Another overcast day

“One of the secrets in life is to make stepping  stones out of  stumbling  blocks.”
Jack Penn.

Chankillo and Mystery Star lead up Astroleo and Toptempo

Red Hermes is seen behind

Another overcast morning following a mixed weekend. The forecast for the week ahead is more of the same and the ground everywhere will be very much on the soft side. Everything has been out and done two good canters on the mac-track, which is the second one over on Warren Hill. All were moving well and I am very happy with things so far.

Marvo (Steve)

Newmarket was hectic on Saturday with the town carnival procession at lunchtime and the Olympic torch arrival at around 5.30. There were big crowds and it all went off without a hitch. We are now getting ready for the July Week racing culminating with the July Cup on Saturday. There is an article today in the Racing Post about what I commented on last week - finding enough jockeys for Saturday's meetings. The answer is simple but no-one seems prepared to listen. Just change the July Meeting back to mid-week.

Kathleen Frances with Dine Out

It's also July Sales this week at Tattersalls and our draft goes through on Thursday. They are all capable of winning races and hopefully will find good homes either here or abroad. It will be very interesting to see how the averages hold up in this time of austerity.  I think everybody is quite rightly being careful and expect the majority of horses will be sold to go abroad.

First lot returning through The Plantation

 (led by Akula)

The more I think about it the more I think that the deal with Betfair was a very poor settlement for racing. We have achieved nothing more than we have now and our negotiators should have really done  much better and gone for a larger figure. We have now accepted a four or five year deal which will only maintain the status quo, and there is no guarantee of increased prize money, only a promise on our behalf that we will produce enough fixtures for their clients to bet on.

Darren the feedman with his trusty barrow