Tuesday 10 September

This are cranking up on all fronts! The horses at the Edmunds yard are coming along well in their preparations for the upcoming season. Fitness work continues, and the first ones in form their holidays in July have now been striding on for the last week. Delighted to say that my ankle continues to get better and better, and I am now up and about, and it was good to get over to see some horses late last week. On Saturday it was really pleasing to see getaway Mixie stride on at the front of the string with Maria's benefit. GM has had well documented health dramas, including coming very close to dying last year. Her winter was nothing spectacular, and it was felt that she was feeling the after effects of being so sick in the previous spring. To see her go from bottom to top of the gallop, at a good 3/4 speed was very encouraging, and hopefully she will now be able to show the ability that we are all sure she possesses. She will be ready to run in early October. Figarella Borget is in fine nick, and looks stronger than she did in the spring. She looks really healthy and well,and it will not be long before she gets some entries in mares hurdles. Go Millie Go is another that will not be far away, and could even head for an away day gallop very soon. She missed last season with some niggling little injuries, but has always been held in high regard, and I can't wait to see her make her rules debut in a bumper for her patient owners very soon. Molly Childers is also in rude health, and will be making her seasonal debut in a few weeks. She will ply her trade in staying handicap chases this season, and hopefully there is a nice one in her. Another to be plying his trade in the marathon division this time will be Classic Ben - he looks really energised at the moment, which, if you know Ben, is most unlike him! He has certainly matured over the summer, and enjoyed his elongated spell away at The Elms. Hopefully he will be competitive in the staying chase division, and if he handles proper winter ground as he seemed to do when winning a valuable chase in Sandown last season, he could be seen in some of the regional Nationals around the country, and I would think that the Welsh National could even be on the radar. We have no firm plans for him, and will wait and see what the autumn period tells us. Land League is back being ridden after having his wind op. He will not have lost too much fitness, and should be ready to go again in about a month. San Seb has grown into the most gorgeous young horse, and we know that he is very talented as well. He seems to be over the problem that curtailed last season, and is moving really well. Hopefully we will see a really nice young horse back on the track this autumn. Our Bubba is now back in, and has started his pre training. He has been joined by 3 yr old Hi Ho Silva Lining, who will be aimed at an autumn juvenile bumper. Bubba seems to be over the niggle that stopped him last season, and he is one to very much look forward to this winter. Shares in Blue Bikini are going very fast - she will be in to Fences Farm in October, and judging by her physique, and pedigree, she will hopefully be competing in some of the top mares bumpers in the spring. I am sure I will see many of you on Saturday morning, and if you would like a share in this lovely filly - I would grab one while you can, as I can see them being sold out by Sunday! Our investment syndicates continue to go from strength to strength, with investors showing interest all the time. We have a lovely bunch of young horses for the 2 schemes we have set up this year, with foals by sires that include, Kayf Tara, Coastal Path, Jukebox Jury, Youmzain,Telescope and Masked Marvel. A mixture of a proven champion, and young up and coming stallions! The purchasing will continue in November at the big foal sales in Ireland, and the yearling sales in France, where we will fill up each scheme. We are also trying very hard to secure the right horse form France to go Juvenile Hurdling this winter - but seem to be getting thwarted at every turn. We will try a different tack, and see if we can get some better results, and hopefully there will be soon be shares in a lovely young horse available.