Silbury   pulled much too hard for her own good when she ran at Newbury in a rather slowly run 6 furlong maiden race. I am keen to run her again once more before she returns to her owners stud for a winter break.  I am hoping that Steve Drowne can  "drop her in" and teach her to settle. 

Promenadia   will benefit from her race today but it is a good course with a long straight and I hope that she shows some promise for the future.

Thistle Stikk  is a big tall gelding measuring 16.2 hands who in time will make an exciting jumping prospect, but due to the lack of maiden races I have no alternative but to run him in a claimer today.  He will go to the Horses in Training Sale at the end of October.

No runners today but I will be off to Nottingham tomorrow and Newmarket on Friday and Saturday.  I am really looking forward to running Cityscape on Friday and he should  appreciate the 'easy' in the ground.  He came out of his race at Haydock on 4th October in good shape and I have been pleased with the way that he has been training since then, he seems to be a much happier horse.  He worked on Sunday morning with his regular rider Uilson De Souza and went 7 furlongs with my two Cambridgeshire horses Proponent and Brunston. They are all in great form but the ground might end up being too slow for Saturday's runners.

Some of my happiest memories are of Cap Juluca 1995 and Blue Monday 2005 steaming up the hill to win the Cambridgeshire. Cap Juluca was an amazing horse, he made all under Richard Hughes and carrying a then record weight for a three year old of 9st 10lb (107 rating), winning his 5th race in a row and giving a 5 year old Ball Gowan 28lb. A very special horse who belonged to a very good owner  Martin Myers who was a terrific asset to my yard as well as to racing in general. ' Blue'  was also a great star winning eight races and earning over £500,000 in France, Canada, Australia and England from 2003.

Sailing North behaved with distinction at Wolverhampton last night but having loaded into the starting stalls, there was a delay waiting for a few others who were messing around to go in. Unfortunately he became a bit impatient and started rearing and he managed to get his front legs over the side of the adjacent stall. This means that they have to be removed from the starting stall and become immediately declared a non runner, as it would be difficult to assess any damage done to horse in a short space of time. Luckily Steve Drowne was unhurt, they really earn their fees. He will be off to Gary Witheford's first thing on Monday for a refresher course on how to behave, before to doing a stalls test at the races later this week, some of the trials and tribulations of training.

Frankel...      what an exciting machine, he looks like being the best potential three year old since See The Stars, congratulations to Warren Place.

Returning from the trial grounds.

Genki walking home after his first time up the polytrack since Ayr

Sailing North  has a smart pedigree as he is out of a full sister to Xaar a Champion two year old for Juddmonte Farms.  He was gelded earlier in the year as he was proving to be rather difficult on the gallops and doing plenty of "rearing" and not wanting to go forwards. The operation has helped him but there is still a streak in him that is not entirely trustworthy but I am hoping that he will run well this evening.  It will probably take at least a 75-80 rated horse to win the race.  He had a dress rehearsal at  Lingfield 10 days ago where he walked around the paddock and behaved very well.

Sadly Folly Bridge has been declared a non runner at Ascot this afternoon due to the ground.

I was delighted to see that my twittering has been noticed, fame at last and that we have been ranked 2nd behind Paul Nicholls who started twittering last week. Now we need to move up a gear so that we can be in the number one spot !  

Racing professionals on Twitter  by Chris Cook of the Guardian   (Friday 24th September)

2) @rogercharlton

Roger Charlton is the first and I believe, only Derby-winning trainer to post his thoughts on Twitter, and fascinating reading they make. He is frank in assessing his runners chances and very helpful with post-race comments, which is how I know that his Sugar Beet lost just 7 lbs in winning at Folkestone on Tuesday.

Charlton has twigged that Twitter can be a useful marketing device for a trainer and an excellent way to communicate with owners, potential owners and fans of the sport. He includes links to recently taken pictures of his horses working at home, as well as the news section of his website. Racing would be a much more accessible sport if all Flat trainers followed his example. Long may the stable's fine run of form continue.

Click >>>>> to read the full article

^{Not much news with no runners yesterday or today but  Iam looking forward to going to Ascot to see some great racing tomorrow.}

Embezzle is perhaps quite well named at the moment or maybe not ....''a misappropriation of assets'' ...he certainly hasn't yet added to his owners assets and he will probably be visiting the sales next.  With time he could mature into a well handicapped staying horse as he is  tough and never misses a day through being ill or lame.  

Jo Eady with Marlinka

A photograph taken this morning before she is picked up to return to Kirtlington Stud where she will have a wonderful time being turned out in paddocks surrounded by her mother and many relations.  She has had a wonderful season for Elite Racing winning 3 times which included a Listed race so gaining some  important black type.  She has now won nearly £40,000, who said I could not train a two year old !