Welcome sunshine this week and I’ve been managing to get more of those jobs that I’ve been too busy to do eventually done. In fact I’m sure my days are currently even longer as there is only our Yardman Lucjan still working as unfortunately the rest of the team have had to be furloughed. I’m even now able to use the Industrial Washing Machine on the yard as there are so many rugs to wash and this weather is perfect for drying rugs! It’s SO different to the machine at home though!! There are fences to mend, fields to harrow and seed and obviously horses out in the field to check and feed twice a day. I like them to have hard feed once a day as it keeps their insides working well and allows me more time too to check them all over whilst they are in one place.
I delivered two horses back for their summer holidays yesterday to Chris Dee’s Winchcombe home – Eclat Des Mottes, who she has a share in, and Beneagles and it was wonderful to watch them galloping off together looking so well. We’d hoped to run both of them during the late spring / early summer but, we must look on the bright side and, both these horses have come from big yards and although settled happily into our routine, it won’t do them any harm to have a proper month or so with Chris’s TLC. It was wonderful to see her mare and new gorgeous foal frolicking in the field – new life and an awesome pick me up I’m sure.
Chris’s boys left home quite a few years ago and so, as we all are, they’ve been having a clear out and Freddie & Harry are very fortunate recipients of some games including a Table Tennis table so something else to keep them busy and off the Xbox! Thank you Chris & family, much appreciated. I can see some competitive family tournaments coming up!
Freddie is having the time of his life as a jockey at the moment – after riding ‘Back Of The Telly’ in last Saturday’s Go Racing Green Grand National, he’s got another big chance on Saturday 2nd May as he has secured a ride in the Go Racing Green Guineas! He rides no. 40 IntoTheDip owned by Debbie Holroyd and his friend Richard Cook, who beat him in the Grand National, rides no. 12 TwoThousandGuineas who is owned by Racing Tracker. All good fun and something we will enjoy supporting.
Our Chickens have laid their first eggs! We have 3 so far and the boys are thoroughly enjoying looking after them and getting to know them. They arrived looking like 4 identical brown hens (we were expecting 7 but the other 3 wouldn’t be caught and sadly were caught by something else 🙁 …) but the boys have already worked out the difference between them! A lovely distraction to what is going on in the outside world.
I always say that racing is a fantastic sport to be in as our Racing Family is an awesome supportive place to be especially during trying times. I much appreciated Jockey’s Agent Chris Broad calling me yesterday to check how we were doing – it is tough for them too. As I say, lovely to be part of the Racing Family.
Continue to take care of yourselves. Do follow us on Twitter (MartinKeighley7) and Facebook (Keighley Racing Ltd) and we will do our best to keep you entertained with photos and videos of what is happening here.