17/07/22

The weather is often a major talking point in this blog and this week it is all anyone is talking about as we look set to be hit by a heat wave that could break records. With 40c predicted on Monday and Tuesday, racing in most of the country has very sensibly been cancelled as it would have been asking for trouble racing (and transporting) horses in such high temperatures.
We have already been starting work earlier in the mornings to get the horses out before the worst of the heat and that will be the case over the next few days too as we'll also avoid giving them too strenuous work in the conditions and it's more a case of getting them out just to stretch the legs and get some fresh air.

Thank you for all of the well wishes after I underwent a hip replacement on Wednesday. It all went to plan and I was looked after extremely well by Nuffield Hospital in Cambridge. I could luckily get the procedure done privately thanks to my health insurance and it was like staying in a hotel - my own room and en-suite too. 
I came home on Saturday and it's great to be back among the horses. I can get about on crutches but driving is off limits for six weeks so I'll be resigned to office duties for a while!

After the two-day break for the hot weather, we will be racing again on Wednesday when things look got be a lot more bearable.
Smokey Malone is entered at Leicester and it doesn't look a too competitive race. The one  downside is there might not be many runners and that's a bad thing for Smokey as he loves to follow a fast pace and get into trouble in running. He'll do well to get those things here and regular rider Dylan Hogan looks like he'll have to ride elsewhere so we go more in hope than expectation.

Dylan will be back in the plate for us on Thursday when Hurricane Kiko has his second career run at Yarmouth. He ran a blinder first time out when third at Newmarket and he seems to have come on a lot for the experience. There looks to be one hot pot in this race that will be hard to beat but hopefully Kiko can run another promising race.
Mrs Meader is also entered on Thursday at Newbury but she needs the forecast thunder storms and rain to arrive if she is to run. She doesn't show her best on firm ground so it'll have to be good at least if she is to run. She loves the track and it's another amateur race like she won last time so she should run well if it's soft enough.

Initiate has two options open to her at the weekend with Lingfield on Saturday and Chelmsford on Sunday. She came to us rated a bit too high but she has done really well for a short break and comes back a lot stronger filly and hopefully that'll mean better results on the track. It's still early days with her but hopefully she can show some form.
The Mouse King will be entered at Chelmsford on Sunday too and he should bounce back to form after running a disappointing race on turf last time. His best run to date came at this course so he should run well.