Cropredy Lawn Update

What a frantic week, despite only having one runner and no yearling sale to attend!
We've been on a four-lot routine for a month now and the horses have been doing tremendous groundwork for their preparation towards their seasonal debuts.
We are all hoping for rain in order to proceed with schooling but i do admit i would be reluctant to have swapped some of the glorious autumn mornings that we have had recently for 'soft refreshing rain'. On tuesday we schooled 21 horses over the tyres, baby hurdles and full-size hurdles. It was more show-jumping practice than schooling as the handbrakes were full-on, as the ground is still so fast. But we have had very heavy dews and have also purposely left the grass longer than usual to provide some sort of cushion to the schooling field. William Kennedy, Andrew Thornton, Danny Hannig, Ben Brackenbury and Josh Pierce were all kept busy and remarkably all 21 horses jumped well. For many this was their first jumping experience outside of our loose jumping-lane where they have had masses of practice. All that loose-schooling has taught them well as they all jumped straight and with great enthusiasm.
Amongst tuesday's jumpers were tomorrow's runners ASHES SUMMER and AUSTRALIA DAY who both look in excellent form and well-being. ASHES SUMMER makes her debut in the 3.y.o. hurdle after running well in her two maidens on the flat at Bath and Kempton. This filly has a tremendous attitude and continues to improve. It's a while since we had a promising juvenile hurdler, especially a filly, but i hope we have one here. AUSTRALIA DAY has conditions absolutely in his favour tomorrow as going right-handed on fast ground at Kempton should be as an ideal scenario as he'll ever get. His run over 1 1/2m. at Ascot last time proved that he now stays better than last year. The form of his very good fourth on the flat at Doncaster is rock solid, as the winner Mawatheeq won the Cumberland Lodge and runs in the Champion Stakes today and the second Eastern Aria won a listed race in France next time out. His race is a valuable listed novice hurdle with good competition but we think he remains in top form.
COME APRIL runs at Pontefract on monday and i think the stiff 1 1/4m. will suit her better than the underlating 1 1/2m at Goodwood last time. She has dropped 5lbs and should be less 'rusty' than she was at Goodwood which was her first start for well over two years. Her work has been consistently good and she should go close in this race.