Posted in Berts Horses, Mon Michel, Bouguereau on May 12th, 2008 8 Comments »
Another weekend of dashed hopes, capped with Bouguereau finishing down the field in 7th in the Italian Derby. Well at least I can say I’ve had an odds-on favourite in a Group 1, which is rare enough. Bouguereau is a super horse, but he’s a big, fairly lean galloping type with real staying power - […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Kings Head, Mon Michel, Bouguereau on May 9th, 2008 5 Comments »
A winner on Tuesday night with Kings Head doing it nicely. We’ve believed for a while that he is a decent hurdler in the making and it’s good to see a little proof of that. He needs top of the ground and he doesn’t get that often in the winter months, so he’ll probably always […]
Posted in Horse Racing, Berts Horses, Furtive Glance, Big Paddy, Better Together, Theophrastus, Ours, Mon Michel, Shawhill, Effingham, Bouguereau, Winker Watson, Lord Snooty on Apr 10th, 2008 6 Comments »
It’s a big time of year as an owner, and there are highs and lows. Aintree was ultimately a real mix, and there was a lot of good and bad on Saturday. I didn’t go up as I was at AFC Wimbledon for a match that my wider family were sponsoring in memory of my great uncle, who […]
Posted in Horse Racing, Berts Horses, Mon Michel on Apr 4th, 2008 4 Comments »
The big day approaches, and unusually for me I don’t have an ante-post position in the National. In my younger days I was crazily obsessive about the race - it got to the point where I was so tense beforehand that I could barely watch it. A couple of times I can remember watching the race on […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Ours, Mon Michel, Shawhill, Bouguereau on Mar 19th, 2008 3 Comments »
Back from a long week at Cheltenham and a lot to catch up on.
Mon Michel didn’t run his race. He needs to come off a strong pace and there was no pace on early. He needs half decent ground and he didn’t get it. The horse is fine and he’ll be winning again soon. I […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Mon Michel on Mar 14th, 2008 4 Comments »
One day and a false start in and I’m loving it - I’ve got to know a lot of people who I only see at Cheltenham, and being away from Betfair makes it even more of a social occasion. The racing almost takes a back seat for me these days, but it’s top class this […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Prince Ary, Kings Head, Mon Michel, Shawhill on Mar 9th, 2008 1 Comment »
A busy week, and a difficult one with Jane being ill with flu and me not being able to drive. I still managed to fit in three visits to the racecourse, and with Cheltenham coming up I’m going to be raced out be the end of next week.
On Wednesday I went down to Fontwell, where […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Prince Ary, Kings Head, Mon Michel on Mar 5th, 2008 4 Comments »
Cheltenham approaches and I have a few potential runners, but it brings a few dilemmas. Currently I have both Mon Michel and Prince Ary declared for the Imperial Cup on Saturday and the County Hurdle on the Friday of Cheltenham, and they could both run in both races. I also have King’s Head and Hope […]
Posted in Horse Racing, Berts Horses, Mon Michel on Feb 11th, 2008 6 Comments »
A poor day on Saturday on all fronts. Swindon lost to an early goal in a tight match with few chances, which following on from last weeks draw against Northampton makes the play-offs look a bit distant again. Gary and Jamie Moore won the big race, and of course Jamie would have been riding Mon […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Prince Ary, Mon Michel, Ollie Fliptrik, Shepherds Warning on Feb 8th, 2008 2 Comments »
A major blow yesterday when Mon Michel coughed and later returned a bad blood test after his final piece of work for the Totesport Trophy. Everything up to this point had gone right and I thought he had a major chance of picking up the prize, but it wasn’t to be.Â
He won’t be out for long but […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Theophrastus, Mon Michel, Baldovina on Jan 18th, 2008 1 Comment »
I’ve been very busy this week and I’ve had no time for blogging. It’s all a bit odd - I’m not working any more but all of the time I’ve freed up has been filled and more. By the time I’ve fed and dropped of the children (leave at 7:30, hour round trip), been to […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Mon Michel, Baldovina, Shawhill, Bouguereau, Winker Watson on Jan 11th, 2008 8 Comments »
First things first, and the diet’s going ok - 18st3 this morning. I’ve had a headache but nothing worse than that - I still haven’t worked out how I intend to do it, but the one thing I know I must do is break my sugar habit permanently. Thanks all for the encouraging comments.
 I’m having […]
Posted in Horse Racing, Berts Horses, Ours, Mon Michel, Ollie Fliptrik on Jan 5th, 2008 3 Comments »
Paul Cole thinks Ollie Fliptrik will run ok but is an unlikely winner. Nick is positive about Ours - he’s fine in himself, he should get through the testing ground and we’re looking for a big run. Nick has two others today which will run ok and although either could win I don’t advise backing them.
