After the terrific excitements of EDGBRIAR, AUSTRALIA DAY and FIRM ORDER winning on succesive days, it has been back to meagre reality for the last few days. LASKARI struck into himself below his left front joint at Aintree and is very lucky not to be heading into retirement just quite yet. Another couple of mm. deeper and it may have been curtains. He never looked happy on the softened ground and with the trainer at Stratford and both owners and jockey arriving late due to a horror accident on the M6, so unable to fully assess the conditions, it may have been a mistake to run. CITRUS MARK disappointed and has been found to have hurt his sacro-illiac joint quite badly. MARLEY ROCA was a little too keen, then outpaced and then stayed on again to be fourth, so ran a confusing type of race! KRISTALLO jumped well at Stratford yesterday, his first run over fences but was outpaced. He will win races on better ground, but that will mean waiting for next spring and summer, so he will now go the Doncaster November Sale next week. There he will be joined by ETERNAL CITY, who ran well for a long way to be third on his debut and only start at Ludlow last week and ROCKSTOWN who looked pretty one-paced today at Wetherby. In these days of paltry prize money for ordinary races, it's so important to be realistic and truthful with the owners of horses that will struggle badly to make significant contributions to their training costs. It may mean an empty stable of two, but it still has to be the correct approach.
One horse that I think will make tremendous contributions to his training bill is COIS FARRAIG who makes his chasing debut at Ascot tomorrow (sat.). We make no secret of how much we think of this horse and he schooled and worked very nicely with TIME FOR RUPERT at Towcester this monday. He will appreciate the slight step up in distance and will hopefully show himself to be way above average tomorrow.

The Record-breaking AUSTRALIA DAY in full flight at Kempton last sunday. Poetry in Motion.

We attempt to keep our current run of form going today at Stratford and Aintree. MARLEY ROCA has a much better chance than the papers surmise as he was nearly carried out by a loose horse last time. He has schooled very well for Sam Jones a couple of times since Bangor and looks in tremendous form. CITRUS MARK needed his race at Huntingdon much more than the trainer had estimated and i expect him to improve greatly today. He has an outside each-way chance. LASKARI runs in the Veteran's race at Aintree and is re-united with Dominic Elsworth, who knows him so well. I don't think this old (!) horse has ever been moving so well or in such fresh form, but he sure is going to need to be to successfully carry top weight. Nonetheless as long as ther is not too much more rain, he has a good each-way shout. ROCKSTOWN is a non-runner at Chepstow.

"SKIPPY" did it!
AUSTRALIA DAY broke the Kempton course record by 0.32secs, as it only took him 3.40.40 secs to fly around the track. It's difficult to evaluate this win as both Katchit and Noble Alan were not as 'ready' as "SKIPPY" and will no doubt have bigger days in the future, but all he could do was 'beat the clock'. To make all his own running and win by ten lengths, makes it a pretty remarkable performance. No predictions about winning Champion Hurdles from me, that it a very much more difficult mountain for him to climb. However, i feel he's earned the right to attend base camp and then see if the conditions are right for him to make an attempt on the summit.
RAJMAGAN needed his run more than expected, but SUSSEX SUNSET was in the process of running a super race when falling at the last. She has never gone that fast in her life, jumped the last a little too big and boldly and just could not organise her under-carriage in time! She had a pretty heavy fall but was unscathed, poor Denis O'Regan got a fair kicking, but thankfully eventually walked away. RED BIRR ran on from a hopeless position to finish fourth and now probably needs to step up in distance. So a bit of everything, but at least a wonderful winner!
GTAAB and FIRM ORDER set off for Plumpton any moment now, not a great journey from here on a monday morning. Dominic Elsworth has his second ride back on GTAAB who ran better than it appeared on the flat at Ascot after a two year absence. This horse enjoys his jumping and ought to go close in this moderate looking contest. FIRM ORDER is maturing and is ready to step up in trip, i just hope the track is not a little sharp for him. If he is able to travel comfortably enough through the race, he must have an excellent chance.

