Tuesday 21 November

A good afternoon in Leicester yesterday. So good to see Sneaking Budge back after just one run in nearly 22 months. His owners have all been so very patient, and yesterday we started the road to repay them. SB looked great and had been working very well at home - but yesterday was all about knocking the cobwebs off and learning a but about where to go next. His best trip has always been up for debate, as he looked for all the world like he needed to be stepped up in trip last season, but in the 1 run that we got into him he stopped very quickly, so yesterday we went back to the control distance of 2 miles that he had won over before. It proved to be a touch on the sharp side for him. Allowing for his rustiness he was still outpaced three parts down the back, but stayed on well up the home straight, to finish fourth, collecting £800 on the way. We were delighted for his owners, many of whom made it to the track - I'm sure just to confirm that he still existed!! He looked to really enjoy himself, and the best news is that he seems fine this morning - has been on the walker, and there is no change in him form pre race! It is not that he has had a major injury - he has just had a series of niggly little things - many of which were self inflicted!! Which is why we call him the Goof! Stuarts great run of form continued with a gutsy win for hurdling debutante Hillcrest Fire for Jim Humberstone. She basically did everything wrong but still manged to win easily - pulling like the proverbial train for 1m 6f, and nearly unshipping Josh at the last she still managed a facile success. She has an awful lot of ability, and is very very tough. She has a nice future! Today we are back to Fakenham - such a shame they have so few runners, as it is a superb little track - so well run, and so welcoming! Land League contests the concluding chase. Hopefully the good run continues!!