinda to discuss sales & marketing and it sounded a long and fruitful meeting. Belinda and Jasmin have returned as fully trained Mental Health First Aiders after a two day course at Cheltenham Racecourse with Racing Welfare and heavily subsidised by them too. They both said it was a worthwhile course and we are so lucky to be supported by Racing Welfare in racing. Thanks to all concerned and well done to Belinda & Jasmin for passing.