Grey days and holidays

With the majority of the sales finally over we can look forward to colder weather, shorter days, naughty yearlings and less racing although we do have a few more than usual to run for a little while longer and are surprisingly very grateful that we have Newcastle- despite all us trainers said about it during the great debate about tearing up the turf and replacing it with tapeta.

Allen has been busy breaking in yearlings while the lads have been steam cleaning, disinfecting and preparing walls for repainting in between riding out. Annas work is never ending and any spare time is currently being spent working on the website where some radical changes are planned to keep it fresh. Some of the lads are heading off on holiday, 'The Captain' has already been away but everyone else is looking forward to heading home at some point during the winter. One such young man is finding life a bit tougher however, "Frankie" the handsome dapple grey Highland pony (below) owned by owners Ros and Elizabeth Stott had to work hard for his corn when stepping on a bit up our gallops recently while watched by his owners who hadn't quite realised how fit racehorses have to be in order to climb up the hill with relative ease. 

A very handsome brute indeed, I am just very grateful that he isn't able to live with the likes of Hilary J whose career would surely be well and truly over if this fellow was able to keep up with her!

Frankie