Monday 18 November

Colebrooke had been so disappointing on his seasonal debut over hurdles on Stratford last month, that there was talk that he had maybe had enough of racing, and that we ought to seek another career for him. Yesterday he made us all look silly. On his handicap debut, and in a strong looking field he went off the outsider of the lot, but having put in one of the best rounds of jumping you will ever see from a novice, took it up 2 out to go away and win a shade cosily by 7 lengths!! When Ben and Jay first asked me to find them a horse, their instructions were - a staying chaser. I bought them a 3 yr old off the flat, who immediately won juvenile hurdles! Not quite what they were looking for, but I did promise them that given time he would be running over staying trips, and yesterday he lived up to their hopes - congratulations to them both, as I had said last season, as a second season hurdler off his mark, was going to be tough, but they stuck with Colebrooke, and their patience was rewarded yesterday!! San Telm continues to recover from his bout of colic. Omaruru is still on course to make his chasing debut on Wednesday in Warwick. Smart Exit, who worked very well on Saturday, will, today be entered for the Cambridgeshire National in Huntingdon on Saturday, with the back up plan of a race in Towcester on Sunday.