Delighted with Dynaste

      Dynaste wearing his Christmas Jumper!

Well I hope everyone is enjoying the Festive period and eating and drinking far too much like I am?!  After a couple of non-racing days early last week I enjoyed I nice family Christmas day with about 15 of us sitting down for lunch.  I got up early as usual on the big day and fed the horses with the plan to go back for present opening with the children after but when I arrived home at 7.15am they were both still fast asleep!  It wasn't long til they were awake however and it is great to see the joy on their faces and I now have some nice new toys to play with!!!

In the yard the staff choose to work either Christmas or New Year’s day and it usually works out well with an even split.  They start at usual time, ride out in Christmas hats, get all the work done before heading off to celebrate with their own families. 

Boxing Day was of course back to business as usual and we had eight runners spread across four meetings.  I was delighted with Dynaste's second in the King George.  The cheek pieces seemed to help him concentrate a little more and he travelled and jumped much better than at Haydock last time.  He also finished his race very well, staying on all the way to the line.  After Haydock he was pretty stiff and sore (more than usual) but he seems to have come out of Friday’s race better than Haydock.  Once again I am sure there will be much debate about whether his Cheltenham Festival target will be the Ryanair which he of course won last season or the Gold Cup.  As I said on the TV I would rather win a Ryanair than be second in a Gold Cup but we will definitely be keeping all options open as the weather and the ground come the spring will of course be taken into consideration and we will just have to see much nearer to the time.  There is of course only one Gold Cup.  He is likely to have one run before the Festival.

It was great that we won the last race at Kempton with Alternatif who was making his Pond House debut.  We bought him from the French sales in the summer and he is a lovely big four year old who will make a smashing chaser in time.  He jumped well and although just holding on come the end he should improve for the run and will be capable of being competitive after the handicapper has reassessed him.  He does hold an entry at Cheltenham on New Year's Day but won't be taking up this engagement.  I like him a lot and he is definitely a horse for the future.

As you may have read, Tom Scu did two meetings on Boxing Day flying by helicopter and I am delighted it was a successful day, even though the weather nearly threatened to stop Tom riding Batavir at Wincanton.  Thankfully it just about stayed okay and Tom was able to ride him and it was great he was able to follow up his Ascot win under a penalty in the Pertemps race.  He is another we bought from the Arqana sales in the summer and he seems an out and out galloper and I was again delighted with our five year olds performance.  He is a lovely big sort and should also make up into a very nice chaser in time.  Up at Wetherby, Broadway Buffalo could not quite repeat his Haydock win of a few days before.  A mistake on the far side the second time cost him momentum and did knock his confidence a little and he could never really get in a challenging position after.  He still ran okay to finish fifth but he would prefer softer ground than he got at Wetherby and I am sure he will continue to still be competitive in some nice staying chases off his new higher rating.  It was great to get such nice Christmas presents,  a couple of winners on Boxing Day taking our seasons tally to 71.

It was a similarly busy day on Saturday but unfortunately we could not add to our winners list.  Smiles for Miles, Serienschock and Bygones Sovereign all ran well in their respective races to finished placed.  In the feature Welsh Grand National Amigo got a great start and appeared to be going well but lost his position going out on the second circuit and then was never really able to recover and he finished in 8th.  I am pleased to report all our runners our fine after the past few days and I can look forward to finding more races for them in the New Year.

Unfortunately Leicester was lost to the weather yesterday and Doncaster went the same way today and we were due to have a couple of runners up there.

This week I have a few entries at various meetings throughout the week, including Cheltenham and Exeter on New Year's Day and fingers crossed the weather will not disrupt plans too much.   Keep checking back on Chester's Daily Blog for more news of the runners coming up.  I would like to wish you all a Happy and Healthy 2015, thanks for supporting myself and Pond House and I look forward to bringing you more news from the yard in the New Year.