Sunday 9 October

A damp morning on top the the hill, but good to see Steve Winter and his family - who were in to see Sneaking Budge along with Ben Whitehead who was in to see both Budge and Bold Conquest, and Olly who was in to see Apasionado. They got to see second lot, where Apasionado and Bold Conquest came up behind two horses who worked well. Both Apoasionad and Bold Conquest look in fine fettle. Molly Childers was also out in this bunch and did a really nice three quarter speed. She is coming along really well, and will be ready to go in just under a month. Pull Together and Cloonacool had a day off to be treated by the Chiropractor. Next week we have Apasionado entered to run in Uttoxeter on Thursday, and as he has schooled really well he will take his chance. Even at this early part of the season the Novice hurdles are really competitve, and this one looks like a hot one, but he just has to finish in the first four to qualify for the final which is the main aim at this stage of his career. After the work was done there was a chance for Stuart and I to sit down and look for races for Bold Conquest. We had earmarked a race in Plumpton on the 17th, but Stuart found a race that suits him far better. It is in Chepstow on the 25th, and is a 'confined' handicap hurdle. The race conditions are basically for horses that have been placed in but not won a hurdle race since October last year, so it will take out any fast improvers and in form horses - the conditions suit BC so well that we decided to skip Plumpton and head to Wales!!