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Not sure how I get a photo on here so, for the time being, just the bare announcement that, at about 5.30 this morning, we welcomed to the world, Annie Bay filly Dartmouth x Coningbeg (Flemensfirth) Up and suckling in short order but still a nervous few days to come.

Reminds me of one of our early horses about 35 years ago, a fine fellow called Sam Shorrock who was bought out of the Galway Blazers yard. Fairly highly tried in his UK debut at Kempton, we were hopeful of a better show in a beginners at Towcester the next time so were disappointed at his 53l...

And the vast majority of Willie's are bought privately. That's where his team excels.

Perceval Legallois

I'm not sure where Turftrax gets its information or how quickly it updates. However, on the BHA admin site, the figures at 16.00 today were: 5.0 Mildmay Chase 4.7 Mildmay Hurdle 5.0 National

Derek is a friend of Donald McCain and they are often together at the sales. It could be a plan but it could also be just a favour.

While we were concentrating on the stick reading of 4 at the head of the RP entries, most of us, including myself, hadn't noticed that it was the reading from the 27th and hadn't been updated until this latest news. I assume that there will now be a daily update.

In case anyone hadn't noticed, updated going stick readings taken yesterday 16.00 to 17.00: Mildmay Chase 4.9 Mildmay Hurdle 4.5 National 4.5

Worth noting that the Ascot meeting on Sunday, that was the subject of an earlier watering debate, has attracted 34 declarations in 6 races (chase 6.7, hurdle 7.8, watering). It's forecast high teens by the middle of next week so little and often should be the watering mantra for the next few...

Have to say that I prefer the original Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. It lasted until May 1970 so just about qualifies here. There's a really good documentary, 'Peter Green: Man Of The World', that's well worth hunting out.

I have a theory that one's favourite music period covers the years when you're aged 15 to 30, being from when you could properly afford to buy the product to when you have responsibilities that take precedence. Works for me - 1963 to 78 - but a shorter golden period would be 1966 to 1971.

In my view that's an urban myth propagated by trainers to owners. Known as the mushroom method. Keep them in the dark and feed them sh*t.

My stepdaughter did her thesis on the percussive affect on joints and, as previously said, I've had 2 horses do a tendon on going that was described as good.

Having had 2 horses do a tendon on 'good' ground, I beg to differ. The word 'safe' never appears in the going description.

Sorry, I have to take issue with that. Every safety review that I remember has concluded that speed kills which is why they recommend: - limiting field sizes. The bigger the field the faster the herd tries to go. - requiring a certain level of experience in jockeys. Young bloods go for it with...

I thought it an irony that the 2m4f open handicap chase was run 2h40m after the 2m4f novice handicap chase and was won by a novice.

As a bonus point for the counterpoint, we took the mare to Bangor yesterday. The advance going was good, good to soft in places and they had 1mm of rain on Friday night to keep it that way. The important thing was that it was safe with a decent grass cover. Virtue was rewarded...

They created and invested a fair amount of effort and money in the mares programme to improve the breed by having more race-hardened broodmares. With my breeder's hat on I can see that it takes just as much time, effort and money to breed a filly as a colt but the comparative rewards, both in...

With no further news from Closutton, it would seem that Willie's early opinion that GDC wasn't letting himself down properly on the good ground is the main factor. This would also affect his normally efficient jumping. He came up against a good horse who was able to act on the ground and if you...

Just as a counterpoint. We entered our mare for Chepstow today on Monday when the going was given as good to soft. By Friday it had dried to good, good to soft in places which was still just about acceptable so we declared as it was a suitable race and the mare was ready to run. This morning...