That's Dangerous (2 year old by Three Valleys ex St Edith) cantering up the grass gallop

 

A group of two year olds cantering up the grass gallop

 

My secretary riding a two year old filly by Authorized ex Wannabe Grand up the grass canter

 

Ali Hope (2 year old by Three Valleys ex Alexander Duchess) walking home after exercise.

 

The horses are now getting back into a normal routine after Christmas and the New Year. They are doing plenty of cantering on the grass and AW gallops. The only addition to the yard has been the arrival of Border Patrol's 2 year old half brother who is by Green Desert.  He is a neat and fairly mature looking colt who is bred to be speedy and he ought to be running this year. He has been named Daffyd continuing the welsh theme as he is out of Ffestiniog.

 

It doesn't get much more exciting than that to win by a short head after a steward's inquiry and with my first ever runner at the home of NH racing Cheltenham.   Keys' owner/ breeder Barry Hurley was absolutely thrilled to win and he is now dreaming of running in The Champion Bumper in March.  I thought that Keys put up a gutsy performance to win in the last stride having travelled perhaps too well through the race and finding the soft ground and the hill almost too much for him. It was a great way to start 2011 and good for moral in the yard and mine as well !

 

 

There is a maximum field of 16 declared in Key's race, the NH Bumper at Cheltenham tomorrow at 3.45,  it's exciting to be going there with my first runner who I hope will have a fair chance, although there are 7 winners in the race from top stables.  Keys has had a good preparation, he's improving but there's precious little collateral form to go on.  Both his victories were achieved in good style but in my opinion they were in weak races so tomorrow will tell us a lot. 

Wishing you all a very happy and successful New Year in 2011.

 

Knockdolian was a little disappointing yesterday at Newbury and almost impossible to see due to the dense fog, but his jumping will improve and he got badly interferred with when a horse fell in front of him in the straight, 2 1/2 miles will suit in the future. 

 It's now very mild and foggy but we still have 10'' of snow refusing to melt off the poly track so a few hours of digging ahead.

 

We have a runner in the 12.30 today at Newbury, which will be our first runner in a hurdle race since 1997, Somehow I seemed to have found the hottest race possible, so no pressure !   Knockdolian (Montjeu) is a lovely big horse who could make a chaser one day, he looks well and I hope he's fairly fit after all the difficult conditions.  Unfortunately I haven't been able to do as much schooling with him as I would have liked due to the snow, but Alan King has been very kind and he schooled with some of his horses before Christmas.  On his slightly disappointing flat form (rated 67), he needs to find a massive amount of improvement to feature against some of the most promising juveniles seen out so far. 

 

A good thaw over night and plus 4 this morning so most of the frost now out of the ground and the snow disappearing.  I was able to work Keys over 10 furlongs on the grass this morning in preparation for his race on Saturday at Cheltenham.

 

The temperature dropped to -14 here on Christmas night which meant that all the 'mains water ' froze up to both yards and endless carrying of water buckets add to the lad's work on Boxing Day.  Apart from a few burst pipes thankfully we started returning to normal this morning and the horses were able to get out and do 2 canters on the wood chip 7 furlong canter.  Although there is a forecast of a thaw during the week it could be proceeded by more snow  tonight, let's hope they are wrong... It's at times like this when a lot of people are on holiday that all stable staff across the country should be applauded for their hard work.

 

A very Happy Christmas to you all, not much news still freezing this morning but we were able to use the wood chip canter again so all the horses have had a good exercise this morning....2 days off and then back to normal on Monday.  We are all waiting for a thaw with a hurdle entry on Wednesday at Newbury and a bumper entry at Cheltenham on Saturday hopefully. 

SOME PHOTO'S TAKEN OF THE HORSES OUT AT EXERCISE ON THE SNOWY WILTSHIRE DOWNS.