Swing_Bill_gallops_nov13

Today we have made confirmations  for the Grand National we have left Our Father, The Package, Swing Bill and Standing Ovation in Aintree’s centrepiece on Saturday.  While there is no hope that Standing Ovation will get in, Swing Bill is currently the second reserve at number 42 in the list.  With declarations for the big race taking place on Thursday we face an anxious wait to see if two come out of the race above old favourite ‘Bill’ (pictured above), leaving him able to compete in the race for a third time.  If he misses the cut, he will run instead in the Topham Chase, also over the National fences on Friday.

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Dynaste_Aintree_Scu

The period between the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals is traditionally a quiet time for the stable with most of our higher profile horses either being saved for the Grand National meeting or going off on their holidays.  As such it was no surprise that we only had a handful of runners over the past seven days and it looks like being a similar scenario this week as we build-up to Liverpool next week.

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Goulanes_Uttoxeter

A fantastic few days for the yard that had kicked off with the success of Baltimore Rock in the Imperial Cup at Sandown on Saturday 8th March was completed in the best possible manner by the success of Goulanes (pictured above) in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter the following Saturday.  Those victories bookended the most fantastic of weeks for the team at Pond House as we hit the mark three times at the Cheltenham Festival.

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Baltimore_Rock_Imperial_Cup_Sandown

Well, as I write this the waiting is nearly over.  One more day and then all hell is let loose in the Cotswolds as around 60,000 people descend upon the Cheltenham Festival each day.  The hard work is done, all of the horses have completed their build-up to the big day and I just want to get stuck in now.

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The_Darling_Boy_Taunton_web

Only eight more days to go! The countdown really is on in earnest to the start of the Cheltenham Festival next week and barring a Twitter Q&A session on Tuesday and a telephone interview with Huntingdon racecourse for their preview night on Friday I have pretty much finished with my media commitments. The horses continue to run well with 9 winners from 27 runners over the past fortnight taking our total to 17 for February and 77 for the season…I hope that our good form continues for the next fortnight at least!

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Dynaste_Press_Day_13_web

With six winners from seventeen runners and a host of other placed horses I am delighted with the form of the stable with only two weeks left until the Cheltenham Festival.  As I write our seasonal tally stands at 74 and while the horses remain in irresistible form, Cheltenham can barely come quickly enough.

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un_temps_pour_tout_ascot2

Although the stable did not have any runners until Friday, it was still a very productive week with four winners coming from our thirteen runners.  There was also the small matter of the Grand National weights luncheon in the Abbey Road Studios in London on Tuesday while we were also kept busy with a visit from Channel 4 Racing.

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Sam_TDMCPRyan_Hatch__Tom_Bell_web

Even though the weather could dictate that it is a quiet week on the racing front, it is nonetheless a very important one for racing in general.  While we do not have any potential runners until Wednesday at the very earliest; we do have a number of entries for the remainder of the week including a raft (and that could be quite an appropriate term!) of entries for Ascot, Haydock and Wincanton on Saturday.  There is also the small matter of the National weights luncheon in London tomorrow, while we will also be hosting Channel 4 television cameras later in the week.

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Vieux_Lion_Rouge_Wincanton_300114web

It was another decent week for the yard with a couple of winners; Vieux Lion Rouge at Wincanton and Poole Master at FFos Las taking our seasonal tally to 61.  There were some mixed emotions too as I have some sad news of a great favourite to have passed through the Pond House regime down the years…

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Red_Sherlock_Cheltenham_Jan14

Last week was a most informative one culminating with Trials Day at Cheltenham on Saturday and as the name suggests, there were quite a few pointers towards the Festival in March but more of that later… The week had started off for us in good style with our first runner, Legacy Gold winning the mares’ novices hurdle impressively at Leicester on Tuesday under Tom Scudamore.  Our mare had been a good bumper performer and she was taking her record here to five wins from six starts (two from three over hurdles).  She was in front plenty soon enough and idled a bit, but I would be surprised if there were not more to come and she should find plenty of opportunities considering the good mares’ programme that is now available.

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