Sometimes it appears that there is a merciful God...... yesterday he showed his powers at Cheltenham. He combined with a brave horse and a very brave man to produce one of those moments that I think of all sports, National Hunt Racing is best at conjuring up.
The papers will have detailed the terrible head injury Dominic has overcome and he himself will bravely try to put this all in perspective by playing down his troubles, against the horrors of International disasters in Haiti and Pakistan. But no comeback is easy and all of us at Cropredy Lawn are so thrilled for him and will admit, very proud to have been able to help in some small way.
EDGBRIAR, or "Edgar Briar" as Derek Thompson managed to call him yesterday, looks to have thoroughly enjoyed his day and all the very special attention he was given! Charlotte Simms, who looks after 'TOBY' so devotedly, has enjoyed her day in the limelight that she so deserves and is so thrilled to see her horse's picture in the Racing Post. Plans for 'TOBY' are yet to made as although The Paddy Power is an obvious choice, i would think it a difficult task to 'double up' in that race, as the handicapper will no doubt have his hefty say! No horse has achieved this double since 2001, the paper tells me. The other thought is that TOBY may benefit from his races being spaced apart a little more than last year. Also his preference may be for better ground, so we may have to plan around a mid-winter break.
SCAMPI BOY also ran well yesterday and 'blew' for a good five minutes more than his mate TOBY. He did not have a smooth passage and also ran a bit keenly as he was feeling very fresh. He should be absolutely spot on next time.
To Kempton today and with a larger swarm of butterflies on board than usual! For one thing, The Fates were so kind yesterday that we know that They can desert us just as soon as they have arrived! Also AUSTRALIA DAY wears his heart on his sleeve every minute of the day and does everything absolutely flat-out with very little or even no margin for error. Everything is in his favour today and that only makes it even more nerve-wracking. He is a summer horse, so i hope that last night's frost has not depressed him; now you can see how i'm looking for ghosts! If all went smoothly, keep an eye on the Kempton 2 mile track-record being in danger.
RAJMAGAN makes his debut for us and has schooled exceptionly well (Fates listening?).
He'll need the experience but i expect him to leave his French form well behind. SUSSEX SUNSET also makes her hurdling debut; she has done two very good piece of work on the grass and also loves her jumping. Disregard her bumper run as she was barely ready to leave the yard that day! RED BIRR hacked up at Huntingdon two starts ago, but was dropped out too far out at Bangor last week and never really got involved. He will run alot better than that, as long as Sam Thomas can keep him interested but not too keen early on. It is a delicate balance to have this horse in the right place, but the small field and flat right-handed track will help his task.
Just watch out for those fickle Fates........ they are omni-present you know.

ICY COLT (ARG) going clear to win at Wetherby on wednesday.

ICY COLT winning this week gave us all particular pleasure. His owner, Robert Kirkland has not enjoyed the best of racing luck in recent seasons. He owned the promising Star Shot with us, who sadly went on a downward spiral after winning his bumper and novice hurdle impressively, even one of those 'Welsh Wizards' could get no tune from him! Then Robert had the real misfortune to loose a lovely horse, Pop, who was trained for him by Henry Daly.

Three days after i returned from Argentina, where i had just bought ICY COLT as a yearling at the Bullrich yearling sale in Buenos Aires, Robert stepped upto the plate and bought him off me. That was quite a leap of faith, as although Argentine horses are proven to be a great success all over the world, this idea of buying unbroken N.H. stores was a new one. This horse is six months younger than his contempories and so has needed the time to catch up. He has really begun to strenghten and thrive since the spring and has always loved jumping, something they never do in Argentina! He was quite impressive in a modest contest at Wetherby, but will only continue to improve and will develop into a decent novice chaser next season, on good ground.

