New Season

                   Lucy's Perfect
David's First Winner of the 2011/12 Season 

Well the season finished yesterday with some great action at Sandown and today we start the new season at Ludlow.  David had a great year and we shall reflect on some of that over the coming days.  Trop Fort kicks off the new season with Tom Scu on board so lets hope it is a winning start!

I just have to say something about Edward Gillespie leaving Cheltenham after 32 years at the course.  He is one of the few old school tie people I really get on with.  Edward has always been very helpful and if we ever had a problem Edward was always the first to help with anything and I mean anything!  I remember we were in America once and there was a big queue at the book in counter and the girl kept answering the phone so the queue was not ever getting any shorter!  Edward was in the queue with us and he made a phone call to the girl behind the counter and booked us in over the phone!  I also got pulled over while driving in America and they dragged me out of the car.  He told me not to mess around and being me I said why not?  He said they have got a gun out, he was not joking!  Edward has done a great job at Cheltenham and he will be sadly missed.

I cannot believe that Epsom racecourse were going to stop stable staff having free entry to the meetings at the track but thankfully they have seen sense and re-instated free entry, including to meetings where they have concerts and entertainment after racing.  I definitely do not think stable staff are over paid so they should be entitled to a few perks!

It was great to see Conor O'Farrell finished third in the Conditional jockeys title race.  Henry Brooke was Champion conditional with Lucy Alexander in second.  Conor rode 35 winners and I think he is more than capable of making the grade now he has lost his claim as a top professional so would like to wish him well for the new season.  Tom Scu rode 65 winners for the season and 41 of these were for David.  You have to remember that Tom missed several months of the season last year while recovering from a shoulder operation so 65 winners was a very respectable total and I am sure he will be looking to better that this year.  It was a good season all round for everyone and although we will all be trying to have a little break of some kind, David will still have plenty of runners over the summer months and the work continues!  Have a nice day.