Julia Feilden Racing

After a disappointing week with the runners, Candesta ran poorly, we have our sights firmly set on Friday when Inauguration, a filly we recently bought at Tattersalls sales out of the Charles Hills yard, makes her debut for us at Lingfield. She has only had 4 runs, most recently finishing 3rd at Kempton, so is still fairly unexposed. We galloped her with Silver Alliance this week and seems to be doing everything right to hopefully break the maiden tag fairly soon.

Inauguration (Shelley) and Silver Alliance (Niall)

Another horse who will be making his stable debut for us soon is Guising. As soon as we bought him he was turned away to freshen up and is now back to almost the galloping stage. Unlike the filly he has already won and was not a bad sort in his younger days so if we can recapture some of his early form he will be an exciting horse for the year.

Guising (Tina)

After a long absence through illness we have finally got the talented Veeraya almost back to full fitness. He is the highest rated horse in the yard and ran a cracking race last year in the big race on Good Friday at Lingfield. We hoped to have another good winter with him this time around but unfortunately he fell severely ill in the autumn and we are so relieved he is so happy and back to doing what he does best.

Veeraya (Natalie)

We have been quietly bringing along our 2 year olds and I have to admit I have not seen any other string going as well as mine! I cannot believe how well behaved and hard they have been, we have not had a single sore shin or problem with any of them yet, which means we have been able to spend a lot of time teaching them the ways of the world. Even our home bred colt Big Bang has really grown up and done so well to catch up with the fillies after being broken in a lot later than the rest.

L-R Go On Gal, Little Orchid, Big Bang, It's A Sheila Thing, Dakota City (lead horse)

I woke up to very exciting news on Tuesday when I found that our fantastic mare Bavarica had given birth to her second foal, (after Big Bang) a lovely colt by Cityscape. We were soon over to visit and were even lucky enough to see him turned out for the first time and captured his first impressions of the big wide world! I almost had a tear in my eye seeing the mare as she as been such an amazing horse for the family, when ever we were on the cold trainers list you could count on 'Rita' to get us off of it! Nothing seems to faze her but we are still undecided about covering her again this year as it is more for fun than anything else.

Bavarica and new born colt

Bavarica foaled down at Northmore Stud which is in the village and while we were there we paid a visit to Bestfootforward, a mare we used to train for the stud and who won for us and was very quick. She gave birth to a filly by Equiano a few days before our mare.

Bestfootforward and new born filly

We are all gearing up for the return of Sabre Rock on the 4th of March and he is progressing brilliantly in his preparation. He galloped with Handheld on Saturday and was very pleasing as usual.

Handheld (Ryan) and Sabre Rock (Mark)

Well Attain showed us he still has that ability that he shows at home with an emphatic win at Lingfield on Tuesday under a great ride by Shelley, the first time tongue tie seems to have been the answer, we hope he can follow up next time now we have found the key.

Attain winning at Lingfield

Next week kicks off on Wednesday at Lingfield with Sabre Rock aiming for a five timer, he has done well for his months' break and we hope that he is still on a winning mark and can keep the dream alive!! Also running on that day is Tolly McGuiness in the apprentice race to be ridden by our apprentice Ryan Moore. Thursday we move on to Chelmsford City with Tight Lipped, he is running back over 1m 2f as he found the 1m too sharp last time. We have given him a back up entry at Southwell on Thursday as the race has been put 'at risk' of being abandoned if there are less than 5 declarations.

Sabre Rock (Mark Rimmer)

Tolly McGuiness (Ryan)

Tight Lipped (Adam) Grey with Handheld (Shelley)

Another filly we hope to have on the track soon is Moment to Dream, she has been working nicely and is now ready to experience the racetrack. She is improving all the time and being by Halling will improve with age. After sadly losing Prussia Cove a few weeks ago Steve Clarke has taken a half share in her to realise his ambition to have a horse run in his colours.

Moment to Dream (Tina) in front of Bushy Glade (Rebecca)

Photographer John Hoy came to the yard on Friday and fitted a head cam to Shelley's helmet to take action pictures of a riders view for a video for the Jockey Club, we are looking forward to seeing some of the pictures and hopefully show you soon. As you know Shelley starts her new job with David O'Meara on Monday, we all wish her the best of luck, she will be very much missed around the yard but when available will still be riding our horses at the races

Shelley with head cam ready for action!

Well they say racing is a great leveller and so it proved on Wednesday at Lingfield. Sabre Rock scored in impressive style to make it five wins in a row under a fantastic ride by Shelley Birkett. He is now in line for the £10,000 bonus for most wins in the All Weather season, so will now aim for a race at the end of March. Half an hour later Tolly McGuiness ran in the Hands and Heels race ridden by our apprentice Ryan Moore. He was travelling well when disaster struck two furlongs from home when he fractured his fore leg and was pulled up quickly, unfortunately he could not be saved. I would like to thank Lingfield Racecourse for dealing with Tolly and myself with such speed and kindness. I had gone through every emotion in one hour.

Sabre Rock winning at Lingfield ridden by Shelley Birkett

Ryan riding Tolly McGuiness RIP

We do not have any horses entered until Friday when Meddling may run in a fillies handicap at Lingfield, if this race looks like being too tough then we will wait until Lingfield the following Friday for a lower grade race. She has been slightly held up by an infected cut that happened when she was running around the field, but she worked nicely on the All Weather on Wednesday with Avidly who is coming back to form after a couple of months break and will be running in the next couple of weeks. The other runner we have entered on Friday is Bushy Glade at Wolverhampton, she is in a low grade 1m 4f handicap and we hope she can improve for the step up in trip. Moment to Dream has been improving all the time in her work, so we would hope to see her make her debut in a couple of weeks.

Meddling (Mark) far side with Avidly (Adam)

Moment to Dream (Tina) far side with Bushy Glade (Ryan)

All the horses that have had a Winter break have now stepped up a gear in preparation for the new turf season that opens at the end of March. Silver Alliance is in great form and worked nicely on the Cambridge Road polytrack on Saturday, we hope to run him at Chelmsford City on 16th March as a prep run before another turf season. Guising worked along side Silver, he is a October Horses in Training purchase who has been given a Winter break in the hope that he finds the good form he showed as a three year old, he will head to Doncaster for the Amateur handicap when Ross will be back from his trip to Australia to ride him

Silver Alliance (Mark) far side with Guising (Niall)

Two more horses that are returning from a break are Veeraya who has over come a serious operation for a twisted gut last year, he is now moving better than ever so we hope that this will be his year to repay the vets bills his owner has incurred over the last few months!! Handheld hates running on the All Weather so he is gearing up for a run at Doncaster at the end of March, hopefully he will get the soft ground that he needs.

Veeraya (Adam) near side with Handheld (Tessa)

The two year olds are well forward and will be hitting the track in the first two year old races of the season, our first runner in this catagory will probably be It's a Sheila Thing a sharp filly by Sir Percy also running along well with her is Go On Gal a filly by Approve and Big Bang by Observatory out our wonderful mare Bavarica, he is our new horse for Newmarket Equine Tours Racing Club.

Candesta leading the two year olds on Saturday

I know you should never wish your life away, but I am so looking forward to the end of March not only because the new Flat season starts at Doncaster on 28th March but also Ross will be back from his travels in Australia to write this blog!! As you will probably have guessed the blog is probably not up to the usual standard of writing and layout.

The gallops on Saturday certainly stepped up a gear when we galloped all three lots that went out, it is very unusal to have that many horses to work. The two year olds are now ready to run and did a great piece of work over 4 furlongs on the polytrack All Weather, we will probably have our first two year old running at Kempton on 28th March with It's a Sheila Thing, a sharp filly by Sir Percy. Another filly ready to run is Go On Gal who will also be running in the next couple of weeks, she is by the good sire of two year olds Approve.

L/R It's a SheilaThing (Mark) Inauguration (Niall) Go On Gal (Adam)

The runners kick off this week on Monday with Silver Alliance at Chelmsford City, he has had a Winter break after having a fruitful season, winning twice but has paid the price by starting this year probably a little too high in the handicap, but he is a horse that can surprise you now and again.

Wednesday sees Avidly and Veeraya back on the track also at Chelmsford. Avidly seems to have the spark back doing a very good piece of work with Meddling on Saturday.

Avidly (Adam) leads Meddling (Mark)

The two horses we have lined up for the first turf meeting of the season at Doncaster on Sunday, 29th March, did a good piece of work over 1 mile on Saturday. Handheld with me back in the plate! worked upsides Guising who will run in the Amateur riders handicap on that day.
Another exciting horse we have gearing up to run is Dakota City a stunning 4 year old half brother to Rapid City who won 6 races for us a few years ago. He has had three runs in France and has a rating of 75, so he will probably start off in a maiden. He has been syndicated and has some excited owners waiting in the wings!!

