Striking Eyes runs today at Kempton in the 6f maiden at 5.45pm, our first runner since Keys won at Cheltenham.   She is owned and bred by Peter Webb who also owned and bred her sire Striking Ambition who stands at Longdon Stud in the Midlands.   Striking Ambition was a very tough and versatile racehorse when he was in training at Beckhampton, winning 9 of his 22 starts and over £246,000.   Although his victories included a Group 3 in Deauville and a Group 2 in Baden Baden, his finest day was probably in defeat when beaten a short head by Avonbridge in the Prix De L'Abbeye Group 1 in 2005.

Striking Eyes will need to run to a BHA rating of at least 70 today if she is to win first time out.  It is possible that in time, she might  prove to be slightly better than a 70 rated filly, but she will improve for the outing as she is still very inexperienced.

...CLICK ON '' ROGER ''   (above)......To see a review of Beckhampton's 2010 Season.

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What a foul morning plus 3 degrees, and non stop heavy rain, yet again the lads and lasses have an unpleasant morning riding out.  The horses seem to be happy and healthy with only the odd runny nose and cough around, let's hope it continues.

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.