Monday 28th February, 2022

We have entered Mattie Ross at Huntingdon on Sunday in the two and a half mile mares novices hurdle.  She won a bumper for us last summer and has since had had a wind op and been given time to mature further.  Hopefully her connection’s patience will be repaid this spring.  She has been working and schooling well at home.

Picanha also has a few entries towards the end of this week and we will consider his options and look forward to him running in his first handicap for us.  Undoubtedly he will appreciate steeple chase fences but it will be good to give him more experience over hurdles in the coming months and he remains a horse of great promise.

Pleased to be a part of the video on ITV Racing on Saturday explaining about the changing of obstacles from orange to white.  Having been part of the research conducted by Exeter University, hopefully over time this will be a great initiative for the welfare of all jumps horses throughout Britain.

Congratulations to all winners of Lesters at Friday’s jockey awards.  Special congratulations to the winners of both flat and jump jockeys ‘special recognition’ awards – Joe Fanning and Richard Johnson.  Having worked with both of them over the past three decades, they are a credit to their sport.  Delighted that Sean Quinlan won the ‘ride of the year’ award.  Sean began his riding career in this country with us at Adlestrop and we take enormous pleasure in seeing how well his career has developed.