Handheld far side (Julia) upsides Guising (Tessa)

Dakota City (Mark) strides out on Cambridge Road polytrack

We are back at Chelmsford on Thursday with Candesta, he has also had a short break and will run back over 1m, as it seems this distance suits him best, he finished second there over course and distance two runs back. Tight Lipped has been ticking over waiting for a suitable race, he is best running fresh, so should be out again in a week or two.

Candesta (Rebecca) near side upsides Veeraya (Adam)

Tight Lipped (Niall) strides out on Cambridge Road polytrack

It's not just the turf season that returns this week but also our hugely popular Three To Follow competition. More details can be found at the end of this blog.

Firstly, it's on to the most important matter - the horses.
It wasn't a bad week runners-wise with a few horses putting in good efforts and finishing in the money. It was encouraging to see both Candesta and Avidly running well as they have both had problems and hopefully we are getting on top of them and a win isn't too far away.
Meddling ran a bit below par when favourite at Lingfield on Friday for no apparent reason. She didn't travel with her usual zest and it may have just been that she got in behind a few horses and sulked a bit. She is better than this effort and I hope she can get back to form next time.

Looking on to this week, we are straight into action at Wolverhampton tomorrow. Tight Lipped has put in some good runs for us over the winter but just found one mile way too short for him last time. He's back up in trip and had a little pop over some hurdles at the weekend to freshen him up. He has run over hurdles once before for previous connections but he seemed to have forgotten that and put in some hairy jumps!

Tight Lipped (Ross) goes jumping

To help the inexperienced jumpers out I usually accompany them with a more experienced partner to show them the ropes and, although we don't have any national hunt horses in at the minute, good old Silver Alliance is a great jumper and thoroughly enjoys lending a hand.

Silver Alliance (Adam) shows him how it's done

Back on the level, it was a busy morning on Saturday with plenty of horses to be put through their paces.
The turf season kicks off at the weekend with the Lincoln meeting at Doncaster and we will be represented on Sunday with Guising. He was bought last autumn and given a winter holiday after not showing much form for his previous trainer. He is fresh and well now and has done plenty of work so should be fit enough. I don't really know what his level is at the moment so it will be a bit of a fact-finding mission with him.

Guising (Ross), Dakota City (Mark) & Attain (Adam)

Dakota City was bought at the same time as Guising and he too was given a winter holiday. He has done very well for the break and is a bull of a horse now. He showed some decent form in three French runs so I hope he will be good enough to win a maiden here before going on to bigger things. He has just started his faster work so will hopefully be hitting the course next month.
Attain has come out of his win last time in good order and seems very pleased with himself. He acts well on the all-weather so I will try to find a similar race for him.

Our two-year olds have been a pleasure to train this year without any major problems. A couple of them have a bit of a cough at the moment so that has set them back a week or two but other than that they are going well.
Go On Gal seems to be the most forward of the lot and, all being well, could make her debut as early as this Saturday at Kempton. It is usually a very good race, as shown by last year's winner of it - Tiggy Wiggy - but our filly looks ready for a run and the experience will do her plenty of good and should give her a head-start on her rivals in the coming months.

Go On Gal (Mark)

The return of the turf means the return of the legend that is The Ducking Stool. Now 8-years old, she shows no signs of slowing down and has come out of her winter holiday in rude health. It's a shame that her beloved Yarmouth won't be re-opening after maintenance work until the summer but she showed last season that she is more than capable of running well at other tracks so I hope she can finally break her hoodoo and win somewhere else other than by the seaside!

The Ducking Stool (Tina)

Bushy Glade put in a career best effort to finish second last time and she goes from strength to strength. She looks fantastic and I hope she can follow up that good run next time. I have entered her for Wolverhampton on Thursday but there are lots of entries and she might miss the ballot.

Bushy Glade (Megan)

Harry Bosch was bought by one of my owners a few months back with the intention of running him at Windsor's popular Monday evening fixtures and that looks to still be the plan as his training has been going well. He hasn't won in a while but Windsor is where he has run best so maybe a return to there could perk him up again when the time comes.

Harry Bosch (Ryan)

Many of you would have seen a few weeks ago that our star mare Bavarica had her second foal and this week they returned back to us. He is by first-season sire Cityscape and looks outstanding with a great character. It's hard to tell at this stage whether he will be fast or not but that's not a bad thing as it means I can dream that he will be a champion!

Bavarica's Cityscape colt

One month old but already a handful!

THREE TO FOLLOW COMPETITION

Due to popular demand, the Three To Follow is back!
The format is simple: pick three horses from our yard to score you points throughout the season - 5 points for a win, 3 for a second and 1 for a third.
The only rule is that you pick ONE horse from Pool A (two-year olds and three-year olds) and TWO horses from Pool B (older horses). When you've made your mind up, email your choices to rbirkett1989@hotmail.co.uk
The competiton runs from 28th April - 7th November so don't delay - get your entries in and you could win the £100 first prize!

POOL A (Two and three-year olds) PICK ONE
Inauguration
Big Bang
Moment To Dream
Duke Of Diamonds
Unnamed (Archipenko colt)
Serendib's Glory
It's A Sheila Thing
Little Orchid
Go On Gal

POOL B (Older horses) PICK TWO
Dakota City
Silver Alliance
Vastly
Harry Bosch
Tight Lipped
Meddling
Avidly
Veeraya
Automotive
Bethan
Attain
The Ducking Stool
Honeymoon Express
Bushy Glade
Guising
Candesta
Handheld

It was great to see the turf season kick off again this weekend and it hopefully means the warmer days are coming and I can finally cast off the thermals!
Unfortunately we didn't get off to the best possible start with Guising at Doncaster yesterday. It was his first run for us and it was clear to see that he will benefit for the fitting of blinkers and can improve for this effort.

Even though we are now officially racing on the green stuff, you wouldn't think so by looking at the fixture list as there is no flat racing full stop on Monday and Tuesday just sees all-weather racing at Southwell! This happens every year and I don't see why the start of the turf season couldn't be put back a week to avoid a clash with the Dubai World Cup, to make the beginning of the new campaign a bit more 'official' and to give the turf tracks another week to prepare for racing as the condition of the ground is never that great currently.

Talking of Southwell tomorrow, we will be there with Candesta. He ran a very promising race last time and was unlucky not to finish closer. It's his first try at the track but he has run well at Chelmsford which seems to be quite similar and he is American bred which seems to be a positive there too. He has a wide draw but it isn't the end of the world and I hope he can finally get that elusive first win.

Jumping out of his skin: Candesta (Shelley)

We've had some good results at Chelmsford since it was reopened a couple of months ago but a first win there still hasn't come. We've a trio of chances on Wednesday though and hopefully one can hit the target.
Dakota City is a big gelding we bought last autumn and decided to give the winter off to help him strengthen up. He has come out of the break in great order and his homework has been very pleasing. He is likely to improve for the run, and there is a hot favourite to beat, but this is a good starting place for him and it can hopefully lead to better things in 2015.
Meddling was a bit disappointing last time but she couldn't get to the front as she likes and sulked a bit as a result. Things should be a bit easier on Tuesday though with only four runners in the field. She is having a massage just to correct a sore muscle in her back this afternoon so, if she is fine after that, she will take her chance.

Attain (Ross) & Dakota City (Mark)

Completing the trio is Inauguration. We bought her from Charlie Hills' yard in February and she ran a stinker on her debut for us earlier this month. She is better than that and we're going to try some more patient riding tactics this time just to save her for the finish. These aren't ideal tactics at Chelmsford but it should benefit her and we just want to see her finishing her race better this time.

Honeymoon Express (Ross), Go On Gal (Adam) & Inauguration (Mark)

Trainer Mark Johnston had a phenomenal day on Saturday by winning all three two-year old races with his horses. I knew plenty of other trainers fancied there runners in those races and it just goes to show that you don't truly know how good your babies are until they hit the track.

I thought Go On Gal would be ready for the first day of the season but a little more time will do her the world of good and she should make her debut at Wolverhampton in a couple of weeks. She did a nice piece of work on the grass on Saturday and her attitude is faultless - she really does have the will to win.

Fans of The Ducking Stool will be pleased to know that she is in great form and making progress towards her seasonal return. With her beloved Yarmouth closed for redevelopment, we're having to go elsewhere with her for the first part of the year and it looks like she'll head up north to Wetherby for her return. It will be the course's first ever flat meeting and I think the flat, galloping, left-handed configuration will be ideal for her.

