Weather Babe had earlier initiated the double for the yard by making a successful hurdling debut at Towcester.  She had shown some decent form when runner-up in three bumpers last term for Jonathan Portman but it was nice for her to make a winning start for the Pond House team here.  Always handy under Hadden Frost, she fought on bravely in the closing stages to beat favourite Valrene and can continue to improve as she gains experience.  She is owned by stable sponsors Wayne & Sarah Clifford and was homebred by Sarah who is doing very well with her breeding operation.  Indeed, Sarah enjoyed further success on Monday when another homebred, Bathwick Junior won at Plumpton.

I was very sorry to hear that Timmy Murphy had injured a couple of vertebrae in a crashing fall in the last race at Newbury on Friday.  Timmy was all set to ride The Package in the Hennessy Gold Cup but will now be sidelined for the next 4-6 weeks as he recuperates.  I wish him well and hope that he makes a speedy recovery.  Meanwhile The Package performed creditably under deputy Tom Scudamore to finish fourth in the big race behind Bobs Worth.  While not able to match his performance from the Badger Ales Chase at Wincanton last month; this was still a decent effort under an 8lbs higher mark.  The Grand National will be his main target.

I attended the sales at Newbury after the Hennessy and came away with a couple more fine prospects for the furture.  I am delighted to welcome a nice gelding by Kapgarde who is related to brilliant chaser Gloria Victis, as well as Heath Hunter, an exciting young Irish National Hunt Flat race winner from an excellent family (the dam is a full sister to top class chaser Nick Dundee and half sister to Ned Kelly).  While I am on the subject of sales, I have a good looking three year old gelding who is currently requiring an owner - Cellist should do well in juvenile hurdles.  He showed useful form on the flat over staying trips and has pleased us since arriving at Pond House - below is a video of him (left) in action on the gallops last week.  If you would like any further information you can click here, or contact me in the office on 01884 840715.

How good was Dynaste (pictured right) on Friday on the second day of Newbury’s meeting?!  The spritely grey was once again foot perfect at his fences and never came off the bridle to land the Grade Two novices’ chase.  The contest has been won in the past by the likes of Denman and Bobs Worth and if Dynaste can go onto success like these illustrious predecessors I will be well pleased.

The Feltham at Kempton on Boxing Day is still a very viable option – three miles around there should prove fine, even though he can jump slightly to his left.  Following his Newbury success I was quite surprised to hear a few of the pundits calling for Dynaste to run in the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.  That race had not been a part of the equation going into Friday and nothing that happened during the race or since has convinced me that he would be any better suited to that contest than the Jewson over 2m4f or the RSA Chase over three miles.  Of the three races, I would imagine that the Arkle would be the least likely Festival target, although I have learnt to never say never!

I was disappointed to have to withdraw Top Wood from the handicap hurdle at Leicester on Sunday afternoon on account of the going.  I was one of the many trainers who evidently did not want to risk my horse on potentially frozen ground and had no option but to take him out.  While I understand that Leicester racecourse are running a business and have to give their fixtures every chance of going ahead otherwise they will lose a lot of money, I am not sure that calling numerous inspections on the morning of a meeting until the very last minute is the correct thing to do.  Who is right?

A similar scenario unfolded at Musselburgh on Friday where they were unable to go ahead with their fixture.  They finally abandoned the meeting at 1pm when the first race was due off at 12.10pm!  I know that Dougie Costello had travelled for several hours to get there and the same is true of the horses.  It costs a lot of money to transport horses to race meetings and it is the owner who has to foot the bill once again.  Perhaps if they had to offer compensation the courses would be a little more willing to make a decision one way or the other!  I think this debate is going to run and run.

I had a great time at the Horserace Writers Award dinner on Monday as the guest of legendary broadcaster Mike Vince.  Mike kindly invites me to join him on his table every year and it is a day that I look forward to setting aside on my calendar.  The day was made all the more enjoyable when my only runner at Plumpton, Kings Palace made a very pleasing debut when sluicing up in the bumper under champion jockey A P McCoy.  I managed to slip away to a local betting shop to watch the race and could not have been more impressed with him – he may not have beaten a great deal but he is a lovely individual with bags of potential.  He is one of a number of exciting young inmates at Pond House to keep us all dreaming over the winter.