- Monday, 09 March 2026 16:35
- Written by David Pipe
Royal Mer Recent Winner Wincanton
I am of course writing on the eve of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival and we have an exciting week of racing ahead. I shall be at Cheltenham every day and we are looking forward to welcoming lots of guests to our hospitality marquee each day. Matt Chapman will be running through the cards with me with the tips each day and we will try to find as many winners as we can!
- Monday, 02 March 2026 16:38
- Written by G Edwards
Kingston Queen Intended Cheltenham Runner
It was a very quiet on the runner’s front for the team last week and we ended up with just the two runners, one under each code. Final Entry ran okay without ever getting properly involved in the finish at Southwell on the all-weather on his comeback from a long absence while Activist got a bit stuck in the tacky conditions at Newbury on Friday.
- Monday, 23 February 2026 11:03
- Written by David Pipe
Windbeneathmywings
This week starts similarly to last week with very few runners on the track but there is plenty of work going on behind the scenes, it is just how thing seem to have been panning out of late. Lots of the horses have run well in recent days but a winner has just evaded us. From our ten runners in the last week we have managed a second, five third placings and a fourth so the horses have been running well but just hitting the cross bar!
- Monday, 16 February 2026 11:55
- Written by David Pipe
Royal Mer Winner at Wincanton
It was another good Saturday for the team with a double at Wincanton thanks to Eton Mes and Royal Mer. It was also a first professional double for our young conditional jockey Rian Corcoran who his riding well and full of confidence at the moment.
- Monday, 09 February 2026 16:08
- Written by David Pipe
Kingston Queen Winner at Warwick
It was a good week for the yard with three winners on the board from six runners at a 50% strike rate but as usual, things did not all go smoothly! A typical racing week! Our first runners of last week did not come until Thursday at Doncaster and we travelled up there in search of a bit better ground but it basically rained all day and so that went out of the window! October Hill did not enjoy conditions by the time it came to her race at the end of the day but she ran okay to be fourth, she will be better returned to a sounder surface.
- Monday, 02 February 2026 14:13
- Written by David Pipe
Gold in the Rivers Winner at Market Rasen
Leanne and I had three nights away in Tenerife last week and it was lovely to get away for some sunshine and we missed the worst of the rain back here at Pond House. The team did a great job of keeping things going in difficult conditions as it is not easy when you keep getting soaking wet through every day but they are all still here and still smiling on my return!
- Monday, 26 January 2026 11:12
- Written by David Pipe
River Run Free Winner at Leicester
I start this week by again talking about the weather! We have had 176mm of rain so far in January here at Pond House and with a wet week ahead forecast there looks set to be disruption to the racing programme in the coming days. Indeed, Exeter on Wednesday has already been abandoned, there is an inspection at Leicester ahead of their meeting on Wednesday and I imagine a few more clerks of the courses will also be calling inspections later in the week. The most rain we have ever recorded in January on our records is 181mm and that was back in 2014, I imagine we will be setting a new record this year, maybe even by this time tomorrow with a few more days left in January as well!
- Monday, 19 January 2026 14:12
- Written by G Edwards
Jaipaletemps Four Time Winner
After a busy week, things are slightly quieter on the runner’s front on the coming days with less race meetings scheduled than of late and it gives us time to draw breath. Last week began full of expectation but when you work with horses and animals in general, things are unpredictable and don’t always go as planned! The weather played a big part in some of the results with some of my horses not enjoying the testing conditions that prevailed but you have to keep looking forwards and remaining positive.
- Monday, 12 January 2026 15:29
- Written by David Pipe
Itseemslikeit Winner at Ffos Las
We enter the new week with warmer temperatures than last and a full programme of racing should take place this week without disruption according to clerks of the courses around the country. The freezing temperatures made things a little harder work at home last week than normal but thanks to my great team of staff they kept the show on the road. Our tractor team were in extra hours to work on the gallops to ensure they were in working order and we put down our own salt where needed to make sure everywhere was safe. Our indoor canter is also a blessing in bad weather and it gives the riders a little respite from conditions.
- Monday, 05 January 2026 15:18
- Written by David Pipe
The first big freeze of this winter has taken its grip over the country and the racing programme has succumbed to the elements in recent days and it will probably continue to do so for the first half of this week with the next jump racing most likely to be at Taunton on Thursday all being well.