The Ducking Stool (Nick) & Harry Bosch (Tess)

Also likely to be going to Wetherby is Veeraya. Things didn't go his way at Chelmsford last time but it was a start to his year after he suffered some serious colic issues last autumn. He is very happy in himself and he'll eventually find his grade again.
One who always shows his best is Silver Alliance. He won at Pontefract last summer and he could head back there in a few weeks. He just loves his work and is a pleasure to train.

Veeraya (Adam) & Silver Alliance (Ryan)

THREE TO FOLLOW COMPETITION
The entries have been flooding in so don't miss out - get your trio in now!
The format is simple: pick three horses from our yard to score you points throughout the season - 5 points for a win, 3 for a second and 1 for a third.
The only rule is that you pick ONE horse from Pool A (two-year olds and three-year olds) and TWO horses from Pool B (older horses). When you've made your mind up, email your choices to rbirkett1989@hotmail.co.uk
The competition runs from 28th April - 7th November so don't delay - get your entries in and you could win the £100 first prize!

POOL A (Two and three-year olds) PICK ONE
Inauguration
Big Bang
Moment To Dream
Duke Of Diamonds
Unnamed (Archipenko colt)
Serendib's Glory
It's A Sheila Thing
Little Orchid
Go On Gal

POOL B (Older horses) PICK TWO
Dakota City
Silver Alliance
Vastly
Harry Bosch
Tight Lipped
Meddling
Avidly
Veeraya
Automotive
Bethan
Attain
The Ducking Stool
Honeymoon Express
Bushy Glade
Guising
Candesta
Handheld

Even though we weren't represented at the meeting, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the All-Weather Championships at Lingfield on Good Friday and it looks as though the initiative, now in its second year, is a success.
Runners from Godolphin have certainly helped raise the quality of the races but it was great to see the smaller trainers having some success. Our neighbour Gay Kelleway had a day to remember after winning the three-year old sprint with a whopping £93,000 to the winner! She held a party in town last night and it was a rare occasion to have a free bar paid for by her so we made the most of it!

The runners from our yard all ran respectably last week with no one finishing out of the prize money. Candesta was really unlucky to finish second again, he had a wide draw and gave away quite a lot of ground. He deserves to win a race soon and hopefully he won't have to wait too long.
The trio who went to Chelmsford on Wednesday all fared well too. Dakota City is a horse I really like and this run should have sharpened him right up and hopefully he can go a lot closer next time.

Onto this week and it looks to be a pretty busy one.
Silver Alliance put in a career best to win at Pontefract last summer and we're heading back up there with him on Tuesday. He wouldn't want the ground too soft but has come out of his comeback run in flying form and, if he's in the mood, he should run well.

Meddling ran a good race at Chelmsford last week and she seems to have taken it well too so I've put her in again at Lingfield on Wednesday. She has won twice around the course and should put in another good effort.

Then on Thursday we have Bushy Glade at Chelmsford. She was just mugged on the line last time but has thrived since and probably has the best looking coat in the yard. The 1m6f trip is new to her but all she does is stay so it shouldn't pose a problem.

Attain (Adam), Avidly (Tina) & Bushy Glade (Ryan)

If we haven't had any luck by Saturday, hopefully things could get a bit better with three runners.
Go On Gal will be our first two-year old runner of the year and she is definitely ready for it. I was tempted to run her on the opening day of the season but I'm glad I gave her another couple of weeks as she has progressed some more. It's unlikely she will win first time out but if she can show some promise, I think she can build on it in the future months.
Accompanying her to Wolverhampton is Avidly. It is well-known that she has plenty of ability but trying to get it out of her is proving troublesome. She ran better last time and George Baker said she needs to step up in trip so hopefully that is the answer.

Honeymoon Express (Mark), Go On Gal (Adam) & Veeraya (Ross)

Everyone knows that Handheld is my favourite horse in the yard and, as he didn't need to do any serious work, I took him up the gallop to watch the horses work. I can't say he's an ideal hack though as when all the horses came past, he set off to join them!

Handheld in hack mode

I have been really happy with how Harry Bosch has been progressing. He came to me a few months ago and his preparation has been relatively trouble-free. His owners bought him to run at Windsor, a track he has good form at, and all being well he will run the in a couple of weeks. He likes firm ground though so we'll keep an eye on the weather.
Automotive had a bit of a winter holiday and he is in great form coming out of it. He will be back on the track in a few weeks' time with his big aim being the Newbury handicap in June which he has won for the past two years.

The Ducking Stool (Nick), Automotive (Ross) & Harry Bosch (Mark)

Vastly has had a year off with tendon trouble and his comeback has been a steady one to keep him fully sound. He is gradually stepping up his work and seems to be taking it fine. He is rated really low on the grass and it would be nice to take advantage of this when he returns.

Vastly (Sarah)

Like Vastly, Duke Of Diamonds had a touch of a tendon last year too. He is on a similar training programme and is taking it just as well. He is unraced and still pretty green but he will be ok when running over a longer trip.

Duke Of Diamonds (Megan)

Candesta (Tina), Tight Lipped (Ryan) & Bethan (Megan)

THREE TO FOLLOW COMPETITION
Due to an 'administration error' (ie Ross cocking up) the blog for the last two weeks has said the Three To Follow starts on 28th April but it actually started 28th March. Don't worry though if you haven't already entered as the points haven't started coming in yet so this is your last chance to get your entries in before this Wednesday (8th April) when the competition will be officially closed!

The format is simple: pick three horses from our yard to score you points throughout the season - 5 points for a win, 3 for a second and 1 for a third.
The only rule is that you pick ONE horse from Pool A (two-year olds and three-year olds) and TWO horses from Pool B (older horses). When you've made your mind up, email your choices to rbirkett1989@hotmail.co.uk
The competition runs from 28th March - 7th November so don't delay - get your entries in and you could win the £100 first prize!

POOL A (Two and three-year olds) PICK ONE
Inauguration
Big Bang
Moment To Dream
Duke Of Diamonds
Unnamed (Archipenko colt)
Serendib's Glory
It's A Sheila Thing
Little Orchid
Go On Gal

POOL B (Older horses) PICK TWO
Dakota City
Silver Alliance
Vastly
Harry Bosch
Tight Lipped
Meddling
Avidly
Veeraya
Automotive
Bethan
Attain
The Ducking Stool
Honeymoon Express
Bushy Glade
Guising
Candesta
Handheld

The great thing about horse racing is that it can take you any where in the world. In most countries, civilized and otherwise, there is bound to be a racetrack and, if you have an interest in this great game, you are sure to be kept occupied for a day.
Today racing has taken me out of Newmarket...to Redcar! With two runners here tomorrow, it made sense to make the five-hour journey the day before to get the horses to the track in the best possible condition. It reminds me of my honeymoon after marrying John - we took two horses up to Newcastle only for the meeting to be abandoned due to fog! He still hasn't made up for it...
Anyway, back to the runners. Making the journey up north are Dakota City and Veeraya. It looks a winnable maiden for Dakota and he has improved on his debut for us when he needed the run for fitness ad experience. We still don't know much about him and the firmish ground is an unknown but hopefully he can get his season into top gear now.
Veeraya has come right down in the weights and will eventually find his level again but I'm not sure if this is it. The blinkers and drop in trip should be in his favour so he might just earn some diesel money.

Veeraya (Mark), Tight Lipped (Ross) & Harry Bosch (Adam)

A bit closer to home on the same day is Harry Bosch at Windsor. His owners bought him specifically to run at the course and with three placings from three runs there, it looks a good move. He is going well at home and is on a decent handicap mark now but I think he should come on for the run as he is quite a big horse and carries a fair bit of condition.
The horsebox will have barely cooled down before it is off out again on Tuesday when Tight Lipped heads to Southwell. He bounced right back to form last time when second at Chelmsford and hopefully the blinkers he had on that day will work again. Everyone keeps telling me to run at the track as he has good past form there so we shall see if they're right.

Guising (Adam) & Bethan (Ryan)

We get a quick breather before racing again on Thursday at Chelmsford.
Guising ran an absolute stinker on debut for us at Doncaster but it was pretty clear that he wasn't trying too hard and a pair of blinkers will now be tried. He has been in good form since the run so hopefully the combination of the head gear and a step up in trip will see him in a better light.
Inauguration will be accompanying him there and she is another who has a bit to prove. Her last run was a lot better and a drop to six furlongs shouldn't trouble her so maybe she can land some money.

