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good a chance as he'll ever have, but i fear i said the same thing about LAISH YA HAJAR last thursday, only for him to withdrawn before the start!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.