Am afraid l haven't done my blog for a while as l was at Doncaster last week buying horses. It was a very difficult market and l only ended up with one but he looks a nice type and he is for The 25 Club so l hope he's decent! We had a very good stag day for Paul Fitzsimmons last week which was fairly exhausting! We played 18 holes of golf in the morning, followed by lunch then a 30 lap race in go karts followed by a very good dinner at The Harrow. Quite a day! Managed to fall off and cracked a rib which has been quite painful especially when laughing or sitting in the car. Most of the horses are out in the field and we are getting all the boxes steam cleaned and painted ready for them to come back in July. We haven't had many runners lately as most of them are out but we ran Ocean Jive yesterday and he won having his first run over hurdles and beating the odds on favourite. It keeps our strike rate up to 50% which makes everyone happy. My sister Victoria came to stay and she and Kate went to Chelsea Flower Show on Friday and had a wonderful time. We all went to Eton Dorny on Sunday which is an Olympic venue for rowing and my daughter Tildie was taking part in a four. She was in a race of 8 boats and her boat won which we were terribly excited about and all jumping up and down. We spoke to her coach after who was very laid back about it and said of course they were odds on shots so l explained to him about a winners a winner especially when your daughters in the boat! We now have three very nice horses in The 25 Club and may buy the last one at Cheltenham on Thursday to make it up to the four. There are one or two more shares available so get in touch to avoid disappointment. The bed shook, creaked and rattled as she gripped the headboard and screamed out my name. At this point we were asked to leave Debenhams!

We had a very good weekend runners wise with Pickamix winning nicely at Market Rasen on Friday and then Royals And Rebels dotting up at Plumpton on Sunday. We have a strike rate of 60% so far this season so long may it last!
I have spent most of the week filling in holes on my lawn that have been dug up by badgers which is really becoming quite hard work.Luckily there is a house being built down the road which I am getting quite a lot of topsoil to fill in all these holes they are digging up.I could do without it though!
We went to Royal Windsor Horse Show on Saturday which is my favourite show of the year as you see all the best show jumpers from around the world competing for big prize money..I am very friendly with one of them called Guy Williams who when I met up with him asked me if I would take a horse for him to get it fit for The Hickstead Derby.So Zac arrived on Monday and he is a monster as he is 18hh,grey and it takes about five minutes to get on him as he is so tall.But he is an absolute gentleman and I adore riding him so we must do some work with him and get him ready for his big day
We only have five horses left in and hope to run Gowanauthat at the weekend then its Doncaster Sales next week were I am going to buy some new recruits for next season.
I accidently mixed up my Viagra with my hearing aid.Now I've got a hard of hearing on.!

We have turned a lot of horses out in the field for their holidays and the stables are even more empty than normal. The sales are coming up and l hope to buy a few more inmates for the new season which is very similar to a football club getting new players to boost their squad. Talking of which being a Newcastle United fan as l am we have not only been promoted but have also won the Championship. Our manager Rafa wants to have £100 million to strengthen the squad so as to be competitive in the Premiership which l hope he gets as we receive £200 million for going up! While l don't need quite that amount of money to strengthen my team it would be nice to have a few quid especially after the season we've had! I had a very nice Saturday night staying at Portishead with Kate and we went to a very up market night club called the Queens Shilling. It was only after being there a while that l noticed we were the only mixed couple and all the others were of the same sex. I then saw a large man with a dress on with his arms tied behind his back and a sign round his neck . At this point l told Kate that l thought it may be a good idea to leave as it was getting late! I mowed all my lawns beautifully on Friday only to see one of them completely dug up by badgers on the Sunday night. I have ordered all sorts of repellents to try and keep them out but really it's a bit late as they have done so much damage. 'Bend over and do exactly as l say,' she ordered. I shuddered as she pulled on the long rubber gloves and squeezed the thick liquid from the tube. 'OK,' she said,' This is how you do the washing up ....'

The season finished at Sandown on Saturday and all the winners got their trophies for another year. Then yesterday the new season started which means we get one day off between seasons and l think it's crazy. In the old days we used to get June and July off and jockeys,trainers and staff could take their holidays then get ready for the new season which worked a lot better. Now everyone is under so much pressure to get winners that you cannot afford to get left behind and you find horses to run through the summer. Anyway after that moan we had our first runner of the new season yesterday in the very first race of the new season and managed to win it with American Gigolo so l was leading trainer for about half an hour! Our 25 club is going so well that l may have to start another and am thinking of calling it the Hot Tub Club. The members would have full access to my hot tub while watching the days racing and be served drinks by gorgeous women dressed in matching bikinis to that owners colours. We may even have the odd horse in the club as well! My ex once said to me'Now,which whip shall it be today?'she teased,licking her lips.'l don't know,'l said,'l just can't decide between banana and butterscotch.'

