EDGBRIAR......... jumping the last (with his legs crossed!) before winning at Bangor, 27th March 2010.

'TOBY' finished up a great week by winning at Bangor. He looked to be struggling half a mile from home but stayed on really well approaching the last and actually won 'cosily' in the end. It looks time to step him up in distance and as he hardly 'blew a candle out' after this race, we are considering a couple of races at Aintree next week.

"THE STAR IS BORN."
SCAMPI BOY winning at Warwick, 25th March 2010. (Photos by kind permission of Les Hurley)

With apologies to Kristoffersen and Streisand, " A Star was born " at Warwick two days ago.
We had been tracking the genesis of SCAMPI BOY, ever since i lost my marbles and paid a fortune for him, 'on spec' at The Derby Sale in June 2008. He was the most handsome four year old, and I was amazed, thrilled and terrified when the bidding suddenly stalled at E70,000. A few months later, Dave Carrington 'stepped upto the plate' and added him to his burgeoning string. He, 'SCAMPI' that is not Dave, has taken longer than i had expected to mature. He has grown up quickly recently, has improved for every race and then further still with a step up in distance. He cruised home easily at Warwick, having travelled effortlessly throughout the race. Granted it was an ordinary maiden hurdle but he really did quicken up the run-in like Halley's Comet. I hope you will be able to follow his glowing vapour trail for light years to come!
Today we run two more of Dave Carrington's young Nebulae, let us hope they don't disappear into Black Holes! DONT TELL NINA...... and Dave didn't tell Nina for a long time about this one, is a future chaser and we are just looking for general improvement today. However, I hope that MARLEY ROCA will 'break out' today and become an additional Star in the Carrington Firmament.

TIME FOR RUPERT and BIG BUCKS jumping the last in The Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

This photograph sums it all up perfectly. Despite everybody's faultless endevours and the most perfectly run race by 'RUPERT' and William, we still finish effing second!!

We are so proud of 'RUPERT' but equally frustrated that the only one of the four 'bankers of the festival' to come up trumps, has to be in his race.

The bIG stage at Cheltenham is such an important marketing tool for us and we need to grab those BIG headlines in order to attract the owners that will give us an even better chance to compete. 'RUPERT' was a 40k purchase and here he is battling away with one of the many horses that cost hundreds of thousands of euros from the big stables. Do NOT read this as a bunch of sour grapes, i'm merely pointing out how difficult it is to 'steal the spotlight', on the biggest stage.

My father always told me that the most important part of being a trainer, was to get yourself into the position to buy the best horses. This is precisely what Messrs. Henderson, Hobbs and Nicholls have done so professionally. We have no doubt that we too can identify those horses and that all of us at Cropredy Lawn can nurture, train and produce them for the big day. We will get there.

We've just got to work out a way to..... "Corral more of the fastest Mustangs! "

"OUR STABLE NEEDS YOU."

Pictures of TIME FOR RUPERT

and his anxious trainer, taken in the

build-up to The Ladbroke World Hurdle. (Photos courtesy of Will Johnston of The Banbury Guardian)

I hope these photos show just our much attention our tremendous team have focused upon our Cheltenham

runners. We think everthing has been done to give these horses their special chance of Festival glory.

ALASI ran by far her career best at Cheltenham yesterday and if TIME FOR RUPERT and SARANDO can 'step up' like she did, who knows what could happen. Of course there seems to be no natural way that 'RUPERT' can beat Big Bucks, so we will have to leave the 'fates' in charge. If 'RUPERT' can run to his best ability, then he represents ferocious each-way value. The same must be said of SARANDO, who runs on friday and who just seems to continue improving and at very exciting rate.

Not much sleep tonight.

The day has arrived. The excitement of the start of the Cheltenham Festival is often compared to that of Christmas Day, however our Gods are not so benevolent as St. Nicholas. Our horses and staff have to earn their presents by super-equine and super-human performance. This week is the culmination of plans made when leaving last year's festival! Don't miss that roar as the starter lets them go for the 1.30pm, it is a very special moment in sport.
ALASI is our only runner today and she looks to have no chance in the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle. However every owner and trainer is entitled to a dream and for Shully Liebermann, today is providing a little fulfillment of that dream, by being able to see his colours carried at THE Festival. I'm sure ALASI will run far better than her price suggests and seldom will we be as pleased to finish sixth! It's good for her to learn her way around the track before her big novice chase campaign next season as that it where her very bright future lies.
Wishing all horses and humans a very happy, successful and safe Cheltenham Festival.

I know, I know we should be pleased when the horses run well even if they don't win, but these seconds can get a little frustrating! Call me juvenile if you wish, but winners are the key. The trouble is, so many days are 'building days, laying the foundations' for a secure platform from which the horse will 'rise up' from when he's at his best. COIS FARRAIG and TAFIKA are two perfect and very exciting examples of this process. Both might have won if sent to smaller tracks, but these are future chasers who need good galloping tracks, however that means meeting hotter opposition. Mark both of these in the 'future stars section' of your notebook.
Today however was a 'plonker' of a day. HERE'S THE KEY landed on the back of a stuttering, clueless rival and completely lost her position, equilibrium and confidence. EDGEVINE missed the break and sulked. FLORENCE KATE tries hard but is of limited ability (but will win oneday) and DANCES WITH WAVES is not mad keen on the competitive nature of racing! Don't we love Sunday racing.
This morning we walked Cheltenham and considering the almost uniquely miserable winter everybody has endured, all right I remember '63 but not '47, the tracks do not look at all bad.
There has been little grass growth but Simon Claisse and his team have done the best possible job. To me, the ground is Good and Good To Soft, about a 50/50 mix. With 5-7mm. of rain forecast for Thursday, the management are left with a severe conundrum as to whether to water or not. Not for me to advise, i have enough trouble dealing with our own imponderables!
Suffice it to say that walking around Cheltenham on the Sunday before it all starts never fails to get the heart pounding and the imagination running wild. At the top of the hill a mysterious roar begins to reverberate off Cleeve Hill, there is a sense of the cauldron below beginning to simmer, which then annually 'boils over' as the runners take off for the first race on Tuesday.

SCHOOLING OVER HURDLES.

DON'T TELL NINA (nearside) and

ERDELI schooling yesterday.

(photo courtesy of a 'prone' Will Johnstone of The Banbury Guardian.)