Sunday 27 November

After the 'Hell' that was last Wednesday - it was good to get back to the sports - without drama. Stuarts lorry is fixed - Chandos Belle seems fine, and we all live to fight another day! On Friday we headed to Doncaster with Molly Childers. MC was making her rules debut in a hot looking bumper, but the ground was right, and she was ready, so we decided to let her take her chance, despite coming up against one of the most impressive bumper winners seen this season in Ravenhill Road. Also in the field were a £70,000 breeze up purchase, and runner from the stable of Nicky Henderson, owned and bred by Her Majesty The Queen, from her good jumping family, along with some other nicely bred, good looking individuals. Molly travelled to the races really well, and was on her best behaviour. Ciaran Gethings took the ride, and his instructions were to track the short priced favourite, and ride a race on her. He carried out the instructions to the letter. Molly travelled really well in a race run at a very sound gallop, and tracked the favourite into the home straight. It was in the last 1 1/2 furlongs that the race unfolded - Ravenhill Road ascerted, but MC continued to track him, pulling away from the rest of the field before running a bit green and wandering slightly. The penny dropped in the last 50 yards,and she was staying on at the emd to be just beaten by 4 1/2 lengths. It was a fine debut. And she will be hard to beat against her own sex in about a month. Ciaran was very impressed with her! He said after he jumped off, that he hadn't ridden a better bumper mare, and was delighted. Ciaran is a top man, and great value for his claim. MC came home and ate up. She spent yesterday out in the field, and sems fine after her exertions. We will look for a mares bumper in 3-4 weeks. She could well stay in bumpers all season, as she is young, and it would be a shame for her to lose her novice status over hurdles late on this season, which would spoil next season. Hopefully after her next run she can prove that she is up to a step up in class in the mares bumper division, and we can have a really fun spring with her! Talking of a step up - Apasionado is entered in Sandowns Winter Novices Hurdle next Friday - 10 are entered, and it looks a hot little heat - with some impressive last time out winners in the field. We will look at the opposition, the ground and the long range weather forecast over the next couple of days and decide if stepping AP up to 2 1/2 miles is the right thing to do at this stage. He worked yesterday with Wolf Of Windlesham, and both worked really well. Also working yesterday was Pull Together, who proved not to be quite as forward in his work as Stuart had thought and will need another couple of bits of work before he is ready for an entry. Sneaking Budge went for a walk and a trot around the roads, and is in good heart, the vet will have a look at him tomorrow to confirm that he can get back to some proper graft. Cloonacool seems in fine fettle, and the vet will scope and blood test him tomorrow to confirm that what Stuart is feeling is correct. Chandos Belle, who was a touch flat, and was a bit stiff and sore after 'Hell Wednesday', seems to be back to her normal self. She is moving fine again, and has her spark back - she will continue to have an easy few weks, and will be over hurdles when we see her next! The 3 yr olds are all going very nicely - and are cantering away well. They are all going nicely. The Mamool colt at The Elms has settled in well, despite losing 2 things that he arrived with. The new building is finally up at Fences Farm. Having taken an age to get the old one down, and the base prepared for the new one - it has taken just over 2 days (over a weekend) to get the new building up, and 1 day to get the stables installed. It will be a valuable addition to Stuarts growing enterprise, as he currently has every stable that he has on the place full! There is a waiting list for the new suite!! It will be good to see heads over doors very soon!! Talking of heads over doors - more about the bottom picture next week............