Been quite a busy week and I started buying horses for next season at Cheltenham sales last Thursday.We bought a nice horse called Zen Master who finished second in his last bumper at Limerick and will run over hurdles next season before jumping fences the following year.He has been bought for The 25 Club and is the first of four we are buying for the club.
We ran Gowanauthat at Fontwell and he just got beaten a head but ran a cracking race and should pay his way through the summer. On Monday I ran Morney Wing at Warwick and he found the ground a bit quick but still finished a good third so he will go on his holidays now having had a very good season.
We had a very busy day yesterday and I ended up riding out four lots which I have not done for a very long time.If any trainer reads this and is thinking about doing the same thing don't, unless you have got a hot tub and a decent bottle of white wine to help you get over it!
'Are you sure you can take the pain?'she demanded,brandishing her stilettos. 'I think so,' I gulped. 'Here we go,then,' she said,and showed me the receipt.
All a learning curve!

We had a busy time last week getting the yard tidied up for the Lambourn Open Day which is not a bad thing as its a bit like having a Spring clean.
The day went really well and we had a lot of people through the yard and we did some business as well. I think Nicky Henderson probably had a few more people in his yard but I bet he didn't have five women in a hot tub afterwards! Definitely one of the better Open Days we've had!
Had a whole house full of people staying so it was very jolly.
The horses have been running well with Like The Sound finishing second on Sunday and then both Pickamix and Fixed Rate winning on Monday and Tuesday.Its been a very good season for us and I hope to start buying horses for the new season starting at Cheltenham tomorrow.We have had a lot of interest in our new 25 Club and hope to be buying horses for it as from tomorrow.We have a few shares left in it so if you are interested let us know sooner rather than later to avoid disapointment.
My ex and I had the perfect sadomasochistic relationship.I snored all night and she moaned about it all day!

Have been in the hot tub an awful lot lately both entertaining and for medicinal purposes it really does pay its way. In fact I think that anyone who doesn't have one is mad and you don't have to be able to swim to enjoy it!
We had a very jolly lunch in the Queens on Thursday with Andy and Ned McLafferty, Bill Brindle and Paul Meakin which ended up quite a late one! The next day I was driven up to Aintree by Kate who is not only a very good driver but also a very good looking bird . We had a very good lunch and looked round the course.
I ran two horses there American Gigolo who ran a cracker in a Grade 1 novice hurdle and Gowanauthat who sadly got brought down in The Topham but luckily was okay.We were hoping to run Some Kinda Lama on the Saturday but he got balloted out by one which was frustrating as he also got balloted out of Cheltenham!
We watched The National on Saturday which was as always a great spectacle to see and no horses or jockeys hurt for the fifth consecutive year so they must be doing something right.
Have started riding out again this week and I must say I feel pretty good may get my jockeys licence back!
'I am your master,'I commanded, 'You will obey my rules.' She rolled her eyes and just walked out of my shed. That was it - I definitely needed to get a new cat!

Had a very sad week last week as I had to have my cat Jerry put down as he had a tumor. He was a good friend and a great character and he will be sorely missed.
I went skiing with my two kids for a few days last week at a place called Argentiere which is near Chamonix and Susannah booked it.My son William tried to kill me on the first day as he is like me in that he is pretty quick and completely reckless so we go a good gallop! Where as Matilda is like her mother and has a lot more finesse and style.Anyway I made it through the week although my back is killing me.
We don't have many in until the end of the week when we hope to take three up to Aintree. We have American Gigolo in the novice hurdle, Gowanauthat over the big ones in The Topham and Some Kinda Lama in either the novice or the handicap.
It was my birthday yesterday and the thing that really made it for me was to know that I share it with Coleen Rooney!
We have got a lot of interest in The 25 Club and will start buying the four horses next month so anyone interested in joining must let me know fairly soon to avoid disappointment.

I managed to hurt my back last week by riding a horse that pulled my arms and left me very sore. After quite a few sessions in the hot tub I decided to go to Oaksey House where they did a great job and helped me enormously. We are so lucky to have this facility on our doorstep and I know that poor old Tommy will need as much help as possible after his horrendous fall at Newbury last Friday.
We had a fairly ordinary day last Wednesday with both runners running badly but the highlight of the day was having a very good lunch in an Italian restaurant in Warwick with a great friend of mine.
We had a good weekend with four runners which resulted in a winner two seconds and a fifth.Like The Sound won his second hurdle race of the season but will not be seen at his best until he goes chasing next year as he's a gogeous big horse. We had two seconds at Hereford with Fixed Rate coming back to form and Wishicould just finding the ground too fast for her as she needs a bog!
I got up very early on Sunday as we took Gowanauthat and Seventh Sky to Newbury for a spin round and forgot that the clocks had gone forward which meant I got up at five o'clock!
We haven't got too many runners this week as we've only got fifteen left in but its been a very good season for us with twenty one winners and some nice horses still to run.
Am off skiing tomorrow to Argentierre with my kids until Sunday so we should have a bit of fun and I will try to beat them down the black runs without killing myself!

