Saturday School

Teaching the horses to jump is always interesting and often exciting.  Two schooled today and the video shows that they are making good progress.

 

Farrier Friday

Our farriers, C & B Stern , are an essential part of the team. Their care and expertise with each individual horse keep the show on the road. Today (Friday 16th) they were in working hard. Pictured below is She's Humble who calmly stood while four new shoes were fitted.         
                              

Almost Perfection.

Linda's view that Rowe Park would get 6 furlongs on Lingfield's newly laid polytrack surface was vindicated when he came so close to winning a handicap there today (8/11/2012).  Carrying top weight and ridden by Liam Keniry, he jumped out quickly at the start to establish himself in lead position on the rail.  He steadied the field up from the front before kicking on from the 3 furlong marker.  He entered the straight in the lead with the pack close on his heels.  He gallantly ran on to the line but in a bobbing heads finish the photograph showed that the favourite had just pipped him.  Still, he earned a good 2nd prize of just over £1200 and his each way backers were rewarded with odds of 20/1.

All Weather Action

Strategic Action continued his good form today (31/10/2012) when he finished 3rd in a 6 furlong handicap at Lingfield.  Ridden by Seb Sanders, he jumped out in mid field until being asked for an effort 2 furlongs out.  He started to make progress on the leaders from the furlong pole and moved into a clear third, being beaten a length and a half and earning £251 for his owners.  The way he was running on at the finish suggests he might well get 7 furlongs on this surface.

First hint of winter.

The temperatures plummeted overnight making it real National Hunt weather.  The owners were quite happy to stay in the warm eating a hearty cooked breakfast (first white pudding for months) before a quick visit to the gallops, in a bitter wind, to watch their horses work.  While some cantered on the wood-chip gallop, She's Humble preferred the grass and kept Shannon warm doing several circuits of the fields.

New Jumps Campaign's First Return

Fifi L'Amour earned the first prize money of our new jumps season when she won £124 for finishing 4th in a Conditional Jockeys' Novices' Handicap Hurdle at Fontwell today (24/10/2012).

So Close To The Double

Strategic Action came so close to winning two in a row, at Brighton today (7/9/2012).  Again ridden by Saleem Golam he travelled in midfield, bravely keeping tight to the inside rail, until going to the front a furlong from home.  As the field charged to the line, it looked as if he would hold on but he was caught in the final couple of strides, going down by a neck.