Nick Hagan

Krizon, did you get to meet up with Frances and Iceman et all? Would love to hear all about it if you did.
 
Yes, I did, Kathy. I did Brighton to Stowmarket in 2.5 hours, including a break for a half a sandwich and a cold drink at a small truck stop. Arrived at 1.00 pm on Thursday, at the house of Frances's new partner, with whom she's very recently moved in. His name is Keith, and he's a very nice, quiet-voiced, intelligent and kind divorcee. He doesn't have any kids to bring into the relationship, so Joanna is getting full attention from two adults, with sister Katie (Catriona) is sharing a very nice, clean flat in Bury St Edmunds with another girl. Keith's house is delightful, Frances is putting her own stamp on it, but it's modern and in a quiet little close.

We went off to see ICEMAN at Cheveley Park for 2.00 p.m., Frances, Joanna, and me. We met our very own jinnyj in situ and were escorted to see ALL the stallions by a knowledgeable and pleasant young man called Matt, who gave us all the Cheveley brochure, and told us lots about the horses. ICEMAN was first out, handled by his Irish groom John, who told us that he has a sweet and lovely temperament, not at all naughty. I've got to say, and jinnyj will bear this out, that he was breathtaking. All of the stallions were burnished, rather than well-groomed, and the depth to the gleam of their coats was incredible. ICEMAN has excellent conformation, a rich bay with four socks and a star 'n' stripe. He took plenty of Polos and allowed me to snog him a bit, too. He is a really beautiful horse - compact, balanced, and strongly built. He's already booked fully to 120 mares per season, so is proving very popular indeed. If BARRANTES does get i/f to him, we should (dare I even think this now?) have a lovely result.

I think we loved all the stallions, but when PIVOTAL came out it was a Star Moment! Talk about knowing how to pose - he stood four-square, adopted a noble profile with a middle-distance 'look of eagles' and then after a while starting nipping and playing with his lead rein like a naughty baby! Clearly he has a huge personality to go with the gravitas of earning Cheveley a cool £10.2 million every season!

So, we enjoyed having all the CP stallions pulled out for us and one has to say that the place itself is exquisite. Buildings full of character, everywhere neat and tidy but without looking manic-obsessive about it, the horses shining and every one of them looking relaxed and happy. And, talking of relaxed and happy horses....

... we were delighted to follow on jinnyj in her trusty Saab and arrive at her stables, where she very, very patiently and kindly pulled out all of hers for us to view. KAHLUA BEAR loved his Polos, though I told him he didn't really have to do rollovers for them, ROCHESIS looks in beautiful form, TAJJREE was her usual beautiful self - in fact, all of Kirsty's horses are looking very happy indeed. We enjoyed a cuppa in her stables office, along with Brian, watching Aintree. Kirsty showed us the super gallops which are just yards from the stables, the walker, which is a big favourite with the horses and walks them either way to avoid one-sidedness. We really enjoyed the visit and a big thanks again to her for that.

Next morning, after a delicious dinner in Bury St E, which Keith very generously hosted (unknown to me, he slid out quietly to pay the bill while I was asking for it for me!), I said goodbye to Frances and Jo and zipped up the road to Hilborough, to see BARRANTES. No-one was 'in', as it was around lunchtime, so I roamed around looking over Blueblood Stud's stables and fields. Once again, as I noted throughout the extensive drive Frances too me on after our visits the day before, every horsey establishment looks neat and tidy! There were fields with three mares and three foals, one smaller paddock with a single mare and foal, who chased each other around a lot, and several mares with foals lying spark out in their stables, snoring in the heat of a really sunny day. I noticed a preponderance of chestnuts with white socks!

Eventually, a small grizzled man called Val, an ex-NH jockey himself, arrived, and took me to see BARRANTES who was out with a few other mares (pregnant or trying) in a big field. She looked great and enjoyed an apple I'd brought for her. A big, brown mare called PRAYERS FOR RAIN gently nuzzled in and hoovered up the Polos that BARRANTES doesn't like, then another mare... and then there was a little squeal and ruckus as yet another mare tried to muscle in and attempted to double-barrel BARRANTES, who attempted to reply in kind! Tiny Val was a-swinging on the end of B's headcollar, and I instinctively just wrapped myself round him, whereupon he disappeared! After that, and a few days in hospital, he should be all right... I told him he was probably in more danger of being crushed to death by me trying to stop him getting kicked, than actually being blatted by the horse. We had a very nice long natter, I met Gabby the assistant, but still missed the manager, who'd taken a mare off for scanning and hadn't returned by the time I headed off home at just after 2.00 p.m. Got to Brighton by 5.00 p.m., having had a little break again, so all in all, very easy drive times and a great couple of days.

