Summer is here and an end to our drought.

Searanger was the one to bring us out of "placeitis" .So far this year (and seemingly most of it in the last fortnight) we have recorded 12 seconds, 17 thirds and 12 fourths. In all, we have had 52 horses make the first four out of 103 runners so we probably shouldn't complain too much. The horses are running well but so many close shaves have been frustrating beyond belief. So when "Searanger" won on Saturday directly after yet another second, we were delighted to get one past the post with his or her head firmly in front.

The weather is not helping things either with cold winds and more than a drop of the wet stuff in mid Summer- so much for "Flamin June". Todays meeting at Chepstow is abandoned due to water logging, and last week we lost Leicester- just when our mud lover "Letbygonesbeicons" was entered up and looking like he had a winning chance. 

At home if the weather isn't driving us all nuts then Charlie the dog is. Seven months old and as big as a pony, he is as boistrous as ever and has spent this morning tormenting everyone. George has been gardening but Charlie has been moving every tool George uses and hiding them. Julie had her farrier list stolen and found it torn to shreds in the muck trailer while grooming kits have disappeared along with scrubbing brushes and other pieces of kit.

In the wider world of racing it seems Charlie the canine trouble maker isn't alone. At Lingfield on Saturday police were called to deal with a "mass brawl" and arrested two men. Frankly they should have thrown the bloody lot in prison to cool down before placing a lifetime racing ban on them. GBH on racecouses should not be tolerated- ever. In France over the weekend William Buick got into troube for his "offensive" remarks aimed at stewards who banned him for 15 days for his part in the fall of another jockey who was bought down. William's remarks did little to help him as the stewards doubled his time on the sidelines as a punishiment for being cheeky. The disparity between the way the French stewards deal with a naughty jockey and the way in which our police force and legal system deals with dangerous, brawling hooligans out to maim others is -sadly worlds apart.

The not so new website is still doing very well with over 130,000 hits registering lots of interest in the yard with "Ann's Thoughts" starting to attract worthwhile following, helping towards the rather high cost of running and maintaining a decent website.

Below - Charlie up to no good!