Horses for Sale

   Seymourjohn (GB) 


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First of all it is great to be back and apologies that we have been unable to update the website over the weekend due to technical difficulties - sorry for any inconvenience and I hope you haven't missed us too much!  There is quite a bit to catch up on as Cheltenham's Paddy Power meeting took place over the weekend and it is a meeting that David always likes to try to do well at given the rich history of the stable at the fixture down the years.  It was a great meeting for the stable with three winners, including a double on Saturday.  Kings Palace jumped like an old handicapper in making a successful chasing debut - watching it you would never have believed it was his first start over the larger obstacles and he looks top class.

Meanwhile, Katkeau came back from an absence of 630 days to win the Listed staying handicap hurdle from recent Cesarewitch winner Big Easy - he was greeted by a big hug from Professor Caroline Tisdall.  It was a great training performance from David and a wonderful result for the owners who have displayed such great patience with him.

I went racing to Cheltenham yesterday for the first time since the Festival and was surprised by the amount of work that was going on around the place...it looked more like a building site than a racecourse!  Unique de Cotte did very well to win the boys' race under Kieron Edgar considering he slipped on the home turn - it was particularly poignant as the race was run in memory of Brian Kilpatrick who had so many great horses in training here down the years until his sad passing in May.  Street Entertainer also put up a fantastic performance to finish fourth in the same race and the owner (MCP) was delighted!

Talking of Brian Kilpatrick, the great man is still very much missed.  I will always fondly remember our little fun bets on the football - Brian would always have £10 with me that Rochdale would finish higher in their respective division than West ham - I always seemed to be paying Brian out!  He was a director at Rochdale and an all round lovely man.

On to the business of today and there are three meetings taking place with two over the sticks at Leicester and Plumpton as well as an all-weather flat card from Wolverhampton.  The stable has one runner at Plumpton; Sadlers Gold who takes his chance in the closing bumper.  It is his first ever start on the racecourse and while he works well on our all-weather gallop, it is hard to know how he will cope with today's heavy ground - Tom Scu is in the saddle.  I wonder when the last time was that Paul Nicholls had three runners at Plumpton?

We were all greatly saddened to hear of the passing of Irish trainer Dessie Hughes over the weekend at the age of 71.  Not only was Dessie a great trainer, with Cheltenham Festival success with the likes of dual Champion Hurdle hero Hardy Eustace and Triumph Hurdle winner Our Conor, he was also a tremendous jockey who enjoyed Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle victories aboard Davy Lad and Monksfield respectively.  He was a pretty good sire too as he was father to current champion flat jockey Richard Hughes.  We had the pleasure of meeting Dessie (pictured right with Martin) on many occasions and he was a lovely chap and a wonderful character - racing will be much poorer for his loss and our thoughts go to his family at this very sad time.

*****

24 people were hurt in a brawl after the wrong baby won a beautiful baby competition in Mexico City.  I used to be a judge in these competitions during my time with Butlins - the trouble is they all looked the same to me!