A very busy day...................providing the rain stays away.
Heavy showers are forecast approaching from the west and if they materialise our three-pronged attack on Worcester this evening may be curtailed. Also we certainly do not want those showers getting to Goodwood before 2.10pm, where AUSTRALIA DAY is favourite for the opening race of Glorious Goodwood Week.
'SKIPPY' is raring to go again after his amazing demonstration of front-running hurdling at Market Rasen ten days ago. He was beaten just over 7 lengths in this race last year when various factors were not as favourable as they are today. Last year he was off a mark of 98 as opposed to 95, he was drawn 1 of 18 whereas he's 15 of 16 today and the ground, if the showers can stay away, will be quicker and so more to his liking. The 'Top Bend' at Goodwood is just about the closest jockeys get to riding 'The Wall of Death' on a British racecourse, but Martin Dwyer will have to have maximum faith in his horse and keep quickening to make this a very properly-run and testing gallop, or SKIPPY could be in danger of being swallowed up by his pursuers.
At Worcester, DE SOTO runs over hurdles rather than make the long, lonely and expensive journey to Perth for a chase. This looks a good opportunity and is a good stepping stone to Bangor in a month's time for a valuable chase that he won last year. This did not go right for TRIBE on his chasing debut and as feared Stratford proved a bit too sharp for him. He ended up going around the outside and gave acres of ground to his rivals. The track at Worcester should be ideal and he schooled well at Lambourn on the all-weather last week. I think he has a better chance than the paper suggests. CARBON PRINT's race looks more competitive than hoped, but he ran very well to be second at long odds last time. He has an each-way chance but if the rain does come it may be too soggy by 8.50pm (and dark!) for him to run.
So during a parched summer, (except in Cornwall last week for my holiday with my children!) we are frightened of rain.......... Funny business this.

AUSTRALIA DAY 'Skippy' winning the Summer Hurdle (Listed) at Market Rasen on Saturday 17th July. Beautifully steared by Dennis O'Regan!

Sorry that we could not deliver the perfect birthday present to Shully Liebermann as BLACK ANNIE finished a slightly troubled second at Worcester on wednesday; not very many fairytales in N.H. Racing, unless they involve The Grand National !
In a moment or two, LAISH YA HAJAR goes back to war at Newbury and looks to have a good chance in another weakish-looking race. My concern is the softening ground which may not help a front-runner like 'LAISH'.
For a good adrenelin boost, watch the 2.00pm at Market Rasen tomorrow and pretend that 'YOU' are riding AUSTRALIA DAY, instead of Denis O'Regan. Everything that 'SKIPPY' does is with total enthusiasm, he has always worn his heart on his saddle-cloth. Denis and him seemed to get on very well with each-other on wednesday morning and the jockey looked extremely excited by the end of first lot. It could be that the flat handicapper has a hold of 'SKIPPY' by his non-existent 'gelded goolies', off a mark of 95, but we're hoping that his jump rating of 135 may still leave a little room for manoeuvre. He does have big a task but then for 40k, nothing is going to easy.
On Sunday, KRISTALLO goes back to Stratford, seven days after his course and distance win.
As he won a conditional jockeys race, he receives no penalty for this race which looks pretty similar to last week. As long as KRISTALLO is prepared to try as hard twice running, he should go close, he certainly looks in great form at home.

Off to Worcester this evening with the excitement of The Champion Jockey riding BLACK ANNIE in the 6.40pm. As if the responsibility of having A.P. McCoy in the saddle for 'ANNIE's' debut over hurdles is not enough, today happens to be her owner, Shully Liebermann's birthday. More pressure on the trainer! 'ANNIE' has done lots of excellent schooling, mostly ridden by Johnny Bailey, who is also coming to Worcester tonight to brief The Champion on ANNIE's talents. I hope we do not have too much rain as that could lessen the very good chance she looks to have.

KRISTALLO jumping the last hurdle
when winning at Stratford yesterday.

(photo by kind courtesy of
Les Hurley.)

Very sadly 'KRIS's' owner Iain Watters could not be present to witness this horse's first win over hurdles, but as you can see, Sam, Becky and the horse looked very smart in his absence!
Our only worry was KRIS's enormous leap at the last which resulted in a heart-stopping 'peck on landing'. Sam Jones gave him a good forceful ride and all was well.

'SUMMERTIME' WORK AT CROPREDY LAWN.