Am sorry I missed my blog last week but I was rather busy with eight people staying most nights we had a very full house! I think four days at the Festival is enough for anyone so lets hope for the sake of our livers they don't make it five days!
I had quite a day the Friday before last with lunch at Sandown with Princess Anne and then drinks at Windsor Castle with her mum afterwards. She is a very special lady and I always enjoy going to that drinks party.
Last week started with a bang as Royals And Rebels managed to win at Plumpton by a short head under a very good ride from Tommy which was very exciting to watch.We also had a good run from Morney Wing at Sandown which should put him back on track again.
It was fabulous being at Cheltenham especially if you were a Paddy! The Irish took the place by storm with N Henderson taking the English honours with three nice winners.The riding honours went to Ruby Walsh and Noel Fehily who both ride Cheltenham  beautifully and give their horses so much time to get into a race.
The punter of the week has got to be the fella who had 400k at 1-4 on Altior and then must have thought that was easy so then stuffed 500k on Douvain and lost a large chunk of dosh! Rumours are it was a footballer so easy come easy go.
I had both my sisters and brother staying amongst others so it was a very jolly week with quite late dinners every night and a sore head most mornings.
We have a few entries through the week and then sixteen entries over the weekend which should keep us busy and hopefully get us the odd winner.
We have now got a lot of interest in The 25 Club which I need to have in place for the end of next month as we would like to start buying the horses in May for next season and hope there are a few Cheltenham winners amongst them!

We had a few runners last week the highlight beeing Wishicoulds win at Newbury were she won really well and has subsequently gone up 9lbs for doing so.I ran Seventh Sky on Saturday at Newbury and I think he has fallen out of love with the game as he doesn't really want to know any more.He is still working out of his skin but he is not firing on the racecourse and so reluctantly having discussed it with Fidelma Toole who owns him we have decided to retire him . Its a great shame as he has won us a lot of races and is in the Grand National this year but he owes us nothing and he will be very difficult to replace.
We had a busy weekend and a full house staying most of whom finished up in the hot tub on Saturday night with a few hangovers the next morning!
We have the odd runner this week the highlight being on Friday at Sandown where I have an invitation for lunch with Princess Anne and then in the evening I am taking my daughter Matilda to have drinks with the Queen at Windsor Castle. Tildie is very excited about it and will be practicing her curtsy all week!

Had a bit of a panic last week as I was peeing blood and when I googled it I learned that either my kidneys had packed up or I had cancer both of which I might die from! So in a bit of a state I got an appointment with a doctor in Lambourn who told me to bring a sample down.I didn't have a test tube so I put my sample in a champagne flute with some cling film on the top.I walked into the surgery waiting room and half of Lambourn were sitting there wanting to know what I had come in for so I told them it was nothing serious but I did get some funny looks as I was clutching my champagne flute! I eventually saw the Doctor who put a litmus paper into my sample and said it looked OK. She then asked me if I had eaten any beetroot and realising  that I had I felt like a real plonker!
We had a few runners last week and I think Some Kinda Lama was a little unlucky not to win as he was a fast finishing 2nd. We ran Morney Wing in The Eider and he never got put in the race which was disapointing as we had layed him out for the race quite a while ago.
We have a few entries this week and could do with a winner as we've had a lot of 2nds lately and it would be nice to go one better.
Everyone is getting geared up for Cheltenham and all the last trial races have been run so the picture is getting a bit clearer as to what races which horses will run in. Poor old Barry Geraghty is not going to make it as he had a horrible fall on Saturday at Kempton and broke some ribs and punctured a lung. As the whole year is geared for those four days in March it must be very frustrating for him.