Mon Michel […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Ours, Mon Michel, Ollie Fliptrik on Jan 4th, 2008 4 Comments »
I weighed myself yesterday morning, and only two days into my diet I was down 7lb at 18st3. The gastroenteritis diet really works! Sadly this morning, my stomach having recovered, I was back up to 18st6 - still 4lb down but not the miracle I was looking for.Â
On the subject of weight it was interesting to […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Ours, Mon Michel, Ollie Fliptrik on Jan 3rd, 2008 3 Comments »
A new year dawns, and it’s going to be a very different one for me away from Betfair for the first time in over eight years. I’m struggling to find things to do at the moment, which is very different from having loads to do but not doing it.
One thing I can do is concentrate on […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Ours, Mon Michel, Shepherds Warning on Dec 26th, 2007 3 Comments »
A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL
It’s been a fairly low key Christmas for me this year in as far as Christmas with four small children can be. My side of the family come round tomorrow - 18 of them with 11 children, which may get a little noisy.Â
I’ve been to church a couple of times this year, […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Mon Michel on Dec 22nd, 2007 No Comments »
I was hoping to be at Ascot today cheering Mon Michel on in the Ladbroke, but it wasn’t to be. It’s a shame as I’d have given him a real chance - everything would have been in his favour. Gary has two other entries, including Altilhar which I’ve backed.Â
I spoke to Gary about him yesterday […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Better Together, Ours, Mon Michel on Dec 21st, 2007 5 Comments »
Day 2 of life outside of Betfair, and already bored and depressed - after years of being institutionalised within Betfair I feel lost and alone, like Brooks in the Shawshank Redemption. I’m contemplating carving my name on a rafter in my office and hanging myself with my Betfair tie. Goodbye cruel world.
But there’s no great rush as […]
Posted in Betfair, Berts Horses, Mon Michel, Shepherds Warning on Dec 13th, 2007 5 Comments »
It was a big day for me yesterday, with Betfair finally launching the SP mechanism. I kicked the product off over 2 years ago, but it was a year and a half before we started work on it (the Betfair roadmap is permanently backed up). It is a very big piece of work - in […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Ours, Mon Michel, Ollie Fliptrik on Dec 3rd, 2007 2 Comments »
At last!! I’ve been saying for a long time that Mon Michel is a decent result waiting to happen, and it’s gratifying to finally have a decent win to prove the case. I thought he ran an excellent race, finding just a little extra at the end when asked, which is something he hasn’t really […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Mon Michel on Dec 1st, 2007 3 Comments »
A great day’s racing and a runner in the Hennessy meet in the shape of Mon Michel. MM’s flat form suggests he likes soft ground, but he’s changed as he’s grown up and he prefers it better now - it could be a little on the soft side for him, but it’s a nice day […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Ours, Mon Michel on Nov 19th, 2007 2 Comments »
I had trouble accessing the blog over the weekend and wasn’t able to post. This was probably a good thing as I gave Mon Michel a squeak in his pipe opener - he ran vaigly ok, finishing in mid division having tired on the ground and through the odd mistake. We’ll be aiming him at the […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Ours, Mon Michel, Shepherds Warning on Nov 2nd, 2007 2 Comments »
I’m pretty much done for the flat season now and looking to the jumpers. Mon Michel was down to run tomorrow, but he doesn’t stand his ground after working moderately midweek - we think he’s ok but just needs a little more time. My first runner of the jumps season proper will probably be Ours […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Mon Michel, Master of the Race, Captain Hurricane on Jun 11th, 2007 3 Comments »
Mon Michel ran second, ridden to sleep by a horse I suspect will turn out to be pretty decent. It was disappointing but not surprising - he’ll always be better value at long odds in a competitive handicap than as a short priced favourite in a little race.
Master of the Race ran another poor race - […]
Posted in Horse Racing, Berts Horses, Mon Michel, Master of the Race on Jun 7th, 2007 No Comments »
Two runners today - Mon Michel in the first at Uttoxeter and Master of the Race in the last at Sandown.Â
I’ve just got off the phone to Gary. We’re running Mon Michel because he needs this to qualify for the Jewson in October, which is his early target. If the ground is too firm then […]
Posted in Horse Racing, Berts Horses, Mon Michel on May 27th, 2007 No Comments »
Mon Michel goes at Fontwell today having run up a string of three second places. He really should go in today - he’s a classy animal - although I wouldn’t want to take too short a price on him as he isn’t always the easiest ride.
AP takes the ride for the second time. […]
Posted in Berts Horses, Mon Michel on May 19th, 2007 1 Comment »
Adam Eterno ran a stinker, coming stone last. Kerrin McEvoy said he “ran green” - maybe so but for now I’m assuming that he’s pretty useless, which I can live with as I was assuming that anyway and the other two with Brian are looking decent. All things considered Captain Hurricane ran ok - a […]
