We ran a couple of horses on Thursday at Taunton and Ludlow, Western King was 5th with AP McCoy on board. I think the handicapper put him up to much and he struggled to finish his race after the last. I ran Low Gales at Ludlow, I have previously avoided soft ground with him so if I had known the ground was as bad as it was I would not have run him. As it was he hated the going and also slipped on the bend not helping his cause.
I went to Cheltenham on Friday and thoroughly enjoyed the racing from the comfort of Lycetts Box. Later in the evening I went to the Brightwells select sale and tried to buy a horse. They all made far to much money and I came away empty handed. I returned home to a house full of people for supper, including my sister Caroline and her husband Mark, and my brother Robbie and his girlfriend Emma. Saturday morning was fairly hectic with 14 people for breakfast included Tom Swerling who I haven't seen for a while.
Shockingtimes worked really well and Attimo impressed too. We managed to make it to Cheltenham in good time where we had a box for the day. We had 20 odd people in the box for drinks and lunch. It worked really and an everyone enjoyed themselves, it was a great opportunity for a lot of our owners to meet one another. We also managed to get a winner at Uttoxeter with Duke Of Monmouth plugging on in true trying fashion to win by a neck. The handicapper gave him a good chance by dropping him 8lbs last week so we took advantage of this but he also jumped very well and was given a great ride by Dominc Elsworth.
I was rung up by an Irish man as I arrived at the racecourse on Saturday offering me horse that tried to buy the night before, after a lot of haggling I managed to buy Breezy Kin who won a p2p last Sunday in Ireland and although he may not be a world beater he has very consistent form, he has been brought for Harry Bannister to ride.
When we got back from the races on Saturday evening we jumped in the hot tub for an hour and drank some very nice wine, before going to Simon Beccles and Marie Ellis for a lovely dinner.
On Sunday morning my family left to go back to Edinburgh and I went out for lunch to Kim Meehan, where I watched Who Owns Me come 3rd at Fontwell, he made a mistake both times at the downhill fence which knocked the stuffing out of him. He was unsuited by the quick early pace and tired quickly in the heavy ground.
This morning we cantered a lot of the new horses for the first time, the horses spirits were high but there was some rather nervous looking faces on my staff! I watched from the car as my secretary Rose had a rather hairy time and very almost got thrown off a couple of times, she very quickly retreated to the office when we got back so not to have to sit on another one!
As we had no runners today I decided to take Mr Big hunting with the VWH, he jumped the first 5 or 6 fences fine and then decided he would not jump a small post and rail, at the 3rd time of trying he dumped me in the biggest muddiest puddle he could find and on top of that I lost my watch. I spent the next twenty minutes looking for my watch by which time the hounds had disappeared, luckily I found my watch but Mr Big behaved very badly and we went home - I will have to get this sorted before the next time we go out as its not the first time he has done it! He has claimed 4 rider falls in 3 meets!
Plum Stone runs at Lingfield tomorrow in a mares bumper, she is a nice filly and the All Weather surface should suit her. I plan to run Greyfriars Drummer on Thursday at Market Rasen as I had to take him out of Cheltenham on Saturday as he bruised his heel, Area Access may also go there. Lord of House will go to Ascot on Friday. Shockingtimes and Attimo will go to Ascot on Saturday and Always Smiling at Towcester on Sunday.
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