Well we have at long last started to have some runners again thank God as I was getting very bored.We ran Like The Sound at Kempton on Friday in a very competitive novice hurdle and he ran a cracker to be 2nd .He will make a lovely novice chaser next season. We ran Royals And Rebels in his first chase at Plumpton yesterday and he jumped well to finish 2nd and will come on for the race as he has just had his wind done.We also ran Wishicould in her first handicap hurdle and she also finished 2nd so they're in form but it would be nice to get a winner!
Our next runner is Cody Wyoming in the Royal Artillery Gold Cup at Sandown on Friday which have to be ridden by soldiers or ex ones. We have got the services of Jody Sole who has won the race a few times and is definately one of the more competitive riders.
I have spent most of the morning opening my Valentine cards which does restore my faith in human nature after last years fun and games!
We are launching the new 25 club and we have had a very good response so far which is very exciting and if anyone wants some info on it just drop us a line.

We have had a very quiet time lately mainly through lack of horses which is frustrating as we are having a good season. I am trying to get the numbers up for next season and I have launched The 25 Club with the intention of buying four nice horses that can compete at a decent level.We have had a fair bit of interest and anyone that would like a brochure just drop us a line.
We should get a bit busier soon as we worked a lot more horses last week and one or two of them may get entries next week.
I stayed with my brother Robbie at the weekend as it was our sister Victoria's 50th and we all got together at Horncliffe to celebrate. It all went really well and we came back down the A1 with a serious headache.
A lot of people did a dry January which I've never understood as it's the most miserable month of the year and I can't understand why anyone would want to make it even more miserable!
Doing very well on the women front right now and if my business was going as well as that I would be giving Paul Nicholls a run for his money!

We are getting a bit bored as we haven't got anything to run right now.I got back from a break to Thailand last Tuesday and was standing on the gallops the next day when it was -6 thinking why didn't I stay another week.
The cold weather has  stopped and we now have the rain which is making the ground very testing.II watched some very good racing from Cheltenham on Saturday but the whole day was marred by the death of Many Clouds which really brings to home what wonderful brave creatures we look after in our business.We all used to see him on the gallops every day with his regular rider Nathan onboard and I suppose we just took it for granted that he would be there every day.Its a very up and down game we are in and it's tragic for everyone involved with 'Clouds' but as Oliver Sherwood said this morning on the gallops 'life goes on' and he is absolutely right as it does!
I have sent out some brochures for our new club (The 25 Club) and have had a very positive response so far. So hopefully we can buy four nice horses in the spring for the club to go to war with next season and run in the better races.
All the horses are well and cantering away so should start getting busy in about two weeks.

We have had very few runners lately as we have done so many wind operations on all of them that we don,t have many to run at the moment which is a bit frustrating .
I ran Wishicould at Newbury last Wednesday and she ran a really nice race to finish third although she is crying out for three miles and should win when we find her the right race . At Wincanton on the Thursday we ran Morney Wing who was very disappointing having won his last race and was eventually pulled up.I am convinced that it was the ground that did for him as he was never travelling.
On Saturday we ran Seventh Sky in the Peter Marsh at Haydock and he never got his way as they went flat out from the start.which didn't suit him at all. There was a very expensive French horse in the race called Alary who was having his first run over here and had been hyped up as a Gold Cup contender. The horse was pulled up after which his jockey was heard to say 'I hope they kept the receipt'!
Only have Like The Sound to run in the next few days so things will be a bit quiet.
I got back this morning having had a week away to find this weather a little bit on the cold side!

We all had a very busy Christmas and just about survived. I had my ex wife,kids,sister and my divorce lawyer round for Christmas lunch and it was very jolly.
We had a few runners at Wetherby on Boxing Day but no great excitements .I ran a nice mare last Saturday called Wishicould and she ran a really good race to be placed in her first hurdle .
I had a very jolly dinner for twelve people on New Years Eve which got a bit messy in the end.I thought it would be great fun to see the New Year in by drinking champagne in my hot tub with all the others. I also thought it would be a good idea to put bubble bath into the hot tub to liven things up a bit. Well nine of us got in and although it was a bit squashed you couldn't see anyone as the foam was about five feet high! I was trying to drink a glass of Bollinger but with three inches of foam on it,it looked more like a pint of Guiness !
I got up on Sunday morning and when I opened the curtains I thought it had been snowing as my lawn was white. On closer inspection it turned out to be foam from the hot tub and a lot of it we could have built a foam man.
On Monday we went to Plumpton with Morney Wing for the Sussex National and I really fancied him as he had been acting like a two year old for the last fortnight.We had Noel Fehily riding and ground was right for him. Then Noel was stood down before the race with flu having ridden the first winner so we had to get Paddy Brennan as a last minute replacement.
Everything went well in the race he jumped beautifully and travelled easily winning fairly nicely in the end. It was a nice race to win on a Bank Holiday Monday especially as the owners are a very good bunch and have supported the yard by having three very nice horses.
We are having a good season and need to get some more horses for the next campaign. At least this year has started better than the last one!