Paul Webber Racing

After the relative calm of June, Cropredy Lawn is well back into busy mode. Indeed with the Lord's Ashes Test just reaching its magnificent conclusion, attentions can be focused now on preparing for the 'core' N.H. season ahead.All cleaning and painting is finished and the 'jumpers' are returning into their smartened rooms like school boys after the long summer holiday. These horses look tremendous and importantly, are not too fat as the hard feed that they have been fed daily, stops them from gorging themselves on limitless grass. It seems to take us about twelve weeks from field to racecourse and we aim to have the first 'winter jumpers' ready from 1st October. We have kept busy 'breaking in' the new horses from the sales and some two year olds that have been raised here. Some of these have nearly completed their primary education and will soon re-inhabit their fields to grow and develop through the winter and return for further training in the spring.The flat-string has been running well, but have spent recent weeks finishing third and fourth.

Some of them, including TRIBE, KRISTALLO, RED BIRR and ROBERT THE BRAVE will now either have a little break or revert to jumping in a few week's time. Our sole representative at the races this week will be TRADE FAIRLE at Bath on thursday. This colt has disappointed badly in his first two starts. We had a little word in his 'shell-like' ear in conjunction with applying a visor and he has certainly changed his ideas. AUSTRALIA DAY ran another consistent race to be third at Sandown and he will go to Goodwood for the opening race of the festival next tuesday. He remains in good form but does want real summer weather to arrive to insure his favoured very fast ground. The handicapper raised him another pound to a rating of 98, so life is not getting any easier for him! If showers persist, he could wait for Haydock and Sandown in August.