Milder today, showery, and Ayr have certainly had some rain as the ground for their opening jumps fixture is soft with good to soft places – much wetter than usual for this fixture.  This will suit some of our runners better than others but being fresh ground it shouldn’t be too testing and we have 8 declared.

L’Arme du Bonheur

First up is stable and hurdling debut L’Arme du Bonheur in the 12.48; he ran a lovely race in his only start in a bumper prior to coming to Kinneston and has been a delight to train, I’d like to think he will run a nice race tomorrow, there are plenty of decent prospects in the race and being first time over hurdles the main priority will be a good round of jumping and that he enjoys the experience – 14 run and Bruce rides.

Everyday Champagne

The 13.23 ticks every box for Everyday Champagne though we do think he prefers better ground, he will take his chance and at this level might just prove he is more versatile than we give him credit for – 12 run and Bruce rides.

Elvis Mail

I can’t really believe we are running two of our best horses against each other in the 13.58 but it feels the right thing to do for both horses meaing the brothers Elvis Mail and Ginger Mail will go head to head.  Elvis was a late non runner at Kelso last week which was frustrating and with no options over fences for the next few weeks we thought it worth a spin over hurdles.  He is 10lb lower in this sphere and Dom is going to take another 10lb off meaning he carries 20lb less than he would have last week; he is very much a chaser these days and at the age of 11yo it feels unlikely that he could win over hurdles against much younger opposition but you never know.  One thing is for sure – if it isn’t happening Dom will look after him.

This race has always been the plan for Ginger Mail as I am intrigued to find out whether he stays 3 miles, if he does then he will have a good chance as he seems in very good order and loves Ayr – 7 run and Bruce rides.

Ginger Mail

Track, ground and trip should all suit Travail d’Orfevre well in the 14.29 and whilst there is plenty of competition he shouldn’t be far away if he is fit enough.  He is a bit stuffy at home so hard to tell but he has won first time out before; big question is whether he has his mojo back as he ran two poor races late last season having been bottomed out when 3rd in the Borders National. I just want to see his old spark back – 12 run and Bruce rides.

Travail d’Orfevre

Ozzy Cosmo returns to the course and distance of his only career win in the 15.04 as we attempt to get his career back on track after a few falls and disappointments.  He is certainly well handicapped on the basis of his win but I suspect there will be some sharper two mile handicappers in this race, again I’d just like to see him run well – 12 run and Bruce rides.

Ozzy Cosmo

In the 15.40 My Kiwi Girl makes her chasing debut; she won well here on her last start over hurdles, looks fairly treated handicap-wise and schools well.  She has had a lot to deal with this summer and the priority tomorrow will be a clear round, she is a lovely chaser in the making but may need further.

My Kiwi Girl

Last but not least Half Track reverts to hurdles in the 16.15, he also drops in class and looks nicely treated back over the smaller obstacles.  This will be further aided by Dom’s 10lb claim so he ought to have a good chance, especially if the ground doesn’t ease any further – 9 run.

Half Track

On to Carlisle on Sunday for an excellent card of highly competitive quality racing and we have two runners declared on ground that I expect to be good to soft.  First up is Suspected in the 13.02; a Uttoxeter bumper winner on his only start and now making his stable and hurdling debut.  He has plenty of ability and has been very straightforward to train after a couple of initial hiccups.  We are possibly being a little ambitious in starting off in a decent Class 3 Novice and I suspect (sic) that he will be a little short of race experience relative to the competition, he seems well and schools well and deserves his place in the line up – 12 run and Bruce rides.

Suspected

Our star novice chaser from last season Hombre de Guerra takes on some of last season’s best novices in Colin Parker Intermediate Chase at 14.37; he’s wrong at the weights but it worked well starting him off in a conditions race last season and he ought to run a nice race – 5 run and Sean rides.

Hombre De Guerra

Down at Wetherby today Shooting clearly wasn’t sharp enough, in trying to freshen him up I fear I left him short of work but he learnt plenty as did we so hopefully he can progress from here.  Erin had a great spin on Beat the Retreat in the Charity Race, as expected he needs further than a mile!

Light frost this morning, bright and quiet and a useful schooling morning.  Plenty of horses ready to run now and we are planning a busy weekend, that will kick off at 4.45am tomorrow when Becca and Jess will head off to Wetherby, where we start with Beat the Retreat running in the Charity Race at 11.50 with Erin Donnelly on board over a mile on ground that will be on the easy side of good.  This has been an ambition of Erin’s for some time and whilst I am sure horse and jockey will be as fit as any, looking at the pedigrees the other (flat bred) horses might be a bit faster – shame it isn’t a 2m race!  Hopefully they will have a good spin – 8 run.

Beat the Retreat

We then run Shooting in the 2.20, the Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle, a valuable Listed race that we have had in mind for him since he came over from France in July.  Having won on the flat as a 2yo he ran four times over hurdles in the spring winning once and finishing 3rd twice, latterly in good company.  We are certainly throwing him in at the deep end tomorrow though at face value his French form certainly justifies his place in the race.  Haven’t been sure what to make of him at all in training, his work is hard to read as sometimes he can appear somewhat disinterested.  It may be that he is taking time to acclimatise or this may just be what he is like.  We should learn a lot tomorrow – Bruce rides and 8 run.

Shooting – the Racing Post database suggests he rain in Switzerland in July, very odd, this was taken here on 8th July!

On to Ayr on Saturday with eight declared runners at their opening jumps meeting of the season and then hopefully two or three for Carlisle on Sunday – more later.

Cold again today, north wind, brighter now after a soggy morning.  A tough and perhaps fortuitous win from Ballyfort at Kelso yesterday, battling back after being headed on the run in – delighted as he isn’t straightforward, hopefully more to come.  My Lady Elektra made a very satisfactory start to her chasing career, finishing 4th only beaten two and a half lengths by the winner despite nearly coming to grief at the 2nd last having jumped “the shadow” as well as the fence.  Lester Mail had a tough intro to hurdling in a large field, plenty of pace on and being unsighted by the sun at the second hurdle, Anamanda was a little disappointing, not really relishing the long battle up the hill.

Ballyfort (right) on his way to a very special win.

An excrutiating decision to withdraw Elvis Mail after walking the course, he had a nasty injury at Doncaster and I swore I wouldn’t chance him on ground that wasn’t at least good to soft so when finding the gorund to be good I had to quell my competitive instincts and stick by my word.  Painful to say the least as this race had been the plan since February if we could have him ready in time, I spent much of the last few months thinking we would need a bit more time but everything went so perfectly for him that I was sure he was ready – 565kg to 503kg in 4 months for the poor chap.  Anyway, it wasn’t to be so we regroup and try to find the right race, not much around for a horse at his level so maybe the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle or the Veterans Chase at Haydock in the first week of December.  Fingers crossed we can keep him in the same fettle.

Another time Elvis

Kelso yesterday had the most wonderful atmosphere, a huge and passionate crowd sharing a genuine interest in the racing and in full voice for the close finishes.  A cold day but heart warming in so many ways, an excellent antidote to the woes of the world and a manifestation of the joys that racing brings to communities – be careful Rachel!  One entry at Wetherby on Friday then hopefully busy days at Ayr and Carlisle next weekend, lots of horses raring to go and I think the same can be said for the trainer!

Serious business…