It doesn't seem like a peaceful Sunday morning around here, in fact as is so often through the year-round racing season, Sunday is just like Monday. No time for family lunchtime BBQs today, as it is the slightly mundane but important-enough fare on offer at Southwell and Stratford.
When Sunday Racing was first established, it was born with the guarantees of generous prize-money and worthwhile Sunday appearance money. Both of these have since all but disappeared and yet Owners still have to face the extra labour expences of sending horses to the races on Sundays.
I am qualified to bleat about this, as i'm the proud owner of SPACE STAR who looks to have a great chance at Southwell. A bigger obstacle than any of the Southwell fences in 'PLUTO's' path, is the fact that my colours have never been carried to victory! Well that is not strictly true as the late-lamented RADAR LOVE did manage to scramble home, adorned with my colours, only for Andrew Thornton to weigh in too heavy and be disqualified! We have found the right race for 'PLUTO' and he must have as good a chance as he'll ever have, but i fear i said the same thing about LAISH YA HAJAR last thursday, only for him to withdrawn before the start!
KRISTALLO has a trickier task at Stratford and his last race was a complete mystery. He pulled far too hard at Bangor, which considering that he is the laziest horse we have at home, was a nasty surprise. Since then he ambled quietly around Newbury, ridden by Humphrey Butler and ended up only being beaten a length in a Charity Race. If runs a sensible type of race he should finish in the first four.
So instead of a sizzling Sunday lunch and a bottle or two of Johnny Goedhuis' excellent Chateau Baillion Rose in the garden, it's time for me to feed the horses their 'sunday roast' and head up the road to Stratford!
I can hear the ice chinking in your glasses!!

OSMOSIA with Willliam Kennedy and Hazel Wainwright after winning at Worcester last night.
Amazing how the photographer, Les Hurley makes the 9.10pm look as though it is mid-afternoon!
Note the trainer spending the whole of his winning trainer's percentage on his phone call to OSMOSIA's owner, Shully Liebermann who is in The Maldives!

(Thanks again to Les Hurley.)

This evening's action takes us to Epsom where LAISH YA HAJAR has an excellent chance in the apprentice handicap at 6.20pm. Alistair Stewart, fresh from his 11.30pm return to the yard last night, sets off for another late one tonight, top man! Richard Hughes felt that something went amiss with 'LAISH' at Newmarket last time, but the horse pulled up completely sound and nothing came to light later. Left-handed on fast ground over 1 1/4m., should suit this horse perfectly and it certainly looks the right race as there are now two non-runners, leaving a field of five.

Got a late night approaching tonight to attend Worcester and saddle OSMOSIA in the 9.10pm. I hope and think the effort will be worthwhile, as this filly is working well and did a good bit of work over 1 1/2m. on Peter Cundall's wonderful grass gallop two weeks ago. She had the same wind operation as BLACK ANNIE, so we hope we get the same improvement from OSMOSIA. It does not look an overly-hot bumper and so we think that she'll go very close.
Please feel no sympathy for the trainer attending such a late race, but do appreciate the effort that the lads, lasses and horsebox drivers put in during the period of evening racing, as it does make for very long days for so many of our staff.

In a week of three seconds, which seldom brings a cheerful grin to The Trainer's face, it is nice to see someone smiling around here!

May be not everybody will recognise the face of this notorious "Knight of the Pigskin", a term for describing jockeys in olden times. This is not a typical photo of Ryan Moore or A.P. McCoy but of Humphrey Butler about to finish third in a Charity Race at Newbury. What the picture cannot show is that 'Humph' single-handedly raised over £18,500 for the Children in Crossfire Charity, a remarkable achievement. Many thanks are due to Iain and Linda Watters who so generously lent KRISTALLO to Humph for the race and to all the team at Cropredy Lawn who have helped and coached Humph towards this great effort which was carried out in a most professional manner.

So despite JUST VICTOR, CARBON PRINT and AUSTRALIA DAY all doing their best but finishing second, we can say that our 'third' with Kristallo and Humph was the performance of the week.

AUSTRALIA DAY runs at his favoured track Sandown today and seems to be in very fresh form since his good fourth at Royal Ascot. The conditions should be ideal for him, the problem lies in the shape of Verdant, who could be an improving three year old in the masterful care of Sir Michael Stoute. 'SKIPPY' ran very well in this race last year, behind the improving Fanjura and I think and very much hope he'll be even closer today.