Martial Master For Mercer

After persistent rain the going at Perth was altered after the first race on Sunday to soft, and unusually we do not have any runners this afternoon (Monday) at Newton Abbot where they have passed a morning inspection.  The ground is now heavy in places and will certainly be very testing for this time of year - especially when you consider that most of the horses that would normally be running around the Devon track at this time of year would prefer much quicker conditions.

Looking back to last week, we were on the mark again with a winner at Worcester on Saturday afternoon.  It was a lovely bright sunny day (for a change) and colourful owner Stuart Mercer was turned out in his finery, looking particularly dashing in a blue and pink floral shirt, sunglasses and panama hat – for a moment I almost thought  I was in Barbados!  Anyway, I digress…Stuart’s Martial Law did the business in the maiden hurdle with the minimum of fuss under Tom Scudamore.  Unfortunately he will probably find life more difficult when he reverts to handicap company from a mark of 117 – an 11lbs rise in the weights being the consequence for falling at the last at Ffos Las three runs back with the race at his mercy.

The week ahead looks likely to be a quiet one on the racing front with only a handful of meetings taking place and the going unseasonably soft at the majority of them.  With Royal Ascot starting next week, we have a few entries to make before then, among them we will be hoping to run Ashbrittle and Fiulin in the Ascot Stakes – a race my father won on numerous occasions with the likes of Balasani and Sweet Glow, and a race that I won in 2010 with Junior.  We will also be looking to enter good ex-French flat horse War Singer in one of the middle distance handicaps such as the Wolferton on Friday or the Duke of Edinburgh on the Saturday.

This year’s Royal meeting should be one to savour and I can’t wait for it to get underway, particularly as with runners in the Ascot Stakes, I will be present to witness the mighty Frankel in the flesh for the first time as he takes in the opening race, the Queen Anne Stakes.  Add in Australian superstar Black Caviar as well as a host of other top-class horses over the five days and it should be a fantastic occasion, fit for any Diamond Jubilee Year.

Despite the majority of horses currently being turned out to grass for their summer holidays, there is still plenty to do around the yard and I currently have many of the staff helping out with the general maintenance.  The fences in the paddocks have been creosoted and the entire stable is presently enjoying a nice fresh coat of paint in preparation for the start of the new season proper.  It would just be nice if the rain would stay away long enough to get it finished!