Moving on

I’ve finally got myself sorted with a reliable internet connection, and I can get back to my blogging.  It’s been a busy week. Last week I finally moved into my farm – 330 acres in the rolling Surrey countryside.  Four woods making 55 acres, one decent sized lake, six ponds and a little brook running through the middle.  They haven’t had horses on …

Just the One

A longer blog in due course as I have a fair bit to write up. Several horses I’m watching today, but for the most part I’ll be watching.  I’m backing in the bumper, opposing the well fancied debutante from the powerful Henderson yard with the Gifford trained Dee Eee Williams.  Nick thinks a lot of this horse, and he is a …

Hope at Warwick

Bert and his family moved yesterday and are without internet access today, so he has asked me to add a quick comment about a runner at Warwick this afternoon. Bert has a share of Hope Road, Tom Dascombe’s only hurdler, who runs in the first. I spoke to Tom this morning and he thinks the horse has an each way …

Another day

Not a great day Saturday for the Black family coffers, although I managed a little late damage limitation.  The football wasn’t great either with Swindon losing 1-0, but my man at the game was reasonably positive about how we played. Pete C-H runs two at Lingfield today, both trading at very short prices.  As far as I know they are …

Saturday thoughts

I’m short on time so a quick summary;  At Ascot Princelet goes well in the second (E/W) and Conflictofinterest is the value against the Henderson odds on jolly in the last. At Wincanton Torshuffle of Hendersons goes well against the Fanshawe odds on jolly, but Katchit may score later for favourite backers. At Haydock Estate may make amends for his unlucky …

Chapple-Hyam update

I had a long chat with Pete today – I really do need to find some time to go down and watch the horses work, as he is just beginning to wind them up.  I haven’t updated my horse list for a while – I own or part own six horses with Pete.  The are two 3yos – Winker Watson (as …

Goals at last

A 3-0 win for Swindon was just the ticket – it’s the first time we’ve scored three goals for 19 matches in the league.  It’s three points and a boost for our goal difference – just as importantly it may get the team going as they’ve looked a little tense lately. I didn’t go to the match but I had a full …

A ray of hope

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 Michel had we made the …

Lovesick pooch

Half way through the Wednesday of Cheltenham last year I slipped out and bought a dog – a “Landseer” Newfoundland puppy to be precise (Robbie, named after Wee Robbie at Nick Gifford’s yard).  The small bundle of fluff as he was then has grown to be a hairy monster weighing in at over ten stone (although he’s got a long way to go before …

Mon Michel misses out

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.  He won’t be out for long but it is a real …