Our first runner of the new season was at Hereford yesterday, where Marodima put up another good performance to be 2nd, only beaten by a better handicapped younger horse. There was over 50 lengths back to the third horse, and although I am chuffed to bits, it is also frustrating to think he's run so well, and yet has been beaten. Anyway, a good way to start the new season, and fingers crossed we have another good year. 

Now that our first season at Folly House has drawn to a close, we go into the ‘summer’ safe in the knowledge that we have had a fantastic season - the horses have kept their form, and we have finished 45th in the trainers championship with a healthy 16% strike rate, and 55% of our horses finishing placed. We had 19 winners amassing over £127,000 in prize money, with 10 horses winning from 29 different horses. A lot of credit must go to our fantastic team of staff, which have worked tirelessly throughout the season. We have had a far better quality of horse this season, and combined with the incredible Lambourn facilities, we have bettered our previous best season.  We are now beginning to rough off a lot of our 'winter' horses but will have about 6 or 7 horses for the summer months.

We ended the 2011-2012 season at Sandown where Knighton Combe ran in the Bet365 Gold Cup (aka the Whitbread) and finished a very creditable 7th. He was outclassed but stayed on well, and certainly didn't disappoint. We will now try to win back to back runnings of the Summer National, but may struggle off a 10lbs higher mark and now at the age of 12. We also took Miss Milborne up to Perth last week for the class 2 'Future Champions Novice Hurdle', where she fisnished 4th. I thought she ran right up to her mark, and possibly a bit better as well. Considering it was a class 2 Novice event, I think it was a race worthy of Cheltenham! I was hoping going 3 miles on soft ground on a right handed track would bring about 4-5lbs improvement, and it probably brought about 2-3lbs improvement. If we had improved 5lbs, we would have been 2nd, and if we hadn’t lost a front shoe, then I think we could have been 3rd, so it was another very solid run from our mare. She has been a star this season, and I can’t wait to go novice chasing with her next season.

We look to have an even stronger team of horses for next season (started on Sunday!) and I cannot wait. I think Marodima may be our first runner of the season at Hereford on Thursday, and fingers crossed we can start off on a winning note.  

We've had a relatively quiet week on the runners front. Ballyboker Boy was 3rd at Exeter in a novice hurdle over 2m7, where he probably didn't quite see the trip out having run a bit too free, and Ixora fell 2 from home when still in with every chance at Cheltenham on Thursday in a mares Listed event. Thankfully she's ok - a few scratches etc, but nothing serious, so at least we live to fight another day.... she just came up a bit long and clipped the top and slid away on landing. She was just being a little bit too flamboyant in the soft ground – but it does show that she ‘had plenty left in the locker’. She was a length off Kells Belle (the eventual winner) at the time, and seeing as we beat her off level weights at the festival, and we were receiving a pound off her on Thursday, then I think we would have been there or there abouts.....but thats racing!

I went to the sales on Wednesday evening, where we witnessed a lot of very smart Irish Pointers coming under the hammer. One of the top lots was a horse called Present Lodger who went for £200k, having won an Irish Point at Lismore. The horse who finished 2nd to Present Lodger was a horse called Ultra Klass who I bought in Ireland the day after his race. He is a 4 year old, good looking son of Ungaro, and cost considerably less than £200k.....!! He is for sale, so if you are interested in having a look at him, then please do give me a call.

For Sale

- Ultra Klass - finished 2nd and 3rd in two Irish Points.  

The ups and downs of racing are incredibly wide ranging, and we suffered a terrible day yesterday at Chepstow where the really promising More Talk broke her leg in the concluding bumper.  I held her in the same regard as Miss Milborne and Ixora, and I truly believed she had a very bright future ahead of her.  She was held up early on in the race, and was beginning to make good headway through the field up the home straight, when she went wrong.  I am devastated for Karen and John Gunn, and all the team here at Folly House, as we all knew she was a very special mare.  

On the same day we had cause for celebration as Richard Pitman rode Millers Reef in the 'Legends Charity Race' at Aintree, giving the Jamie Snowden Racing Club tickets to the Grand National where they witnessed a fantastic race, won by Daryl Jacob who has ridden many winners for us since we began training nearly 4 years ago.  Many congratulations to him, and all at Paul Nicholls. 

Scuderia made his racecourse debut yesterday at Chepstow as well, and finished mid div.  He is a proper galloper, and won't be seen at his best until he's over 3 miles in testing conditions in the winter.  He is a lovely horse, and one to look forward to next season.