Friday 1st December, 2023

Ned Cash (pictured) ran a very pleasing race in the bumper at Southwell on Tuesday.  Travelling strongly under Adam Wedge, he came to challenge in the straight only to find the ground too soft for him to quicken in.

He finished seven lengths behind the well-backed winner and he will now go hurdling.  On better ground, I am sure we will see an improved performance and he looks like giving his owner Althea Barclay plenty of entertainment this winter.

We have several entries next week including Urban Champion, Organdi and Mattie Ross.  Urban Champion is being stepped up to a mile and a half as we cannot find a suitable race over a mile and a quarter, however hopefully if he settles the trip could suit.

We are keen to give Organdi another run should we find some suitable ground and although Ludlow can be better than most tracks at this time of year, it would have to dry out a bit for us to consider the race on Wednesday.

Mattie Ross has been off for a while having suffered a fracture last year, however she has shown plenty of talent in the past and is entered in novice hurdles at Leicester and Wincanton on Thursday.  We had a good schooling session on Wednesday before the frost arrived so hopefully she is all schooled up and ready to go along with a few other novices in the next couple of weeks, including Lizzie Rey and Shibuya Song.

Delighted to support the Racing Welfare Quiz at the Hollow Bottom on Tuesday evening.  Adlestrop Stables entered two teams and thanks to some rather modern music questions we both  finished joint fourth.  It was great to see it so well attended and well done to Racing Welfare for giving the local racing staff such an entertaining evening.

It is always a pleasure to attend the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Charitable lunch at the Dorchester thanks to sponsors SIS.  Congratulations to Nicky Henderson on winning the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Award, who follows many other greats of the racing world to receive the prize.  Sir Peter would be rightly proud of five hundred guests raising money for great causes in the interest of human and equine welfare.