Norfolk/Suffolks - what I saw was entrancing. I really want to go for a good long visit now. The only disturbing thing was seeing hundreds of dead pheasants and partridges, rabbits, and other assorted squashed wildlife peppering the roadsides. They have some pretty dimwitted critters in them thar parts! But the roads were excellent - very well maintained (i.e. not a bit like East Sussex's or even those around Lingfield), excellent signage, etc. The whole area just looked fresh and clean.
 
Slightly separately, I should add for all of those once connected with or interested in her, that ONE ALONE is going next week over to France to mate with BACHIR. Jean-Rene and Alison Auvray have filled up their stables and this year looks as if it may well be a good one for them. They'll be bringing back a couple of French-breds on the return journey, and Alison was pleased to know that there was still interest in ONE ALONE's welfare. She's completely mended from her last tendon trouble and they're looking forward to continuing to breed from her.
 
Next time, Colin, I'll visit the tiny wee Racing Museum, which is just squirrelled away off the high street. Frances was terrific in whizzing me past all kinds of studs, and then up to Newmarket r/c, where she worked for a few months last year, to show me the Rowley Mile and then the completely separate July course. The two separate courses even have separate stabling. It's an absolutely enormous racecourse! Never having seen it before, I'd no idea how extensive it is. They've got big upright banners out either side of the drive in, with the names of past major race winners on them, which make an elegant arrival point. There are gallops all over the place and I believe that the sheikhs collectively own some 4,000 acres in the area!

Shadwell looked very smart and modern from the road, quite different to Cheveley, which has lovely old red-brick buildings. But, as I said, everywhere looked absolutely immaculate.
 
Newmarket racecourse on a sunny day is a lovely place to be, so here's hoping the weather holds up for the first weekend in May :D
 
I don't have immediate plans to do so, Colin, but hey, who knows when cometh the hour? I reckon the Bible got it about right, so 8 to go and then plop! off the old perch. norty
 
Pleased to hear the horses are in good form especially as we have just extended the lease with Taj.
 
TAJ is very pretty and she posed delightfully for us, too. Frances Hagan said, "now that's what I call a PROPER yard!" - the studs are probably finger-searched daily for any pebble or blade of grass out of place, but Kirsty's is a real yard - it's certainly more like what I was used to (on a good day!), but with such happy horses. If they could've smiled, they would have!
 
Tedster is such a sweetie-pie - in fact, it's really hard not to love them all! It was really kind of Kirsty to make so much time for us, but the thing is, you never know whether Frances or someone she knows might like to get back to or start owning one day, and a warm welcome always makes a good impression. Frances is pretty knowledgeable about her courses and horses, so I hope that perhaps she might get back into the swing.
 
Isn't he just!

Btw, I should really point out that he's also Arkers' boy too, don't want him to feel left out!!

(happy now?! :D )
 
Originally posted by krizon@Apr 15 2007, 08:07 PM
"now that's what I call a PROPER yard!" - the studs are probably finger-searched daily for any pebble or blade of grass out of place, but Kirsty's is a real yard - it's certainly more like what I was used to (on a good day!), but with such happy horses. If they could've smiled, they would have!
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What you really mean is that its a tad messy at times! norty I have just spent half an hour weeding though and Brian is primed with the strimmer! The grass in front of their stables is growing too fast for them to eat it despite evening "picking sessions".

I must say though it is nice to have people drop in to see the horses - I am more than happy for anyone who is up in Newmarket for any reason - racing, sales etc to pop in to say hello. No strings attached - I don't try to sell everyone a horse! :D You may even get a quick cuppa and a chocolate biscuit if I'm feeling flush!

THe horses all enjoy it too especially when the visitors bring treats - there was a fair bit of door banging going on in some boxes - me! me! me! But they are all a happy bunch - no biters or miserable faces round here.
 
But that's a proper yard, Kirsty - it wasn't messy at all, in fact, but I was beginning to worry that everywhere around Newmarket would have lawns strimmed to a precise edge, and that the actual SMELL of horses was going to be missing! I've just realised that about Cheveley - it was SO spic and span, I didn't smell horsiness!

You were very kind to haul them all out for us, I really didn't expect that at all. Now, if I'd actually followed through with real bets on Butler's Cabin, Silver Birch and Philson Run, we'd be looking at another inmate today... ! God, do I annoy myself!
 
Aunty - what are tissies? I'm blonde and stoopid, remember!!! :shy:

In the very near future he'll have me taking him for a spin up the gallops again too! (if the trainer will let me that is......!!!)
 
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