Best birthday week

I couldn't have asked for a better present on my birthday than a winner and luckily I got just that this year after Terri Rules put in a remarkable performance to win at Yarmouth on Thursday,
With a furlong to go, she and Shelley were trapped behind the leaders in fifth place and she looked to be in an impossible position but thankfully a gap came just in time and the pair bravely quickened through to win quite cosily in the end. 
​This was Terri's third win of the year and she has been a different horse since we dropped her back to five furlongs and used hold-up tactics. Hopefully there is still more to come too.

Terri Rules and Shelley pounce late to win at Yarmouth

It was a great week overall runners-wise as not a single one disappointed.
Limerick Lord earned yet more prize money with a third place at Brighton despite feeling a bit flat after a busy spell recently. We'll give him a few weeks off to freshen up and it wouldn't surprise me if he made it four wins for himself in 2018 before the summer is out.
Amelia George's run at Wolverhampton on Monday caused quite a stir as she was gambled on from 100/1 into 10/1 and landed the each-way money by finishing second. None of us had had a bet but maybe it was the followers of the blog as I had said how she had spent the last four years since her previous race at the British Racing School before being kicked out as none of the students could hold  her up the canter. Her owner John Ford thought she would be worth a try back in training and he was rewarded with an excellent run which she will improve significantly from.
Rounding off the good spell was Casey Banter and Lulu Star at Chelmsford on Saturday. Lulu hated the kickback early on but flew home for fifth once in the clear whilst Casey put in a career best to finish second and she looks likely to win a race soon on the all-weather.

N.E.T. Racing Club ladies at Chelmsford for Casey Banter

Let's hope the good form continues as we have another handful of runners this week starting with Pitch High at Wolverhampton on Monday.
He is best on soft ground but there is no hope of seeing that for a while but he did win on the all-weather late last year. Ideally a straight track suits him too but there's only one of those on the all-weather in the country so again we are limited with options. He has a wide draw here though and that should suit him as he doesn't like to be crowded so hopefully he can get a position up the front and keep on galloping.
As ever, we are well represented at a Yarmouth meeting this week with two entries there on Wednesday.
Tarakona will be making her debut in the two-year old race and I'm looking forward to seeing what she can do. She has been very professional since we bought her from the breeze-up sales in May and her homework has been very good. You never know how they will handle their first taste of the races but she has the experience of the breeze-ups under her belt so you would think it shouldn't be too much of a shock to her.
Boxatricks will be going with her and he will be having his third career run. He needs this to get a handicap rating and it is in that sphere where he will be seen to better effect on soft ground.

Oud Metha Bridge hasn't run a bad race since we bought him last October but he is a better horse on the all-weather than turf. The handicapper knows this too though as he is rated almost a stone lower on the green stuff which will give him a realistic chance at Newbury on Thursday. They tend to water the grass well there so it shouldn't be too firm for him and the straight mile will be to his liking too.
Rounding off the week on Friday will be another stable star in Majestic Moon at Ascot. He rarely runs a bad race and surprised us on ground we thought would be too firm for him at Yarmouth last time when finishing second. Ascot is another course that is watered well and he has won there in the past so I hope he can put in a good performance.

**DATE FOR YOUR DIARY**
The annual Julia Feilden Racing Golf Day has been booked and is now open for entries.
We will again be playing at Newmarket Links Golf Club on Thursday August 30th, tee time 12 noon.
Like always, there will be a barbecue back at the yard afterwards from 5pm which is open to everyone, golfer or not!

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