We have our first two Cheltenham runners of the season today and think that both are fit enough to do themselves justice. EDGBRIAR is Dominic Elsworth's come-back ride after his fourteen month absence from the saddle due to a horrible head injury. These two have looked in tremendous form when schooling together in recent weeks and both look ready to go well! SCAMPI BOY has improved so much physically that he barely resmbles the horse we had in the spring. I hope he's leniently handicapped at this stage, but will improve for the run. In these competitive eighteen runner handicaps, we'd be pleased to be in the first five.

APPLEADAY auditioning for the lead in film version of "War Horse".
Veterinary science moves on apace and today we had the chance to use the "Over-land Scope" to check the horses' wind-pipe and breathing capability whilst actually galloping in their usual environment. We have told you of many occasions that runners have disappointed only for us to discover or not discover that they have a wind affliction. This machine can help us diagnose problems before they lead to racecourse disappointment.

Not the most productive trip to Bangor on saturday, to say the very least. RED BIRR rather 'missed the break' and failed to get involved at any stage of his race. He has done this before a couple of times on the flat and so it was not a surprise as his jockey was warned that this can happen. I think Sam was just a little over-confident having won so easily on him last time. Hopefully we can retrieve the situation at Kempton this sunday or Ludlow next week.
DE SOTO has decided that he's had enough of competitive racing and has been retired. Peter Deal and Mike Silver have very kindly given him to my Head Lad, Trevor Heath and his son Matthew, to hunt and point-to-point. We've had great days and 'nearly' days with this horse, and i still cannot believe that we got 360,000 guineas for him once! MARLEY ROCA was enjoying his chasing debut when he was very nearly carried-out by a loose horse, which unsettled his rhythm. Anyway he successfully completed his education and will go close next time.
We go back up the M1 today on another northern foray with ASHAMMER. We are not going as far north as his last race at Sedgefield and it shows in the more competitive nature of this race.
Right now there are no end of maiden hurdles but no novice ones except for a valuable one at Kempton and we're trying to build this horse's confidence with a gradual progression. He is top weight off 125, so has no easy task, but does seem to remain in excellent form. ICY COLT has improved for his first run of the season when third at Uttoxeter and should again reach the frame today.
This long day has already started with great excitement with the first visit to Cropredy Lawn by The Bicester with Whaddon Hounds, for about 13 years. It was wonderful to have first lot cantering up the hill, serended by the wonderful cry of a hunting pack. I guess the foxes were a little surprised, they've had it pretty easy around here in recent years, devouring our chickens at will!

What a frantic week, commuting between Cropredy and Newmarket yearling sales. As racing manager to H.R.H. Prince Faisal bin Salman, it's part of my job to help the Denford Stud team sell their yearlings. Thankfully the Denford draft is pretty high-class and basically sells itself most of the time. This week the four colts made a total of 1.14m guineas, not too bad in a market that is re-adjusting itself right now.
Our racecourse activity amounted to two seconds and two thirds from five runners. BLACK ANNIE needs to have her wind re-examined, despite already have had a hobday operation, as she does not seem to be getting home in her races in the successful manner she did earlier in the summer. KEY CUTTER ran and jumped very well in his first chase to be second. SPACE STAR ran as good as he is, at his advanced age. BACKFROMTHEBRINK seemed to lose his confidence in the same novice chase that AUTUMN RED was beaten a very frustrating 'head'.
We're trying to have a 'lovely day' at Bangor today with three hopes over fences. RED BIRR has a favourite's chance and remains in extremely fresh and fierce form. DE SOTO has to prove that he still loves the game enough to remain in training, but the way he was travelling so well when falling at Stratford last time, gave us plenty of encouragement. MARLEY ROCA has the most difficult task in a competitve novice chase and will definitely benefit from the race. I've always looked forward to the day this horse made his chasing debut, but i fear that he is one good gallop short. A clear round and a yellow or green rosette would do fine today!