30th August 2017 - not much racing, but still the scoreboard is ticking over very nicely.

Although there is 10 days of no racing throughout the middle of August, our horses have continued how we left off last month and another couple of winners over the last week have meant we have crept into the top 20 in the trainer's championship.

Adrrastos won as he liked on his chasing debut last month, and followed up in a class 3 at Stratford under Aidan Coleman last week where he jumped from fence to fence and looks a really progressive novice chaser.  He has done all of his winning from the front over 2 miles, but I think he could be even better with a lead and I am sure he'll stay further too.  I'm beginning to think we might try to aim him for the novice handicap chase at the Festival that we won with Present View.

Adrrastos wins his 2nd Novice Chase.

Another horse we can begin to dream with is Fact of the Matter who won a valuable class 2 at Cartmel on Monday.  Having won three novice chases last season we quite fancied him for the Summer Cup last month, but he missed the start and lost all chance after that.  We tinkered with his wind again and he won well despite not handling the track.  We can now start to plan a campaign around a possible tilt at the Scottish National or even the Grand National.

Fact of the Matter wins a Class 2 at Cartmel.

Of our other recent runners, I thought Our Three Sons put up a career best performance last week at Fontwell where he was 2^nd under a big weight having won 3 of his last 4 starts.  He jumped superbly and went down fighting to a potentially smart unexposed decent ex flat horse.  Capsy de Mee also hit the cross bar when 2^nd on his chasing debut at Stratford earlier this month.  He should improve for that run and will appreciate dropping back in trip tomorrow at Sedgefield where he should have every chance.

Lord Topper made his chasing debut at Worcester tonight where he was in the process of running a cracking race until he fluffed his lines at the 4^th last and that cost him any chance of winning.  He's only a 4-year-old and that mistake knocked the stuffing out of him really.  Meanwhile, Between the Waters was placed yet again this month, but is yet to get his head in front.....surely it's only a matter of time for him.

Unfortunately, we've had some disappointing news this month too.  Kapgarde King ran poorly at Market Rasen but came back very lame.  It transpires that his knees aren't up to the rigours of racing and we've had to retire him.  Fine Jewellery jumped violently out to his right at Newton Abbott but came back with "a flat drivers rear tyre", so we've had to pump that up.