Bonnie booked

We decided not to open the yard this year as part of Newmarket Open Weekend due to various factors but our resident falabella Bonnie was booked for the day by the British Racing School and she was kept busy! The School had a rug especially made for her and she wandered around the place saying hello to everyone. Bonnie is worth her weight in gold as she travels to the races with any nervous types and her presence helps keep them calm. She is now 12 years old and we've had her since she was a foal so she is definitely part of the furniture now.

Bonnie at the British Racing School

As it turned out, it probably wasn't a bad thing that we were closed this year as the weather was pretty dire and I doubt many people would have made the trip out to Exning to see us. As I said last week, we are open to visitors every Saturday morning of the year so there are plenty of opportunities for you to come and see what we do at the yard.

We've had some much welcome rain in Newmarket recently and the rest of the country has had plenty too so hopefully the soft ground horses can finally get a chance to shine.
Our Cilla hasn't seen much action this year due to the dry summer but hopefully Pontefract will be soft enough for her to go there on Thursday. It's a grade higher than she is used to but she loves the mud and is a much better horse in those conditions so it is worth going for.

We're on the all-weather on Friday as we make another trip up north to Newcastle.
Oud Metha Bridge had no luck last time at Kempton when missing the break so hopefully he can get out sharply this time and make the running as he usually likes to do. He has won at the course before and this is a drop in grade from last time so hopefully he can get back to his consistent ways.
Pitch High and Casey Banter are in the same race but only one will run, most likely the latter. Casey seems as good on the all-weather as on turf so the track holds no worries and she too should be thereabouts at the finish if running.
Should Pitch not run, he is also in at Chelmsford on Saturday. He needs to make the running ideally so a fast start will be crucial and you will know if he has a chance of winning after the first furlong is run.
Also at Chelmsford that day could be Lulu Star. She won at the track last time but this is a step up in class. I'll assess the race and see if it is worth running as there is another opportunity for her next week.

We are always looking to buy horses from other yards who we think could be improved for a change of scenery and I think we found just the type at Goffs UK Doncaster sales this week. Sea Shack looked impressive when winning at Goodwood as a two-year old but hasn't gone on since then. He has dropped nicely in the handicap in the two years since then so hopefully we've got him at the right time. He is a lovely looking horse and seems to have settled in very well. He is being privately syndicated by his owner but some shares may be available soon and I will let you know if they are.

Sea Shack

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​FOUR TO FOLLOW LEADERBOARD

Rita Aspland 146
Tony McGovern 135
Dominic Lisle 132
Ged Turley 131
Paula Smith 131
Tony Peacock 129
Simon Kirk 129
Terry Mortimer 128
Mark Arlidge 126
Rod Gleed 123