8th November 2014

After Camachoice's scintillating demolition job at Southwell, the handicapper took a rather dim view of him, and walloped him with 20lbs!  We therefore had to find a race for him to run with a penalty, and the only option was a competitive 0-125 class 3 handicap at Wetherby last week.  Unfortunately a combination of softer ground, the race coming a bit too soon, and the higher grade race meant we fell short of the required improvement.... I think he deserves a winter holiday now, and we'll bring him back in the spring.

I was pleased with Midnight Silver’s racecourse debut at Worcester last week – she finished 5^th of 16, but she was the fastest finisher, and now the penny has dropped she should be up to winning a bumper before she goes hurdling.

Rhythm Star was lucky not to be brought down at the first at Uttoxeter on her hurdling debut. She recovered her confidence, but was outpaced turning for home, however she stayed on all the way to the line, and was only beaten 7 lengths – we’ll step her up in trip now, and she should be able to get back to winning ways.

Ravenous ran another good race to be 3^rd again at Huntingdon on Sunday – he is improving with each run, but does struggle to properly see out 2 miles. He should strengthen up with a winter holiday, and might improve further on some spring ground. To The Sky will be another to be off for a winter break – he’s not been out of the first four since arriving with us in the summer. He was 4^th at Huntingdon under Will Featherstone (our new conditional), but just struggled on the softer going.

We didn’t have the best of days at Fontwell yesterday. Unfortunately Alanjou just ran very flat, and basically the race came too soon for him.  I should have given him more time to get over his previous win.  However, he appeared fresh and well at home, and it was the right race to run him in……Heyho - the good news is that he is fine today.

I was quite frustrated with Detroit Blues run, as although we agreed we weren't going to hold him up as we wanted him to settle, we certainly didn’t want him to make the running at all costs - which is basically what we have done, and having got racing from so far out, we were never going to get home on heavy ground. In all probability he didn’t handle the heavy ground, and would want some better ground.  Anyway, he'll need some time to get over that run, and I think we might give him a quiet month now, with a view of bringing him back to race in the New Year.  After all, we still think he's a good horse (as I think we can forget that run!), and he is still only 4 years old.  The most obvious thing to do now is to go hurdling, and perhaps we think about giving him a spring campaign over hurdles.