Wednesday 10 February

The chases in Uttoxeter on Saturday have been abandoned already, so Smart Exit will not be going. He is likely to have stayed at home anyway, as the weekend rain at the track meant that the ground was very testing, and as he was only going to mark time as it were, it would have been a shame to leave his season in the Uttoxeter mud! We will look for another race for him in the short term, but he could well wait until next month and a race back at his beloved Chepstow. The vet was in yesterday, and scoped a few. He looked at Bold Conquest, who had a very slightly mucky scope, and 5 days of antibiotics will clear him up. Cloonacool was fine and all plans are in tact with him. He also had Sneaking Budge out to look at, and was pleased with how he was looking. He explained that he thinks he has strained a ligament in his hock - and that the swelling is natures way of stabilising the area while it heals. He is happy with him, and says that it is now looking like it will take longer to heal than originally thought. Different techniques will be adopted to lessen the swelling in the lower part of the leg, and he will scan the hock in about a month to assess. It is an injury that will heal properly, but unfortunately the process can't be sped up!