A Day of Rest!

  Broadway Buffalo Enjoying his Holiday

It is fairly quiet on the racing front today with just one jumps card at Fakenham and one flat card at Nottingham.  Meanwhile in Ireland there is a jumps card at Kilbeggan and a flat meeting at Listowel.  David does not have any runners today, in fact it is looking fairly quiet this week before we look forward to another trip to Paris next weekend.  As you would expect, entries for the French Champion hurdle look high class and include a few raiders like ourselves.  While we have Ballynagour and Un Temps Pour Tout entered, Paul Nicholls has entered Zarkander and Harry Fry has Activial entered.  Willie Mullins has entered a few, including the might Hurricane Fly and Thousand Stars as well as Val De Ferbert who finished runner up to Ballynagour last time at Auteuil.  We shall see what stays in the race later in the week but we are all systems go at the moment!  We also have Katkeau and Dell'arca entered in a handicap hurdle on the same day and while their plans have yet to be finalised they could make the trip across the channel later this week.

It is great to read that Balthazar King has returned home to his owners yard in Hampshire.  He has become one of the racing public's favourite horses and after that horrible incident in the Grand National it is great to read he is recovering well.  He looks happy in is stable amongst lots of get well cards on his door and finger crossed we may even see him back on the racecourse again sometime in the future.

       Brook, Shotavodka & Obistar

At Pond House a lot of the horses and staff are now on their summer holidays but the work still continues.  There is still plenty of riding out to be done but attention also turns to summer jobs like steam cleaning and painting!  The horses are enjoying their time at grass some here at Pond House and others at home with their owners so I hope you like the couple of pics of them out enjoying the sunshine.

I have just returned from a week in France and so I look forward to telling you some stories from away over the coming days.  Have a nice day.