A good finish to a difficult season

LEMONS GENT jumped magnificently to make all under Gavin Sheehan who was having his first ride for us. I spoke to Gavin before the race and suggested that I hoped that sitting on “HAL” would be like sitting in his most comfortable armchair and so it proved for a change! He has been put up 10lbs, but I think he can cope with that and we’ll look for a race in about four weeks’ time.

Hopefully “HAL” can start off the new season in style for us as we need a better ‘lift-off’ than we had this time last year. The colder and later Spring has meant that so far, the oil-seed rape is not as virulent as it was then and long may it remain so. Last Spring it really effected TINDARO and AUSTRALIA DAY and led to disappointments at what is their favoured time of year.

Having had plenty of horses that could not cope with heavy ground, we hope that the patience shown by all will make for a brighter start to this new season. What would be good would be to turn some of those never-ending placed horses into winners!

A busy week starts at Kempton tomorrow where MR.K should leave his previous form well-behind.

HOLLOW BAY looks to have a good chance in the mares handicap hurdle at Fakenham on Tuesday and

PRETTY MOBILE has schooled especially well before she makes her chasing debut at Sedgefield the same day. JUST A FEELING was second on her last start at Ludlow and should have a good each-way chance at Wetherby on Wednesday.

COPPERFACEJACK will have benefitted from his run at Huntingdon where he got a little tired after the second last fence and runs at Uttoxeter on Thursday.
Friday could see TINDARO start off his summer season at Ascot in a 2m. Apprentice Handicap. He is in exceptional form and a dry week would be ideal for him.

NEW AGENDA was second on his debut for us at Wolverhampton a month ago and the winner of that race Vivre Pour Vivre has easily won since. This horse has thrived since and starts his handicap life of 75 at Nottingham on Friday.

GWAFA runs at Haydock on Saturday where he will try to re-right the wrong that ‘befell’ him when he got brought-down at Aintree. He runs off a mark of 140, which I suppose would have been ruined if he’d finished second or third at Aintree!

The week may end with DREYFUS making his debut in a new-comers bumper at Ludlow. We think this is a very promising gelding who is beginning to grow into his nickname of “Little Rupert” and this bumper is the race that his wonderful namesake made his winning debut in, many moons ago!

Let’s hope that all these hopes can get us off to a quick and winning start to this new season.”