Tuesday 27 November

Apologies for the lack of recent updates - we have had a technical melt down - thanks to everyone that got in touch to point it out - good to be back up and running! Plenty to catch up on! Queenohearts made her hurdling debut in Chepstow - so good to finally get a run into her - at this stage of the season it was felt that the best thing to do was to start her off on ground with plenty of give in it, and on which she had shown such good form last winter - but the dry autumn had played merry hell with that plan, so it was a great relief to finally get this lovely big Listed bumper winner out. She ran a super race - in what looked very much like a red hot maiden hurdle. She travelled like a dream, and really picked up up the home straight. Novicey leaps at 3 of the last 4 flights meant that she could only manage a second place, but it was a run full of promise, and Ciaran was very excitied by the performance. She will reappear in a decent mares race later on in December, and at this stage still has a high flying plan in place for her. Pull Together also got to make his seasonal/chasing debut in Fontwell. He jumped really well, as he had done at home in his schooling, but dropped out on the final bend, after which Ciaran was easy on him, letting him come home in his own time. He will be dropped to 2 miles on his favoured soft ground next time. Land League continues to recover from the chip removal procedure he underwent earlier in the autumn. He is on the walker every day, and his recuperation is going well. he will be reassessed in the New Year, and hopefully he wont be too long off of a return to full exercise. Classic Ben travelled to Ascot on Saturday, where he ran OK to be fifth. It was a step up from a normal novice around Worcester, and he jumped and travelled better on this occasion, than had been the case. he is slowly coming to terms with the bigger obstacles, and when he gets a bit of help from the handicapper he will be winning again. He will continue to run through the winter. Molly Childers has had a couple of runs over fences in short order. A second in Fontwell when odds on favourite, was followed by a very good run in third in a very hot race in Uttoxeter 8 days later. Ciaran thought her wind was just getting worse in Uttoxeter, so she headed down to Ben Brain for a small wind op after her run. If all goes to plan she will be out again in mid December. Kaloci was a bit stiff and sore the last time we got to post an update, and unfortunately this did not improve, so after talking with the vet, Stuart, and her owners, the decision was made to retire her. She needs a few weeks recuperation at Fences Farm, and will then head back home, and be put in foal in the spring. She has been a grand little servant, and we will look out for her progeny in the future, and who knows - we may even get some of them to have a play with! San Seb was a touch disappointing on his second start in Huntingdon, and will now embark on his hurdling career, with entries due in Fakenham, Market Rasen and Fontwell. Stuart reports that his recent schooling at home has been superb - so we look forward to seeing him do it on the track! Getaway Mixie is very much back on track after a set back in early October meant that she had to have a month off. She did her first piece of faster work on Saturday and was said to be very good. She is A1 after it, and hopefully she will be able to make her rules debut in around 2-3 weeks. I am very much looking forward to it - the mare she was second to on her last start in Irish Points ran a really eye catching race in a red hot maiden hurdle in Ireland recently, and that makes her form look very reasonable! Our Bubba has been for a wind op after his debut in a Chepstow bumper - there had to be something wrong, as we were expecting better of him on rules debut - so this has been sorted out. Go Millie Go is plainly accident prone, and suffered another niggly little set back about a month ago - she is over it now, and is back being ridden - we think she probably needs a sound surface anyway - so her hold ups at this time of year are not the end of the world, but saying that - it would be nice to get a clear run with her for once! Figarella Borget is doing plenty of trotting and will start cantering very soon. I will organise a day for her owners to come and see her when she is doing enough to make it worthwhile.Lilly's Arc was due to make her second start in a bumper last week, but he day before she wasn't quite right, and that plan had to be shelved. Like her half sister, she puts everything into life, and gave herself some pretty sore shins on her debut - she seemed to be over them, and was ready to run, but they flared up the night before her declaration and she couldn't run. they seem to be calming down again now, and she is back cantering with no ill effects. She has sharpened up no end for her debut, and I am really looking forward to seeing her out again soon!