Declarations and entries w/c 14th July 2008

Gross Prophet runs today at Wolverhampton in the 8.50 Handicap Stakes. Richard Kingscote rides.

Wednesday Prince Desire runs at Kempton in the London Mile Handicap Stakes at 7.50.

Thursday Gross Prophet is entered at Leicester in the 5.30 Apprentice Handicap Stakes.

Friday Rowan River is entered at Newbury in the 2.35 Fillies' Handicap Stakes and Blakfrankisch is also entered on Friday at Newbury in the 4.10 Apprentice Handicap Stakes.

Saturday Shiva Adiva runs at Newbury in the 3.25 Weatherbys Super Sprint and lastly on Sunday Naughty Thoughts in entered at Redcar in the 5.20 Apprentice Handicap Stakes.

Declarations and entries w/c 7 July 2008

We have three runners at Wolverhampton tomorrow. Old Father Zieten, now a gelding, runs in the 2.15 pm a maiden auction, Willridge runs at 3.15 pm in the median auction maiden and Blitzen runs in the handicap at 4.45pm. Ross Atkinson rides all three as Richard Kingscote suffers the third day of his suspension incurred when Firth of Fifth won at Lingfield.

On Wednesday Handful of Magic runs in the fillies median auction at Kempton at 6.50 pm.

On Thursday Old Father Zieten is entered at Warwick at 1.50 pm but is unlikely to be declared. Parisian Gift is entered in the handicap at 4.40 pm. Classic Blade is entered in a Group 2 at Newmarket, the July Stakes at 4.40 pm, Rowan River in a fillies handicap at Folkestone at 5.05 pm and Campbeltown Trader in a maiden auction at Nottingham at 6.20 pm

On Friday Firth of Fifth is entered in the Group 2 Weatherbys Superlative Stakes at Newmarket at 2.00 pm and also in the nursery at 4.20 pm on the same card.

On Saturday The Legal Blonde is entered at Nottingham in a maiden fillies stakes at 2.00 pm and on Sunday Doctor Robert is entered in a juvenile novice's hurdle at Stratford at 2.00 pm

Runners, declarations and entries w/c 30 March 2008

Desert Dreamer was our ninth winner of the year at Lingfield on Friday.

Tomorrow, Sunday, Hope Road runs in the maiden juvenile hurdle at Kempton at 2.00 pm. There are only eight runners and Timmy Murphy rides.

On Tuesday 1 April Naughty Thoughts is entered in a mile and a half race at Folkestone.

On Wednesday Rowan River is entered at Nottingham at 4.10 pm. and Desert Dreamer is entered in another claimer at Kempton Park at 6.50 pm.

Classic Blade is entered on Thursday at Leicester at 2.10pm. Hopefully he will be our first 2yo runner of the season.

There is a God

Having always suffered from vertigo (including feeling funny when standing on a chair to change a light bulb)I became hugely nervous as Friday afternoon approached. As I said to Rodney Masters on Good Friday afternoon, I was overwhelmed by relief when the organiser apologised to me that (bungee) jumping was cancelled due to high winds. I am sure nobody will ask for their sponsorship monies to be returned, will they?

Thank you to everyone who pledged their support.

The Lambourn Open Day was very successful for us, despite the weather, and we had a steady stream of visitors all morning. It was amazing how relaxed the horses were despite the attention they were receiving.

In the All-Weather Trainers Championship which ran from the end of the turf season in November 2007 to 20 March 2008 I had 10 winners from 34 runners a strike rate of 29%. This strike rate was bettered by only one other trainer, in the top 50, E.J O'Neill whose rate was 31%, with 11 winners out of 35 runners.

With the Open Day out of the way it is now down to the serious business of tackling my third turf season. It was disappointing that Old Father Zieten didn't make the Brocklesby at Doncaster today but there will be other races for him. I have my first turf runner on Monday at Yarmouth, Rowan River.

On Wednesday Savile's Delight is entered yet again at Southwell in a 5 furlong claimer having just failed to prevail on Thursday. On Friday Desert Dreamer is entered in a 7 furlong claimer at Lingfield.

Lambourn Open Day

It is the Lambourn Open Day tomorrow, Good Friday, and we are expecting quite a number of people to be visiting the yard. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible. The admission price is £12 and this entitles people to visit as many of the yards in Lambourn as they wish as well as entrance to the field for the events in the afternoon.

Tom is captain of the trainers tug of war team and has also volunteered to do a bungee jump. He needs your support because the whole event is in aid of Lambourn Valley Housing Trust and the Air Ambulance Service and he has to have sponsorship for his moment of madness. All contributions, whatever the amounts, will be gratefully received

The Open Day is being sponsored by Betfair and with their help the majority of the operating costs will be covered so that more of the monies raised will go to the charities.

It looks as though Old Father Zieten has no hope of getting a run in the Brocklesby on Saturday at Doncaster. He needs 16 of the horses entered to come out if he is to make the cut.

On Easter Monday Rowan River is engaged at Yarmouth in a mile fillies handicap at 3.25 pm.