Winter Arrives.

Winter arrived at the yard overnight.  It looked beautiful but we were glad we'd made good use of the hill gallop earlier in the week.

Good Placement

Linda did well to place Iconic Flight in a novice's hurdle at Fontwell that cut up to just four runners.  The opposition was very stiff but with one of the runners unseating its rider it meant he finished third and earned some useful prize money.  Although beaten a long way in this first outing after a wind op, we learnt more about the horse.

Experience The Thrill of The Hill Gallop.

 You can share the thrill of riding up the hill gallop with this video taken by Karen.

Winning Celebration.

One of Clonusker Lady's owners, Samantha Haughton, was visiting to see her horse today and she very kindly brought some fizz, smoked salmon on home baked bread and cakes to celebrate Hab Sab's recent win.  It all went down very well with the staff and one other Clonusker Lady owner who was there.  Thank you Samantha.

The Morning After.

 The hard working staff and Hab Sab are all thrilled with his win.

Repeat Performance.

Hab Sab continued where he left off when Covid ended racing in the spring by winning a 2 and a half mile handicap chase at Plumpton today. Jockey Dave Crosse employed the same tactics as before by taking Hab Sab to the front at the first fence and making all.  He was helped by Hab Sab's bold, but clever when needed, jumping and they looked to have the race in the bag turning for home.

Hab Sab clear turning for home.

However he seemed to be tiring and in danger of being caught between the last two fences, but as soon as he had company he went on again to record a 4 length victory.

Hab Sab clear after the last.

Winner.

Short back and sides?

It's not just humans who like a haircut to look their best.  The horses are currently being clipped and will hopefully win some "Best turned out" prizes through the winter.

Aimee giving Steel The China a clip.

Social Distancing On The Gallops.

With the new rules beginning on Monday this was the last time that more than six of us (all socially distanced) could meet on a Saturday morning to watch the horses on the gallops.

Social Distancing At Ascot.

 

The owners are as close as they can be with Breden after his race on Friday.

Moving Forward To The New Season.

Preparations for the new season continue.  Many of the National Hunt horses have upped their work and there have been other actions to achieve the best possible results.  Nat Heal has been in to do some equine dentistry.

Nat Heal working on Steel The China

The horses have been kept happy with a walk over the stubble fields. (A change as good as a rest)

Snore Horse.

 Un-named racehorse, stable name "Reggie" likes his rest after a hard work out and can he snore!  Mind you, Seabiscuit was famous for lying down and sleeping much of the time, so if Reggie is half as good we will be thrilled!

Socially distanced owners' visits.

A few owners have returned to visiting, observing social distancing and hygiene.  

Malcolm (Seagull Partnership) visits to see their new horse.

Lady Clonusker's owners pay a visit.

Three Stages Of Preparation.

Now that things are moving again the horses are at different stages in their preparation.

Poppy Still A Picture.

Poppy, Urban Scene, ran at Lingfield this afternoon and must still have looked a picture because she won the "Best Turned Out" prize for Oli.

In the race she finished 8th of the 14 runners.

Poppy Posing And Pioneering

Urban Scene is known by the stable name "Poppy" and here is a most appropriate photo.

Having posed, she became a pioneer by being Linda's first runner under the new "Behind Closed Doors" rules when turning out at Chelmsford this evening.

Unfortunately she was unplaced.

Not All Are Resting!

While all the National Hunt horses are having a holiday, the few flat horses are still working with the resumption of racing hopefully only a few days away.  Karen was at the hill gallop on her hack, Vogue, to supervise Oli on Urban Scene.
You can view a video at  https://youtu.be/0uySRsJ1XGY
She has also been working hard keeping the yard tidy and the grass mowed!

New Job Description

Who needs a tractor drawn roller for the track when you have obliging equine ones!

Life Goes On

Some things in racing continue as normal as the horses are oblivious to the pandemic.  Madam Anna gave birth to a filly foal (by Jack Hobbs).

It gives something to look forward to.

Easter Exercise Delight

Linda found a lovely way to get in her permitted one hour of exercise.  The horse is Red Anchor.

What do racehorses do when they retire?

They become footballers!

Wontstopmenow.

Strange Times.

The Covid-19 virus has changed at least one aspect of stable life.

The kitchen at breakfast time.

Some horses feel they will join the general human inactivity, 

while others are full of the joys of spring.

Plumpton Delight.