Honeymoon Express (Shelley) & Inauguration (Adam)

Honeymoon Express has been progressing nicely and is on course for her comeback at Doncaster in a couple of weeks. She had a great three-year old season but really struggled last year and it may have been that the handicapper had her in his grips. She is still quite high in the weights but should find things a bit easier when getting her favoured firm ground.

Automotive (Ross), Handheld (Shelley) & The Ducking Stool (Mark)

Duke Of Diamonds (Megan)

Bavarica's second foal has been progressing very nicely and is already a real character despite only being six weeks old! He is very independent and was keen to show his mum just how fast he was this week in an impromptu gallop around the field. Watch out Royal Ascot 2017!

Bavarica and foal

It certainly was a week to forget after we lost the popular Tight Lipped at Southwell on Tuesday. He suffered a bad fracture during the race and I just can't believe that it happened, as he never had any problems with his legs but it just goes to show that these freak accidents can happen to anybody. He was a great character and pretty cheeky but this is what made us love him, along with his striking grey coat. He was in terrific form prior to the race and he was even bucking and squealing when we gave him a shampoo bath before he left. It has broken my heart to lose him and Tolly McGuiness within a month of each other and, after going 14 years with a training licence and having no racecourse fatalities up to this point, I can't quite believe it. Hopefully this is our bad luck out of the way for a good long time.

Sadly missed: Tight Lipped

The thing about racing is that you can't sulk around for too long as there is a yard full of horses who need your full attention the very next morning.
Undoubtedly the most popular horse in the yard is The Ducking Stool and she is set to make her seasonal reappearance this week at Weatherby on Sunday. It is the first flat that the track has ever had and I think it will suit her down to the ground as she enjoys galloping, left-handed tracks like her beloved Yarmouth. She is really well and, despite being a bit high in the weights, I hope she can do herself proud.

The Ducking Stool (Sarah)

Candesta (Nick) & Automotive (Ross)

Making the trip up north as well on Sunday will be Automotive. He too hasn't run this year but I don't think I've ever had him fitter at this stage of the season. He is pretty hard to predict but Shellley has built up a good rapport with him recently and they could surprise a few people. He too should love the track and I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes.

Over the last couple of weeks we have been using GPS watches on our horses just to monitor their gallops. It is still in the experimental stage at the minute and you need months and months worth of data to use it properly but it did show us that the application of blinkers on Honeymoon Express certainly woke her up on Saturday morning. She has just been a bit flat in her recent runs and I think the headgear should wake her up a bit. She goes to Doncaster on Friday and it looks a race she could be competitive in, providing the ground is firm. She may need to drop some more in the handicap but we'll find these things out then.

Honeymoon Express (Adam)

Bethan became a bit frustrating last year and, despite a barrow load of placings, she couldn't get her head in front. Having said that, she never really got the soft ground she loves but she has returned from her winter break a much stronger and mature mare and I think 2015 could be her year. She is pretty low in the weights so it would be good if she could take advantage of this over staying distances.

Bethan (Mark) & Bushy Glade (Ryan)

Veeraya and Dakota City have come back from their trip to Redcar absolutely fine and the firm ground might have just been against them. I'll keep my head buried in the programme book to find their next target but Dakota City might just try a handicap next time if he drops to an attractive mark.

Veeraya (Megan)

As most of you know, we like to let the horses have some play time at the weekend as they tear around the fields and get back to being horses. I certainly think it helps some of the older horses come back year after year as their regimes are channelled towards giving them the most enjoyable experience possible. Horses like Silver Alliance and The Ducking Stool have been with us for years now but their enthusiasm for the game is unwavering.

Automotive & Silver Alliance have a wild time in the paddock

Thank you all for the Three To Follow entries, the record-breaking 70-plus of you who entered have given Ross plenty to work on and he says the next update will be coming in a week or two when a few points have been scored.

You have to keep looking on the bright side of things quite a lot in this game and it was another frustrating week.
Honeymoon Express usually runs her best race first time out each season and she got the fast ground she loves at Doncaster on Friday so everything was in place for a good run. Unfortunately she got very upset in the stalls and got out the front of the gate. She ran loose down the track and was eventually caught with no serious damage done. She lives to fight another day but she needs to have a stalls test now before she can run again so it is annoying for her schedule has to be put back a few weeks.

On the loose: Honeymoon Express

Moving on to hopefully better things, we have a few good chances this week.
Starting on Tuesday, Meddling has been a bit under par in her last two runs but she seems a lot happier now and her homework has been really impressive. She hasn't run at Wolverhampton in a while so the change of scenery may do her good and I hope she can get in the money.

Meddling (Ross)

Accompanying her to Dunstall Park will be Bushy Glade. She ran a corker at the track to just be edged out last time and she has done really well since then. She doesn't like to be crowded so if things go her way you'd hope another good effort is on the cards.

Vastly (Ryan) & Bushy Glade (Meg)

On Wednesday, the enigmatic Avidly goes to Lingfield. She is a hard one to predict and ran no sort of race last time. However, she did do a really nice gallop on Saturday so it may mean that she is in a good frame of mind at the moment. Whether that will be the case when she runs is anybody's guess!

Avidly (Ryan)

Now we have had our first two-year old runner in Go On Gal, we have a better level to gauge the rest of our babies by. It's A Sheila Thing would have probably been our first runner had she not just picked up a cough last month but she is over that now and did her first gallop at the weekend. She isn't really bred to be too precocious but she does everything really easily and takes it all in her stride.

It's A Sheila Thing (Adam) & Inauguration (Ross)

Harry Bosch (Sarah)

Dakota City has come out of his trip to Redcar absolutely fine but his next race isn't for a few weeks so I'll just keep him ticking over without too much work until closer to the time.

Dakota City (Mark)

Duke Of Diamonds (Megan)

I love watching the London Marathon on TV even though I don't think my body could handle actually doing it! However, one of our owners has remarkably done all 35 London Marathons and has raised a hell of a lot of money in the process. He blasted round the course yet again this morning in an impressive five hours. Well done Charles 'Len' Cousens!

You can't keep standing still for too long in racing as, if you do, you'll probably get left behind. It's important to constantly be bringing in fresh talent into the yard as and when space allows it and I was delighted to be able to buy two new recruits at the Tattersalls Guineas Sale on Friday.
The first is a lovely looking colt who was sold by Qatar Racing called Limerick Lord. As many of you may remember, the same outfit sold a horse called G Force very cheaply before he went on to win a Group 1 so it is not unknown for some good horses to slip through their net. Limerick Lord was recommended to win by his former trainer Stuart Williams as a likely improver and you can tell from his size that he will only get better with time. He has already won but has never run on the turf so there is plenty more to come. Although some shares are already sold, you can still get involved as the remaining 10% shares are available at £1500 each plus £200 per month training fees. Get in touch with me if you'd like to get involved in this exciting prospect.

Limerick Lord

The second new face is another fine looking bay called Dark Diamond. He too came highly recommended and it is hard to believe that he has only had seven career runs despite being five years old. Having said that, he is a great big horse so may have needed all that time to fill his frame. I've seen his last few races and definitely think there is improvement to come and he reminds me a lot of Sabre Rock who won five races on the bounce for us soon on arrival. Hopefully he'll run for owner Dick Creese if I can talk him into it!

Dark Diamond

The biggest invasion on the south coast since William The Conqueror landed in 1066 is likely to be seen on Tuesday as we send a raiding party of four horses to Brighton.
It just so happened that a lot of ideal races for a good few of my horses were scheduled that day and it's a track I've been lucky at in the past so thought it a good opportunity.
First up is Inauguration. She is back in maiden company but it is a weak race and she is well treated at the weights due to the conditions of the race. She is very tough and has plenty of experience so hopefully that will put her in good stead against some less-experienced rivals.
Veeraya has been a bit of an enigma since joining us but it has probably just been the case that he was too high in the handicap after winning a maiden. He is coming down the weights now and will eventually find his level. He carries his head quite high so we're putting a tongue strap on him just to try and get him to drop his head a bit. The unique track could perk him up and I hope he can start getting back into some form.

Harry Bosch (Adam) & Veeraya (Ross)

Third up will be Harry Bosch. He too is falling down the weights and his debut run for us last time wasn't bad at all. He is a big stuffy horse and will improve for the run again but he seems very happy in himself and I hope he can win some prize money.
Completing the quartet is Bushy Glade in the apprentice race. She was very disappointing last week at Wolverhampton so I'm turning her out again quickly because she needs to redeem herself! She'll wear cheekpieces and hopefully they can perk her up a bit.

