Splendid spring weather today at Perth and a good friendly crowd, it’s a lovely place to be able to round the season off having started there in September.  No winners but a brilliant 2nd from Travail d’Orfevre, his 5th of the season to go with a win and a 3rd, he’s such a nice horse to train.  Sanosuke started without blinking and ran well for a long way before the 12st (which I think means they carry 12st 5lb) proved too much on the deep ground for his smallish frame. Bluebell Glen Back to Perth tomorrow with three declared runners starting with Bluebell Glen in the 1.50. She sho ..read more

A fine spring day, dry and bright.  The better weather has come just in time for Perth, traditionally where we wrap up the Jumps Season and this year we hope to have 10 runners across the three days starting with two tomorrow on ground that is still soft but will be drying all the time.  We start with Travail d’Orfevre in the 2.20, he’s had a great season and whilst this is a bit of an afterthought it is a nice race for him and his last chance to race in novice company, he should go well if he handles the track – 6 run and Bruce rides. Travail D’Orfevre We then hope to run the reca ..read more

Drizzly and cold again today after two glorious spring days at Ayr.  It wasn’t Elvis’s day yesterday once again jumping poorly in a big field but he’s home safe and I’ll learn my lesson one day; Ginger ran well to only be beaten 10l in the Scottish Champion hurdle but the highlight of the day was undoubtedly Donny Boy who ran much his best race over fences and showed he was more than capable of competing at a high level when a close 3rd in the Champion Novices’ Chase. Donny Boy leads the mighty Sharjah up the Ayr home straight On Friday Anamanda stepped forward nicely to be 4th, Hombre ..read more

Cold and damp today, spring on hold for the moment. Up Helly Aa King saddle slipping as he powers home to put up a career best at 13yo giving many years to all his opponents A day of triumph and disaster at Kelso on Monday which I found hard to process; the elation of two really special winners in the form of 13yo Up Helly Aa King and 11yo Atlantic Dancer swiftly followed by the brutal loss of the 4yo Kellerman.  Tough for the Team and very tough for his Owners John and Janie Walker. Atlantic Dancer with Lara who also looked after Kellerman Earlier on the card Ozzy Cosmo again took a ..read more

Cooler today, showers, some heavy and blustery.  Not sure how many will have hit Kelso where we have 8 declared runners on ground currently described as soft, most will be OK on it but some would definitely prefer better ground however time is running out as we reach the denouement of the 2023/2024 Jumps Season. Ozzy Cosmo It looks like a very competitive card and we start with Ozzy Cosmo in the Novice Hurdle at 2pm, he would definitely prefer better ground but badly needs to get some confidence boosting experience before his novice status runs out, he will be more than up to carrying h ..read more

Drizzly this afternoon but very mild and there have been a few glimmers of spring this week.  Still wet though and it appears to be that way at Newcastle where the going description is heavy with some standing water, Musselburgh last week appeared to raise (lower?) the bar in terms of what is deemed raceable and it was perfectly OK there so will hopefully be so again tomorrow as this is a nice race for Jirko who lines up in the bumper at 5.05. Jirko (Erin) He’s a great big chasing type who is very much a long term project but he ran nicely on debut at Ayr and should be able to take a st ..read more

A quiet morning weather wise but the wind is picking up dramatically this afternoon as Storm Kathleen arrives, I think that’s the third in a week that has seen 80mm of rain making about 425mm so far in 2024…  Wettest ground I have ever seen at Musselburgh last night and after a frustrating start when Sanosuke was barely given a chance to line up I was delighted to follow up with two particularly special winners – Mack the Man won the £30k Go North Sea Pigeon Final then half an hour later Not in Kansas broke her duck on her 7th career start in the 2m 4f hurdle. Duyfken ran well enough to b ..read more

Quiet weather today, the lull between two storms, forecast awful with snow tonight then heavy rain followed by gales and 17 degrees on Saturday – nuts! It is bound to affect the racing over the weekend but Musselburgh seem confident that their fixture will go ahead tomorrow on soft ground. Anamanda We start with Anamanda in the first race at 4:30, she is in good order but I think would prefer better ground and further – Sean rides and 11 run. Sanosuke Sanosuke is our representative in the Go North 3 mile final at 6:10, he is quirky but ran well at Ayr last time and a return to his winning ..read more

Drizzly this morning, slightly milder but an awful week weather wise for the time of year and down the country, the winter that won’t give up!  Heavy ground at Haydock looks likely tomorrow which shouldn’t bother our two runners, Dubai Days and Cream of the West.  Dubai Days runs in the extremely valuable Unibet Veterans Finale Chase at 3:15, he won nicely last time at Ayr and a repeat of that should seem him involved in what is a competitive race, Bruce rides and 10 run. Dubai Days Cream of the West runs in the staying novice handicap hurdle at 4:25, he won well at Hexham last tim ..read more

A wet 24 hours forecast and hoping not too much lands on Newcastle where we have two runners tomorrow on what I had hoped would be good to soft ground, unlikely I fear.  Bruce rides them both and first up is Bluebell Glen in the 3.05; she’s been hard to get on the track this season and at this stage the priority is just for her to run a nice sort of race to give us something to build on, this track should suit her much better than Carlisle but not sure she wants very soft ground at this trip, 7 run. Bluebell Glen We then run Scalloway Bay in the 5.05, he was staying on nicely at the end ..read more