It was great to be racing again after so much bad weather and even better to come away with a winner at Plumpton 9th March.
Hab Sab, ridden by Dave Crosse ran in the 2 and a half mile novices handicap chase.  Dave intelligently used Hab Sab's light weight, and renewed enthusiasm back over fences after a couple of hurdles runs, to be prominent and set the pace from the off.  Hab Sab jumped really well and was obviously enjoying his free running role.  Going out on the final circuit he had a clear lead and the rest of the field were being pushed along from three quarters of a mile out.  There was only one real rival up the home straight and Hab Sab looked to have him held over the last.  Then the petrol began to run out and his rival was getting agonizingly closer as the finish line approached.  Dave managed to keep Hab Sab going and he held on for a 1 length victory.  This was a great boost for the yard and a deserving first success for his relatively new owners who were obviously delighted.

It was then great to celebrate with a champagne breakfast at the yard today with the traditional smoked salmon and cake in owner's colours.  There were even some "Crunchie" cakes as that is Hab Sab's stable name!

Life Goes On.

The weather may have put a dampener on racing recently but it didn't stop the staff enjoying pancake day.  Tucking in produced a silence rarely heard in the kitchen!

 Dick prepares the pancakes.

The staff tuck in.

Track "Good To Slop".

The continuing wet weather has meant a lot of work for Paul on the gallops,

but the horses are managing to slop through it.

Lingfield Lessons.

Linda sent four horses to Lingfield this morning so that they could work on a better surface and more importantly get used to the racecourse environment.

They all seemed untroubled by the new surroundings and took no notice of the constant stream of planes overhead approaching Gatwick.  Afterwards a couple of owners who had been to watch helped with the cooling down walk.

Battling The Elements

All the staff from Linda down have been working extra hard to keep the training of the horses going through the fearsome wet weather.  Rain from the road next to the gallop has meant that Paul has had to reinstate the all weather gallop on more than one occasion.

The water flows in from the road and inundates the gallops.

The horses have had to have their tails tied up before cantering, have had talcum powder applied to stop their heels from cracking and afterwards needed extra hosing down after work.

Tail tied up for the gallops.

Well done all the Southfield team for keeping the show on the road.

Lovely Start For Oli.

Oli had his first ride as an amateur jockey today at Wolverhampton on Ebony Belle, who had run the previous day at Chelmsford.  With plenty of support at the track and good wishes from the yard in the morning, Oli made his first entrance into a parade ring as a rider.

He was loaded last into the stalls and seconds later the gates opened.  He was not able to take one of the two leading positions but got Ebony Belle travelling towards the rear of the main pack.  He held this position for the first half of the race and then encouraged her to move forward.  The partnership were a little wide around the bend but then battled on up the straight to take seventh place (a big improvement on the night before) and even earned a little prize money.

Battling to the line in 7th (yellow silks)

Everyone was really pleased with the effort of both jockey and horse.

Amateur In The Ranks.

It is good to report that Oli has now got his amateur licence after coming out top of his class in the fitness assessment.  He will be able to ride on the flat and over jumps.  Hopefully we can find him some rides in the near future.

Well Done Harry.

Although it wasn't a victory we decided that second in the Sussex National was worthy of a champagne breakfast today.

Raising a glass.

Buns in Sally's colours.

Even Uallrightharry wanted to join in!

So Close To Repeat Glory.

Linda came within 2 lengths of repeating Sussex National victory today after Itoldyou in 2015, this time with Uallrightharry.  The similarities were uncanny with both horses trying the prestigious test soon after leaving novice status, and both having lost their jockeys in their December prep race at Plumpton!  Uallrightharry looked fit and well but was the lightest framed horse in the race.  Luckily he was set to carry bottom weight.

Aimee and Harry before the race.

Brendan Powell took the ride and informed the connections that it seemed there would be a bit of pace on so he would settle in midfield.  Karen had taken Harry for some pole work earlier in the week to sharpen up his jumping.  Brendan said he would give Harry daylight to see his fences.

Linda sorts final instructions with Brendan.

Brendan was true to his word and jumped off in midfield on the outside.  Harry jumped well and put in a couple of short strides at the few fences that he was not meeting right.  He was moved up to third place going out on the final circuit but dropped to fourth three out (the open ditch) as another runner blundered and impeded him.  He regained impetus and closed on the long time leader turning into the home straight.  They jumped the second last together but the other horse found more going to the last and was able to hold Harry at the line by a length and three quarters with the same distance back from Harry to the third.

Brendan unsaddles Harry.

There was a large contingent (owners, staff, friends) from the stable and Harry gave them all, and especially owner Sally Stanier, some great memories and a wonderful day out.  Linda now boasts the best trainer record in the race over the last 5 years.

Feedback and plans for happy connections after the race.