STARS OF OUR OWNER'S DAY!

That's TIME FOR RUPERT and AUSTRALIA DAY, with of course, Danny H., Me, Trevor and Lou !

I'm sure you are all anxious to see more photographs from what was a really wonderful Owner's Day, but as i mentioned before we've had a few glitches recently. Also we are in the process of changing and updating this web-site and that has co-incided with a really frantic time at Cropredy Lawn.

This is also the time of year that both Trevor and Suzanne, so that's both Head Lad and Secretary, take their much needed and so enormously deserved two week holiday! That means that The Trainer really does have to multi-task, but thankfully we all know how good Men are at that! I have to admit that there is still some wierd part of my horseman's psyche that makes me really enjoy getting up early to feed the horses. There is a lovely calm to the start of the day, the problems have yet to manifest themselves and most importantly, the horses are pleased to see me, because i'm their Room Service waiter!

Every N.H. trainer in the land is excited at this time of year and is eulogising about the marvellous team of horses he has for the coming winter! We are delighted with our good start, highlighted by AUSTRALIA DAY winning one of the Summer Season's highlights at Market Rasen in July. This prompt start has been gently continued and then moved up a gear at Sedgefield yesterday with a double from our two runners, ASHAMMER and PENNY QUEEN. The last runner we had at this track unseated his rider at the second last, when looking pretty certain to win at odds of i think, 4/6. Remember the horse's name?...............that wonderful servant, BUCKBY LANE. Since then we have sent three horseboxes all the way to Sedgefield and racing has been abandoned on all three occasions!

Yesterday was a dream day, probably because Ku and I spent some reflective time at Rievaulx Abbey, which really does have to be seen to be believed, it's highly recommended. ASHAMMER hardly came off the bridle, whilst somehow Denis O'Regan got PENNY QUEEN rolling on down the hill, to get up in the last 100 yards. We hope that 'ASH' will progress from here, but as PENNY QUEEN is hopefully still in foal to Kayf Tara, her next appearance will be right-handed around the Doncaster Sales ring at the beginning of November!! The final achievement of the day was managing Sedgefield to Cropredy in 2hrs 55mins, my car is still blowing more than either of our runners!

Apologies for lack of updates recently, this is not due to writer's block or laziness, but web-site gremlins and the like. Can't get photographs published at the moment, very sorry.
Anyway, today you ask? GTAAB makes his debut for us in a competitive handicap. He is owned by a new partnership put together by David Higgins and David Barrie and will carry Higgy's brand new colours which are making their debut. It looked more sense to run this horse at Ascot, where many of his first-time owners could get a glance of him, rather than go for a 0-65 near John O'Groats. He's as fit as we can get him at home and has done two good pieces of work on Mr. Cundall's lovely grass gallop at Compton, so should be able to do himself justice. A top five finish is hoped for.
MEER UND WIND did not follow her narrow defeat on debut with any style last time out at Bath. The ground was very patchy that day, but i fear she does not need many excuses to put her off! The 9.15pm at Wolverhampton is not traditionally a 'hot' contest, so she had better show some ability and willingness tonight or else.................................

Bad luck struck at Stratford on saturday, with DE SOTO falling when travelling as well as he ever has, with a mile to go. He got 'a good kicking' while on the ground and has a bruised knee that has thankfully x-rayed clean. Sam Thomas was very happy with the way he was going and so let's hope he's back in action before too long. AUTUMN RED was only beaten a half length on sunday when finishing third at Worcester, where the ground had gone a bit too soft for him. He may benefit from wearing a tongue-tie next time?
The autumnal showery weather has a big effect on watered racecourse ground at this time of year and i hope it will not have gone too soft at Uttoxeter this afternoon. Just spoke to Charlie Moore who reports a further 1mm. of rain overnight, but insists that the hurdle track is still 'good'.
BLACK ANNIE has a favourite's chance in the first, but we know that she likes fast ground and i just hope that she is as effective on good. She remains in good form and schooled well yesterday with Johnny Bailey, who was preparing her for The Champion to ride today.
We are looking forward to KRISTALLO stepping up to three miles as the slower pace of the race may help him to travel easier. He has had a freshening break of 52 days as he seemed a little 'flat' last time.
JUST VICTOR has not been done any favours by the handicapper, who was quick to put him up for being second twice, but then did not drop him an ounce when he finished sixth. This looks a competitive race and i fear he'll run well, but find a couple too good at the weights.

DE SOTO runs at Stratford today and has to run well to prove that he still loves the game enough to remain in training. The rain that fell at Bangor did not suit him at all, so we forgive him that run. Sam Thomas, who was the first man to win on him, gets the ride today in order for us to get a 'second opinion' on the horse's ability and willingness. If the cheekpieces help and DE SOTO can travel on the bridle, he has a good each-way chance.

Obviously RED BIRR winning at Huntingdon was the highlight of our racing week, but these photographs illustrate a wonderful family outing we had to Goldford Stud. On a gorgeous day we went to pay tribute to two past heroines of Cropredy Lawn.
One Gulp and Swaythe were both lovely fillies in training and now they have developed into natural mothers.
Sophie is pictured holding One Gulp's first foal, a filly by Kayf Tara and she is now in foal to Yeats, how exciting is that! One Gulp is pictured below her foal.
Ku (partly hidden) is holding Swaythe's second foal, a colt by Kayf Tara. She already has a very strong
yearling colt by Presenting and is back in foal to him.
Both mares looked so well and happy and seeing them brought back memories of great days and few dreams of great days to be had with their babies?

To Huntingdon any minute now for a couple of runners in the first two races.
LAISH YA HAJAR has his first run over hurdles for quite a while but has a favourites chance in a weak-looking handicap hurdle. I do not consider him to be well-handicapped off 104 considering that he has been beaten 20ls, 31ls. and 43ls in his three starts over hurdles! Obviously the handicapper thinks he's better than he has shown, so let's hope he's correct. He schooled very well for Denis O'Regan last week and the quick ground should be ideal.
RED BIRR was second last time out at Worcester and was put up 6lbs in the handicap for finishing a length behind a 66/1 winner. I felt this was hardly fair as he is still to win over hurdles or fences? He always runs best after a break, but we cannot wait for months while the training bills mount up so quickly. The track, ground and competition look about right, so let's hope that he'll cope with running back after only 13 days.

AUSTRALIA DAY ran as well as he could at Sandown and was only beaten 4 1/2 lengths in the end. It is tough for him in the top class handicap grade now, so he'll be freshened up for a return to hurdles at Kempton in mid-October.

The highlight of last week was the re-appearance of Dominic Elsworth in the yard. Dominic suffered a very serious head injury at Ffos Las, almost exactly a year ago. He has endured months of very slow recovery but is now making tremendous progress. This photo of him schooling Laish Ya Hajar last autumn, illustrates just some of his enormous talent. Although not leaving the ground over obstacles yet, Dominic rode three lots and looked in excellent form. It was impossible to tell that he has been away all this time, although we've missed him greatly. We all look forward to his racecourse return as soon as he and his doctors are happy.

DANVILLA runs in a competitve Maiden Fillies race at Kempton this afternoon. She has been green and backward but showed some promise last time at Windsor. She was beginning to stay on when she was impeded by a horse 'breaking down' in front of her which hampered her considerably. I fear things will happen a bit quick for her on the All-Weather today, but hope to see her staying on.