Thursday 24 April

Dawn Commander will not be making the trip to Chepstow tomorrow unfortunately. The recent rain that has fallen on the track has left it Good To Soft, with a bit more to come on Friday, and with the form book suggesting that DC is average at best when it gets juicier than good we have decided to wait until Market Rasen (9th) or Haydock (10th). I am sorry to all the members, but we feel it is the right thing to do now that we have him in fine form and enjoying life. He will be tried on a bit of Good To Soft later, but we felt that it was not the right thing to do tomorrow. Colebrooke rediscovered his mojo in Southwell last night. He had been given a chance by the handicapper, and over an inadequate trip he stayed on nicely to be third. He is now on a mark where he could win again. Yesterday Benefit Cut headed to the vets to have his sacroiliac joint medicated. This is a tricky procedure, but was successful, and he will now have a nice holiday. He looks to have a very nice future, with his first outing of next season probably being the Showcase Meeting in Cheltenham in October, where we will discover if he warrants a crack at the Paddy Power in November. Smart Exit and San Telm continue in great form, and will have entries in Uttoxeter on May 3. Both need cut in the ground, so rain there would be welcome, but I don't suppose we can have it all ways. Maypole Lass scoped clean this week and will head to Towcester in mid May. Unfortunately DC not going to Chepstow, means that one of his owners John Bartlett will not get to see him run. John was not going to get to the track anyway as he had an operation yesterday, and would not have been able to make the trip. John is one of DC's most loyal supporters and gets to Fences Farm whenever he can, in all weathers, even if he has to walk up the gallops, which makes what he has asked me to pass on all the more remarkable. As young man John suffered some severe problems with one of his legs that unfortunately resulted in him losing it - a big blow for a young man! John has worn a prosthetic limb since the surgery, and to be fair, he is so mobile that I would imagine not many of his co-owners even knew. The op that John had yesterday was to help him with the joint of limb and prosthetic, and for that reason he will be without a lower leg for a while. John has asked me to pass this on so that he doesn't give everyone a shock, and they think that he has just lost it! John legless is a sight we will get used to - and if DC carries on the form he has been in - he could be legless for both reasons. John sent me a message yesterday to say that the op was a success, and he looks forward to seeing his beloved DC very soon. I am sure that I speak for all of us when I say 'Speedy Mend John'!!!