As if I hadn't had enough of the place from all the Tuesday runners, we're back at Brighton again on Wednesday. Avidly is a really tricky customer and guessing how she'll perform is near impossible but she does seem very happy at home and her gallops have been quite impressive. We're just going to let her do her own thing and hope that the ups and downs of Brighton are to her liking.

Avidly (Tess)

The horsebox gets a day off before hitting the road again on Friday. It's A Sheila Thing makes her debut at Nottingham and I hope she can put in a good performance. She hasn't been blasted at home as I didn't want to wind her up too much but she seems to have plenty of raw ability and hopefully she can show this on the track. It should be a good education for her to build on over the coming weeks.

Nottingham is on the menu again on Saturday with two entries, although only one will run. If the ground is firm, Automotive will take his chance. He is flying at home and is more than ready for a run. A lot depends on what side of the bed he wakes up from but he is more than capable of running well. If the rain falls, Handheld will head there instead. He loves soft ground and has won at Nottingham twice before so those aspects hold no fears although I do think he's a bit better later in the year.
She may not be running but Honeymoon Express will also go to Notts on Saturday to complete her stalls test before racing. She got very upset and burst out the front at Doncaster last time so she needs to pass this test to race again. I don't think she should be a problem and it was just a one-off so, all being well, she can hit the track again soon.

Handheld (Ryan), Dakota City (Mark) & Automotive (Ross)

It was a shame The Ducking Stool couldn't take her chance at Wetherby last weekend but she is back in flying form and could have a run at Newmarket the week after next. She is likely to improve for the day out but it will be good to get her season started again.

The Ducking Stool (Nick), Bethan (Megan) & Vastly (JF)

They say there's no rest for the wicked and that certainly applies to me this week as I've got runners entered every day.
Kicking off on Monday we have Bethan making her seasonal reappearance at Wolverhampton. She is still a maiden but has gone excruciatingly close to winning on numerous occasions. She has done well over the winter and strengthened up quite a bit. I expect her to improve for the run but she is well handicapped and certainly fit enough to do herself justice.
Bethan runs in an amateur race, as does Candesta the following day at Chelmsford. He found the one mile trip too sharp for him last time so the step up to 1m2f should be in his favour and he is a horse I think our amateur Ross will get the best out of as he he good on the strong-travelling types who need a bit of kidding along.

Silver Alliance (Ross), The Ducking Stool (Nick) & Dakota City (Mark)

After clocking up those miles, we'll almost be doubling them on Wednesday with the long trek down to Bath. Hopefully it'll be worth it as I think we have two good chances.
Silver Alliance really struggled in the soft ground at Pontefract last time so the return to a faster surface will be right in his favour and he seems to be in a good frame of mind at home, despite being a bit high in the handicap.
Joining him will be Honeymoon Express. She has recovered from her bad experience at Doncaster where she broke out of the stalls and ran loose. She passed her stalls test at Nottingham on Friday and I was pretty relieved as I think this is a race she has a great chance in and can hopefully bounce back to some kind of form in the blinkers.

Thankfully on Thursday we are a lot closer to home with The Ducking Stool making her first appearance of the new season at Newmarket. She is in terrific form but is very high in the weights so I expect her to find things a bit tough until she drops in the handicap a bit. It will be great to see her back on the track though as she has certainly become a yard favourite.

On Friday, Dakota City heads to Newbury with a decent chance. We're still trying to figure out his likes and dislikes but I think a bit of cut in the ground will suit him fine and the long, galloping straight of the track should be good for him too. His ideal distance is still a bit of an unknown as is his handicap mark but we'll find out more on the day.

Finally, completing the week is Automotive at Doncaster. He had to miss his engagement at Nottingham last Saturday due to the soft ground but he is in flying form and certainly ready for a run. He is a hard one to predict but if he is in the right frame of mind, you'd hope he could finish in the money.
So it is a busy week but hopefully can be a rewarding one. I think the best chance of some success could be at Bath on Wednesday. It's a track we usually do well at so fingers crossed the past fortune can continue. I hope to see plenty of you at various places this week!

Avidly (Sarah)

Vastly (Adam)

Duke Of Diamonds (Caitlin)

I've been on Twitter for a few months now and have really got into it. It's great to keep up to date with the latest news as it happens but also to have a bit of banter with other people on there. Luckily I don't get much abuse from irate punters!
It's also a good opportunity to show the world just what we do at Harraton Stud and I put up a great photo on there today of the three boys (Automotive, Handheld & Silver Alliance) having a chill out in the field on a Sunday morning.

Ross has reassured me that there will be a Three To Follow update next week. He has been keeping tabs on the scores but has just been waiting for the points to build up before updating us all.

Last week was a busy one and, although no winners came, it certainly wasn't a disaster as many ran with credit and showed signs that a win won't be far away.
Bethan made a great comeback from her tendon injury with a fine second at Wolverhampton. The winner won easily but she showed plenty of promise and looks a much stronger and more mature horse this year.
Silver Alliance once again did himself proud with a third at Bath. He needs to drop a couple of pounds in the handicap still but his turn to win isn't too far away.

Looking to this week, it won't be as busy but there is still plenty to keep me occupied.
Avidly has been very frustrating as she has lots of ability but getting it out of her is a problem! She seems to be very happy at home and looks fantastic in her coat so things look promising from my end.
Accompanying her to Lingfield on Wednesday will be Inauguration. She too hasn't quite shown what we think she's capable of yet but we galloped her in a tongue tie on Saturday and she seemed to be a lot more settled in it and really stuck her head out when asked to quicken so we'll give it a go and see if it has a positive effect.

Avidly (Tess), Dark Diamond (Nick - hidden) & Attain (Ross)

Inauguration (Adam) & Harry Bosch (Mark)

Veeraya (Megan) & Duke of Diamonds (Caitlin)

We tend to do well with the older horses we have and year in, year out, the yard favourites such as The Ducking Stool retain all their enthusiasm and win races. I'd like to think it's because we try and keep their routines varied and give them plenty to keep them mentally stimulated.
One thing we had never done though is go to the beach and, with it being only a short drive away to a horse-friendly beach, there was no reason not to. Handheld and Veeraya were the test dummies and they seemed to love it - paddling in the water and having a canter on the sand. The salt water is great for the feet and legs - some yards have spent thousands of pounds on a 'sea walker' but we had a free one! Hopefully we can have the time to make it a regular thing as the horses loved it.

Handheld & Veeraya go to the seaside

Bonnie keeps an eye on proceedings!

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE

Although no one is among the winners yet, the competition standings are beginning to take some shape. There have been plenty of placed horses and it looks like it is going to be a tight competition all year!

Steve Moore	6
Julie Feilden	4
Allan Forster	3
Bill Burgess	3
Linda Wright	3
Stephen Broadley	3
Ros Cousens	3
Martyn Clark	3
Trevor Fuller	3
Dominic Lisle	3
Barry Hine	3
Malc Shields	3
Mark Rimmer	3
Geoff Roberts	2
Barbara Walton	2
Gordon Hill	2
Shelley Birkett	2
Adam Beschizza	2
Jim Stevens	2
Megan Digby Baker	2
John Birkett	2
Poppy Feilden	1
Brian Reilly	1
Eddie Partridge	1
Jonathan Kinge	1
Rita Aspland	1
Sam Feilden	1
Steve Springford	1
Ryan Moore	1
Julia Feilden	1
Liz Moore	1
Dave Morris	1
Paula Smith	1
Jason Coote	1
Sophie Collington	1
Steve Clarke	1
Chris Shirran	1
Phil Collington	1
Rachael Shucksmith	1
Rob Weston	1
Dave Barnett	1
+ Lots of others yet to score!

They say that winners are like buses - you wait ages for one and then two come at once and that was never truer than this week when we finally got another winner...and had another the following day!
The yard usually does hit a bit of a flat spot at this time of year with plenty of pollen in the air but there had been signs over the past couple of weeks that things were looking up and Attain duly proved that by just getting up to win at Nottingham. He needs soft ground to be seen at his best and the good ground was only just soft enough for him but he still got his head in front where it mattered. I definitely think there is more to come from him and he could add to his duo of wins this year no problem.
Attain is one of four horses in the Newmarket Equine Tours Racing Club which at £180 per year offers fantastic value for money - you can get that amount back in free admission alone if you are a regular racegoer. Email me on juliafeilden@aol.com if you would like more details.

Harry Bosch and Attain chill out after their victories

Not to be out done, Harry Bosch went to Bath the following day and built on his promising Brighton effort with a cosy win. Adam Beschizza was very confident before the race and he rode him like the best horse in it and was rewarded suitably. The horse hadn't won in a while but this should have done his confidence the world of good on only his third run for us.

