Thursday 26th November 2015 - a frustrating few weeks

It has been a frustrating few weeks with over 50% of our horses finishing placed since our last winner……but we’ve just been failing to hit the bulls’ eye. What is frustrating is that the horses haven’t been running badly, they’re looking fantastic, scoping well, but just failing to win!

At times like this you begin to wonder what is happening – are we riding them wrongly, using the wrong tactics, are we placing them badly etc etc…..but in actual fact I don’t think we’re doing too much wrong, and we’ve just got to ride the storm and let it happen.

Obviously we have been hit by injuries to Val De Law and also Present View underperforming, but I am pleased to say that we seem to be recruiting a strong team of new horses. I was delighted to be able to secure the recent Carlisle bumper winner, Three Ways. He is a 4 year old gelding by Flemensfirth from the family of the Gold Cup winner, Master Oats. He has taken well to schooling and I should imagine we’ll have him out over hurdles at some point over the Christmas period.  Another recent recruit is a 4 year old mare called Buche De Noel who has won 4 of her last 5 starts in France and she could be one for the new mares novice hurdle at the Festival. Although we might start her off in a listed contest at Haydock in December. Double Treasure is another who has just arrived with us. He is by Kings Theatre out of a winning hurdler of Alan King’s. He has some decent staying black type in his family and looks one to who could be pretty smart.

I bought a smashing 3 year old Midnight Legend gelding in the summer, and now that he has been backed and ridden away I cannot tell you how excited I am to have secured this fellow. I love Midnight Legend as a sire as he continues to produce winner after winner, who have a fantastic attitude.  This chap is out of a sister to Desert Queen who won two points and is a three time winner under rules including bolting up at Sandown on debut and most recently when winning a fiercely competitive handicap at Ascot last Saturday off a mark of 130 on just her 5th start under rules.  He is from the family of the Gold Cup runner up, Dubacilla. I have set up a partnership which will consist of eight equal shares - the purchase cost will be £4,500 plus VAT (which is reclaimable) per share.  The ongoing monthly payments will be £250/ share. He looks a proper horse to go to war with so do let me know if you might be keen to join this partnership.