Monday 15th April, 2024

We have declared Organdi at Cheltenham on Wednesday in the three-and-a-half-mile handicap chase.  She will be carrying joint top weight therefore Finn Lambert will ride and take off three pounds.  Finn rode her on Boxing Day at Market Rasen and got on well with her.  Hopefully the ground will continue to dry out as she appears in good form at home.

Elfride ran respectably considering she was out of the weights in the three mile handicap hurdle at Chepstow on Saturday.  Jumping well for Harry Atkins, she stayed on at one pace over the last two flights and I am sure she can be competitive once we find a race with conditions more in her favour.

Fighting Poet (pictured) ran well at Southwell on Friday evening.  Travelling well into the straight Kaiya Fraser reported he showed a good turn of foot to move into second place going into the final furlong, only to tire slightly in the last hundred yards to finish fifth beaten just over five lengths by the winner.  Kaiya reported that he had strengthened up and improved since last season and we look forward to him giving the Adlestrop Club some fun in the coming months.

Urban Champion settled better until the straight in the one mile handicap, however Clifford Lee reported that he didn’t feel he went through with his effort and we may consider another career for this attractive chesnut.

Delighted to be a guest of owner Alan Halsall at the Grand National on Saturday.  There was a great atmosphere at the track and thankfully no fallers and all came home safe and sound.  Much has been written about the event but I believe the changes that have been made were necessary for the race to continue.

Although the race is a different test it is still a test for both thoroughbred and human and well done to all the jockeys for riding so professionally.  With so many horses in with a chance turning for home, I for one found it a most exciting contest and I Am Maximus was a very worthy winner ridden and trained by men definitely at the top of their game.

There will be years when things don’t go so smoothly for the event and we must never stop expressing as a sport that the welfare of the horse is the priority.