Hopefully the good run can continue this week with a handful runners.
Starting tomorrow, Dark Diamond and Bethan head to Leicester. It will be Diamond's first run for us after being bought from Robert Cowell and it will be a bit of a fact-finding mission to see where we are at with him, distance and fitness wise.
Bethan ran a great race on her comeback to finish second and, if the ground is good or softer, I think she has a top chance. She has come back a lot stronger and more mature since her break and I'm sure a win isn't far away.

Then on Thursday, Automotive heads to Sandown. He needed his comeback run last time and I think he'll need this run too as he usually takes a couple of spins to get into top form.

Friday could be a busy one with four horses entered. I'll wait to see what the handicapper does to Harry Bosch on Tuesday and if he doesn't go up by six pounds or more, I'll save him for a race next week.
At Newmarket, Go On Gal will hit the track again. She didn't disgrace herself on debut in a race that has worked out well - the winner won a listed race at York last week. The step up in trip will help her and I hope she can put in another respectable effort.
Honeymoon Express was really disappointing last time with the blinkers on for the first time. She had galloped well at home in them but it's a different scenario at the races and, with horses around her, she didn't seem to face the headgear. I'll put her usual cheekpieces back on and hope that she can find some form again.

It's A Sheila Thing (Adam) & Go On Gal (Meg)

Honeymoon Express (Caitlin)

The Ducking Stool came out of her seasonal reappearance absolutely fine and has a couple of entries at Nottingham and Newmarket. A lot depends on where has the most rain as she likes a bit of juice in the ground but she is very happy in herself and never lets us down.

The Ducking Stool (Sarah)

Meddling (Nick)

Duke Of Diamonds (Ross)

Shares in new boy Limerick Lord have been selling like wild-fire and there are just two 10% shares left in him now. He has been really impressing me on the gallops and looks an out and out sprinter. He is completely unexposed and looks sure to improve on what he has already achieved. I have ear-marked a race for him early next month so don't hang around! You can join this exciting syndicate for just £1500 plus £200 per month all-inclusive training fees. Email me at juliafeilden@aol.com for more details.

Limerick Lord (Ross)

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE
Plenty of points scored this week with the two wins and Ros Cousens is our new leader after picking both Harry Bosch and Attain.

Ros Cousens	13
Julie Feilden	9
Geoff Roberts	7
Barbara Walton	7
Gordon Hill	7
Shelley Birkett	7
Adam Beschizza	7
Jim Stevens	7
Megan Digby Baker	7
John Birkett	7
Steve Moore	6
Poppy Feilden	6
Brian Reilly	6
Eddie Partridge	6
Jonathan Kinge	6
Rita Aspland	6
Allan Forster	3
Bill Burgess	3
Linda Wright	3
Stephen Broadley	3
Martyn Clark	3
Trevor Fuller	3
Dominic Lisle	3
Barry Hine	3
Malc Shields	3
Mark Rimmer	3
Sam Feilden	1
Steve Springford	1
Ryan Moore	1
Julia Feilden	1
Liz Moore	1
Dave Morris	1
Paula Smith	1
Jason Coote	1
Sophie Collington	1
Steve Clarke	1
Chris Shirran	1
Phil Collington	1
Rachael Shucksmith	1
Rob Weston	1
Dave Barnett	1

PLUS 31 OTHERS ON ZERO POINTS

It had already been a great Bank Holiday weekend thanks to the successes of Attain and Harry Bosch but Bethan gave us some more to celebrate when finally getting her head in front on Monday. She had been very unlucky not to win up until then, with plenty of places to her name, but she has come back a lot stronger this year and that has shown on the track. I was delighted for her owner Hannah Ranner who has been so patient with her mare and thoroughly deserved some success!

Hannah gives Bethan a well-deserved carrot

Hopefully this week can bring some more success as we have plenty of entries.
Veeraya kicks things off at Leicester on Monday and he has to have a great chance, if building on his promising second last time. He has taken a while to find his grade but he is just about there now and seems very happy at home. His usual rider Adam Beschizza has had to ride elsewhere but we have got the services of leading jockey Adam Kirby so there should be no worries in that department.

Veeraya (Ross)

Harry Bosch got right back on track last time with a win at Bath and hopefully that has done his confidence some good. He goes to Brighton on Tuesday and seems to be in good health since his last run. That was only his third start for us so there could be more to come.
Also heading down south is Silver Alliance. He got back to a bit of form last time too and is coming down to a good handicap mark. He wouldn't want too much rain but I imagine the course will be to his liking and he should be thereabouts.

Silver Alliance (Mark) & Bushy Glade (Meg)

Completing the trio of runners is Bushy Glade at Wolverhampton. She has disappointed since going close to winning at the track a few runs back and the only hope is that she can somehow replicate that effort.

On Wednesday it's a return to Dunstall Park with Meddling. She ran a blinder to finish second there last time and seemed to like running at the place. She has kept her condition well since then and hopefully another similar effort is on the cards.

Meddling (Nick)

Bethan won an apprentice race on Monday so it would be silly to not take advantage of the fact that she won't get a penalty if running again before reassessed by the handicapper so she goes to Lingfield on Thursday. The distance and grade should be absolutely fine but the one concern would be Lingfield's unique turf track. If she handles it, I hope she can score again.

Then on Friday, Attain will be the one hoping to make it back to back wins. He just got up at Nottingham last time but has only been raised two pounds by the handicapper. Plenty of rain will help him out and he is full of confidence since getting his head in front.

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE
Bethan's win gave a few people plenty to shout about but Ros still leads the way.

Ros Cousens	13
Steve Moore	11
Julie Feilden	9
Malc Shields	8
Mark Rimmer	8
Geoff Roberts	7
Barbara Walton	7
Gordon Hill	7
Shelley Birkett	7
Adam Beschizza	7
Jim Stevens	7
Megan Digby Baker	7
John Birkett	7
Poppy Feilden	6
Brian Reilly	6
Eddie Partridge	6
Jonathan Kinge	6
Rita Aspland	6
Allan Forster	3
Bill Burgess	3
Linda Wright	3
Stephen Broadley	3
Martyn Clark	3
Trevor Fuller	3
Dominic Lisle	3
Barry Hine	3
Sam Feilden	1
Steve Springford	1
Ryan Moore	1
Julia Feilden	1
Liz Moore	1
Dave Morris	1
Paula Smith	1
Jason Coote	1
Sophie Collington	1
Steve Clarke	1
Chris Shirran	1
Phil Collington	1
Rachael Shucksmith	1
Rob Weston	1
Dave Barnett	1

PLUS 31 OTHERS ON ZERO POINTS

You get used to unpleasant surprises in this game but now and again a good one will come along and luckily we had one of those on Tuesday.
Brighton is known for suffering from very thick fog when it decides to blow in off the sea and last week it experienced just that. With the rain falling and the ground turning soft, I thought everything had gone against Silver Alliance's chances. As he set off for the start, I was fully expecting him to trail in last by the time he came back. However, the fog can do funny things to horses and, despite barely being able to see any of the race, by the time in came into view at the most important part - the finish - Silver was six lengths clear in front, being eased down! I couldn't believe my eyes and jockey Adam Beschizza said he did it so easily. Silver is a wise old owl nowadays and the fog must have perked him right up. Hopefully the handicapper doesn't take the win too seriously.

Silver Alliance storms home in the fog

Silver's success made it four winners in the last ten days so it's fair to say that the horses are in good form. Hopefully it can continue this week.
On Tuesday, Dark Diamond and Inauguration make the long trip down to Salisbury.
Diamond ran a promising race on his debut for us last time and the step up in trip will certainly suit him. Adam felt he was a bit idle too so the visor should wake him up and he worked well in them at home this morning.

Dark Diamond (Mark)

Accompanying him west will be Inauguration. She hasn't been disgracing herself recently and there is definitely a race in her. It is just a case of finding the right opportunities and making the most of them.

There's a bit of pressure on Thursday as it sees the running of the Newbury handicap which I have dominated recently with five wins in the last eight years. Automotive has won it the last twice and he goes back to make it a hat-trick. He seems to save his best for this day and has dropped a couple of pounds in the weights after a few quiet runs. He will need a career best to win off this mark but I hope he is in the right mood on the day.
Just in case he isn't I'm likely to run Dakota City in the same race too. He was disappointing last time when not trying very hard at Nottingham. Maybe he didn't like the head gear that day so I've taken it off and booked a strong jockey in Phil Collington who is a multiple champion on Arabian horses and won the race for me a few years back on a similarly lazy type called Night Orbit.

Automotive bids for the hat-trick

New boy Limerick Lord is building things up nicely in his preparation and isn't far off running. After initially thinking he is a five furlong horse, I'll probably try him over seven furlongs first time as his faster work suggests that will be his distance. His first run will be a learning curve for us but hopefully he can give a good account of himself.

Limerick Lord (Ross)

Vastly has been on and off the sick list quite a bit in the last few months but he seems to be well now and is doing plenty of work. He seems more enthusiastic than ever and his legs are holding up too so it could be just a couple of weeks before he is back on the race track. I still think he is unexposed and there should be more to come from him as he is well handicapped on the turf.

Vastly (Adam)

Our two year olds are a decent bunch this year who will be improving all season and now that a couple have run, we have a gauge by which to compare the rest. Little Orchid is a home bred filly out of Dick Creese's tough mare Bushy Dell and she is coming along very nicely. She had her first gallop at the weekend and took it all in her stride. Seven furlongs will be her starting point and I hope she can follow in her mother's footsteps by winning as a juvenile.

Little Orchid (Adam), Go On Gal (Caitlin) & It's A Sheila Thing (Mark)

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE
Silver Alliance was one of this year's most popular selections so his win means a huge chunk of people have climbed up the leader board. However, Bethan's second place finish sees Steve Moore become our new leader.

Steve Moore	14
Ros Cousens	13
Megan Digby Baker	12
John Birkett	12
Malc Shields	11
Mark Rimmer	11
Julie Feilden	9
Geoff Roberts	7
Barbara Walton	7
Gordon Hill	7
Shelley Birkett	7
Adam Beschizza	7
Jim Stevens	7
Poppy Feilden	6
Brian Reilly	6
Eddie Partridge	6
Jonathan Kinge	6
Rita Aspland	6
Sam Feilden	6
Steve Springford	6
Ryan Moore	6
Julia Feilden	6
Liz Moore	6
Dave Morris	6
Paula Smith	6
Jason Coote	6
Sophie Collington	6
Steve Clarke	6
Chris Shirran	6
Phil Collington	6
Rachael Shucksmith	6
Rob Weston	6
Dave Barnett	6
Allan Forster	3
Bill Burgess	3
Linda Wright	3
Stephen Broadley	3
Martyn Clark	3
Trevor Fuller	3
Dominic Lisle	3
Barry Hine	3

PLUS 31 OTHERS ON ZERO POINTS

The good run couldn't last forever I suppose and, after winners in each of the last three weeks, we drew a blank this one. That's not to say they ran badly, far from it. Dark Diamond ran a much better race in a visor and looks sure to win soon on only his second start for us. Dakota City also ran an improved race at Newbury on Thursday when finishing fourth. We rode him more forcefully and that looks the way to go as well as running him over a few furlongs further.

Dakota City (Phil Collington)

I'll be able to enjoy watching most of Royal Ascot for once this year with no runners entered until Friday. I love watching the Royal meeting and I certainly look back with fond memories on Spirit Of Sharjah's fine third place finish in the Norfolk Stakes a few years ago. A small yard like ours rarely has anything good enough to run there so it makes the moments you do even more special.
Instead on Friday we will be represented at Newmarket as the track hosts its first music night of the year. I think most people will be at the course to see Kylie Minogue perform after racing but I'll be more interested on what's happening on the track!
I'm looking forward to seeing what Limerick Lord can do on his first run for us. He seems to be a pure sprinter on his homework and its hard to think why previous connections only tried him over five furlongs once - and he won. The run will tell us more about the horse but I hope he can show some promise.

Limerick Lord (Adam) & Honeymoon Express (Megan)

Also at HQ on Friday is Meddling. I've been waiting for ages to run her at our local track as she doesn't like travelling and usually gets quite upset when going racing. Hopefully the short trip to Newmarket will help her stay calm and she could show an improved performance.
Also entered that night are Harry Bosch and Go On Gal but it looks unlikely that they will get a run with lots of horses entered in their respective races.

Meddling (Ross) & It's A Sheila Thing (Mark, hidden)

The following day we will have little travelling again with a couple at Newmarket.
The Ducking Stool has been coming along nicely in her first two runs this season and has dropped a few pounds in the weights too. The step up in trip will be ideal for her and, although she will be taking a right hand turn which she usually doesn't handle, it does come with almost a mile to race so she should hopefully cope with it. Ducky is a horse we all know and love and it'd be great for her to be back in the winner's enclosure soon.
Another with a good chance has to be It's A Sheila Thing. She ran encouragingly on her debut last month and the step up to seven furlongs is just what she needs. The form of her debut race isn't working out very well but she is better than she showed that day and I hope she can make a good impression.

The Ducking Stool (Kelly) & Harry Bosch (Ross, hidden)

As you may know, we like to keep the horses mentally and physically active so now and again we will give some of the older horses a pop over some jumps to give them a bit to think about. It was Guising's turn this time and he was a natural, making a great shape over the jumps and looking like a pro. His owner Carol has made it very clear though that he won't run over hurdles so jumping will remain a recreational hobby for the horse! Hopefully this experience perks him up as he's in at Chelmsford on Thursday.

Guising (Adam)

I'm pleased to report that Vastly is making good progress on his comeback from injury. We have been travelling him over to the world famous Warren Hill to get plenty hill work into him and he seems to be loving it. His enthusiasm is still all there and if his body holds up, he should be back on the racetrack in a couple of weeks.

Vastly (Tess)

Unfortunately we didn't get lucky, lucky, lucky at Newmarket's Kylie Minogue night last Friday but I was pleased with how they all ran and we learnt plenty for next time. I wasn't as happy with the racecourse itself as they seemed reluctant to let even the owners in on what was a sell-out night. Usually owners are allocated a set amount of badges and are then allowed to buy any additional ones at half-price, no matter what the raceday. However, Newmarket refused to do this which left some owners, who pay thousands of pounds a year to have horses in training, unable to see their horses do what they are meant to - run. Plenty of others were in a similar situation and the matter was taken up with Newmarket Racecourses' MD Amy Starkey so hopefully this kind of embarrassment for the course won't happen again. Holding music nights to attract new racegoers is all well and good but it shouldn't be to the detriment of those who keep the sport going.

Rant out of the way, let's move on to the week ahead.
Kicking off on Tuesday, we're heading down to Brighton. Honeymoon Express has been struggling to find her form for a while now but as a result she has dropped in the weights and now gets into 0-60 handicaps. I think this level is what she will be able to be competitive at again. She is in good form but I just have some reservations about her ability to handle the track. It's a unique place and you don't know how you'll go until you run there.
The same could be said for Dark Diamond who accompanies her. He's a well-balanced horse though who went round the sharp bend at Salisbury last time like he was on rails so I think he'll be alright. He too has dropped to a good mark and the trip looks to be ideal for him.

Dark Diamond (Caitlin)

Bethan has been a really consistent mare since returning from a winter break and she looks to continue her run at Wolverhampton on Friday. She finished second over the course and distance two starts back and seems to be very happy at home. Her optimum conditions are soft ground on the turf but with all the dry weather, rain is hard to come by so we're running on the dirt to keep her ticking over.

Bethan (Megan)

Silver Alliance went up six pounds in the handicap for his Brighton romp and I feel the handicapper could have been a lot harsher. He is on a career-high mark though so needs to up his game but he showed last time that he certainly has plenty of ability on his day. I was planning to send him to Chester but there looks to be a better opportunity at Windsor on Saturday. He is a bit of a law unto himself so I couldn't tell you what he will do!

Veeraya (Adam) & Silver Alliance (Ross)

Go On Gal has got two runs under her belt now and has improved with each run so I'll give her another at Windsor on Sunday. She will be in her element when the juvenile handicaps start in August and we will get a handicap mark after this run so then she will be in business.

I'm delighted to say that Vastly is finally ready for a run after his list of injuries. He could have gone to Leicester on Tuesday but the ground would be a bit too firm and I couldn't risk his legs on that kind of surface. We'll have to be a bit more patient with him to wait for the right day but he is going great at home and seems to have come back an improved horse. He is still lightly raced for his age and won the lat time we saw him so there should be more to come.

Vastly (Adam)

Another horse we've had to be patient with is Duke of Diamonds. Now three-years old, he is starting to get the hang of things and I've penciled him in for his debut on July 1st. He is still very immature mentally so the experience will do him plenty of good.

Duke Of Diamonds (Mark; centre)

The foals play around

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE

Steve Moore14
Ros Cousens13
Megan Digby Baker 12
John Birkett12
Malc Shields11
Mark Rimmer11
Julie Feilden9
Geoff Roberts7
Barbara Walton 7
Gordon Hill7
Shelley Birkett 7
Adam Beschizza 7
Jim Stevens7
Poppy Feilden6
Brian Reilly6
Eddie Partridge 6
Jonathan Kinge 6
Rita Aspland6
Sam Feilden6
Steve Springford 6
Ryan Moore6
Julia Feilden6
Liz Moore6
Dave Morris6
Paula Smith6
Jason Coote6
Sophie Collington6
Steve Clarke6
Chris Shirran6
Phil Collington 6
Rachael Shucksmith 6
Rob Weston6
Dave Barnett6
Allan Forster3
Bill Burgess3
Linda Wright3
Stephen Broadley 3
Martyn Clark3
Trevor Fuller3
Dominic Lisle3
Barry Hine3
Lee Cousens1
Tina1

Carol Bushnell 1

PLUS 29 OTHERS ON ZERO POINTS

The stories which emerge from horse racing must be entertaining to watch from afar, none more so than this week's war of words between John Gosden and Adam Kirby. Gosden claimed that Kirby's riding was not appropriate for Royal Ascot and compared his style to 'winter all-weather tactics'.
Looking at the specific incident, Kirby did nothing wrong in holding his position throughout the race at Ascot which meant Gosden's horse, ridden by Frankie Dettori, was slightly unlucky in defeat. What really rattled me though was Gosden's patronising manner towards Kirby, calling him 'boy'. What kind of man is this?! I think his high horse has got a bit too big and yes, training this year's Derby winner gives you a certain amount of respect, but there is no need to make yourself look ignorant.
As to the all-weather comment, I had to laugh - Gosden's Derby runner-up Jack Hobbs won a Wolverhampton maiden in December last year so racing on an artificial surface can't be that bad!

You can be guaranteed that the fame and glory wouldn't go to my head should I train a winner at Epsom at anytime of the year - never mind the Derby! So onto this week's runners we go.
We have a trio of raiders hitting the track tomorrow including two at Windsor. Silver Alliance was an easy winner in the fog at Brighton last time and the handicapper hasn't take any chances by hiking him up to a career high mark. Silver is hardly getting any younger but he is more than capable on his day, as he showed last time. Whether this will be his day again is probably a question you should ask the horse as he decides when he wants to win!
Accompanying him to the Royal track will be Harry Bosch. He won well at Bath three runs back but hasn't had the rub of the green since. He is still well handicapped and has good course form so I expect him to be thereabouts come the business end.

Limerick Lord (Ross)

Completing the trio is Limerick Lord at Wolverhampton. He made a pleasing debut for us at Newmarket last week and I have no worries about running on the all-weather as his best form seems to be on it. He is in top form and the small step up in trip will be ideal. I hope he can be in the frame.

We then have a few easier days before heading to Doncaster on Friday.
Veeraya has been badly handicapped for a long time now so it makes sense to try him in a claimer where he should have a better chance at the weights. Having said that, at the entry stage there is a horse rated 95 in the race so maybe claimers aren't an easy option. He is a bit of an enigma as he has plenty of ability but doesn't often show it at the track, however, Adam Beschizza seems to get the best out of him and he will hopefully be on board.
Also travelling up the A1 to Town Moor is The Ducking Stool. She has dropped to a good mark now and seems as well as ever so I think a return to form isn't far away. All her wins have been at Yarmouth but she is more than capable at other flat, left-handed tracks.

Duke Of Diamonds (Adam) & Veeraya (Caitlin)

Although running better last time, Dakota City has been a bit disappointing for us this season. I think he is being a bit lazy and riding him at the front last time certainly helped. As a trial, I galloped him in a visor yesterday and it showed instant results with him travelling very well and galloping a lot better than usual. Hopefully this is the key to him and I'll be putting them on him next time he runs.

Dakota City (Mark) & Attain (Ross)

We have had a couple of two-year olds run already and the later maturing types are now catching up by doing some faster work. Little Orchid is a filly I've always liked and she continues to please me. Seven furlongs will probably be her starting point and she is only a few weeks from making her debut.
Big Bang has come on leaps and bounds over the past month and will be ready sooner than I once thought. He is still pretty green but is learning all the time and will visit the racecourse in the near future.

Big Bang (Caitlin), Veeraya (Ross) & Little Orchid (Megan)

Although it's nice to have a proper summer for once, the dry period is delaying Vastly's comeback as he needs some juice in the ground to protect his fragile legs. He is just ticking over at the moment and is ready to run as soon as there's some suitable ground about.

Vastly (Tess)

Moment To Dream is another who has been on the sick list recently but her comeback is slowly coming together. I'm very grateful to her owners for being so patient with her as I don't want to rush her and knock her back again. She is improving with every day and it won't be too long before she is doing faster work.

Moment To Dream (Caitlin)

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE
Bethan's second place means Steve Moore strengthens his position at the top of the rankings but there are still plenty of others hot on his tail.

Steve Moore	17
Malc Shields	14
Mark Rimmer	14
Ros Cousens	13
Megan Digby Baker	12
John Birkett	12
Julie Feilden	9
Geoff Roberts	7
Barbara Walton	7
Gordon Hill	7
Shelley Birkett	7
Adam Beschizza	7
Jim Stevens	7
Poppy Feilden	6
Brian Reilly	6
Eddie Partridge	6
Jonathan Kinge	6
Rita Aspland	6
Sam Feilden	6
Steve Springford	6
Ryan Moore	6
Julia Feilden	6
Liz Moore	6
Dave Morris	6
Paula Smith	6
Jason Coote	6
Sophie Collington	6
Steve Clarke	6
Chris Shirran	6
Phil Collington	6
Rachael Shucksmith	6
Rob Weston	6
Dave Barnett	6
Allan Forster	3
Bill Burgess	3
Linda Wright	3
Stephen Broadley	3
Martyn Clark	3
Trevor Fuller	3
Dominic Lisle	3
Barry Hine	3
Lee Cousens	1
Tina	1
Carol Bushnell	1

PLUS 29 OTHERS ON ZERO POINTS

Newmarket is set to come alive this week with the town's July Festival kicking off. Although I won't be represented at the racetrack, I'll still have plenty to keep me busy as it is also the July Sales at Tattersalls. I've been lucky at this auction in the past and you can sometimes find a bargain there...fingers crossed the same can happen this time around.

Runners-wise, we just have the two on Tuesday. Meddling goes to Wolverhampton and I hope she can get competitive again now she is back down to 0-60 class. She usually wins at this level, goes up in the weights and then struggles until she goes back down in grade. She is in good order at home and didn't stay the one mile up Newmarket's stiff finish last time, plus she has a good draw for a change.
The other runner on Tuesday is Inauguration at Brighton. She goes to the sales later on in the week but it'd be nice for her to go there with a bit of form to her name. She seems fine at home but she has been quite disappointing so it's hard to know what to expect at a track she didn't seem to like before.

The heat wave has meant the grass gallops are a bit too firm at the moment so all our work has been done on the all-weather. We are very lucky in Newmarket to have some of the best gallops in the world. The sand walkways can also get very dusty in the summer but the heathmen are out at 5am each day to water them and the careful maintenance of each canter means it is usable and consistent year-round.

On Saturday we just had a few stretching their legs on the Cambridge Road polytrack.
Attain really loves soft ground and I had him in on Saturday in the hope the thunder storms would bring us some rain but it sadly wasn't enough. He's down to a good mark now and will be ready to strike when conditions are right.
Likewise, Vastly is ready to go but after his leg issues, I don't want him to comeback on the firm ground and hurt himself again. He's in good order and ticking over nicely.
One who doesn't mind rattling ground is Guising. His aim for the year is the historic Newmarket Town Plate. His owner Carol was meant to ride him but a change of heart has seen my brother Nick step into the plate. He is now a groundsman at Godolphin but he was a jockey back in the day and rides out for me regularly. I've told him the horse will be fit enough for the day, he just needs to make sure he is! The race isn't until the end of August so there's plenty of time for him to get ready.

Attain (Mark), Vastly (Luke) & Guising (Tess)

Automotive (Ross)

Duke Of Diamonds (Caitlin)

New girl on the block

40/1 chance leaves us all tongue tied

Tears of joy followed by tears of sadness

Counting the days!!!

The Three To Follow is back!

The turf is back...or is it?

Last chance to enter the Three To Follow

Riding to Redcar

Grey week

Looking for the silver lining

Two exciting new prospects

Ready for a busy week

Running with credit

Riding on a double-decker bus!

Bethan off the mark

Seeing Silver in the fog

At home with Kylie!

No badge for Newmarket

Gosden - heaven sent?

Festival time