We have had a very quiet month in the month of August. The horses are very well in themselves and we are just about to turn it up a bit.

Gifted Girl may head to the Dubai Duty Free Arc Trial or she has been invited to the Flower bowl Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park in New York. Gifted Girl is in very good form and is fresh and well, There was some more good form for her through Lady's First at Sandown on Saturday, there has got to be a big one in her.

Jim Crowley came to ride Berkshire on Saturday and felt he was in good form and had come on from his race, the horse has grown an inch and we are very happy with him physically and mentally, he is ready to run and is fit and well. The Champagne Stakes is his target a week Saturday.

Double Points heads for Craon in France and runs in the Listed Criterium De L'Ouest over the extended mile. Double Points came fourth in a listed in Deauville on the 20th August, he was very unlucky not to have been there or there abouts after nearly been knocked over at the bend and loosing momentum and then finishing like a train. We really like him and he should have a good chance in Craon he is growing and strengthening all the time. He also thrives on racing

Complicit heads either to the Sirenia Stakes or the Mill Reef Stakes. Complicit is a very nice horse, he's come on from his race leaps and bounds and runs in the colours of T A Rahman. We expect him to run well for our new owner who we are delighted to have in the yard. He is a half sister to Jersey Stakes winner Rainfall and seems to be talented himself.

We still have some nice two year olds too come out either at the end of this month or even next month. Ones too look out for are Fort Berkley by Fastnet Rock who is a half brother to Ebor winner Tiger Cliff. Also Treasure Key who is by Bahamian Bounty and is shaping up really nicely.

It’s been a quiet couple of weeks at Whatcombe and we have only had a handful of runners.

Gifted Girl ran a massive race at Arlington in coming second behind Dank who in the end won nicely. The race did not really suit her way of running as it was a furious pace from the beginning, she broke and took a bit of time to get into stride aided by Tom who knows her very well. As Dank had left her up the straight by the time she got into top gear the race was over, she was a fast finisher.  She really enjoyed her trip and could be heading back to the States in September.

It was nice to see Strawberry Jam winning at Kempton under an enterprising ride by Nathan Alison he should get further in time as he stayed on strongly.

We do not have many runners over the next week and Dutch Art Dealer heads to Windsor he is in good form and we expect him to run well. Sovereign Power runs at Brighton and he is in good form.

It's been a good couple of weeks for Whatcombe:

Starting of with a treble at Ripon, it was great to get another winner for the Sultan in Kuantan one who put up a very gutsy performance to win having taken the lead at the bottom bend. Complicit also did it the hard way in the maiden having broke a bit late and coming through to win given an emphatic ride by Graham Lee, he is a nice horse in the making and will run at Windsor under new ownership a week on Monday in a novice race at Windsor. One of the yards favourites Silverheel's can sometimes be hard to place but everything suited him a smallish field and daylight where he went onto prevail. Thatchit who is a half sister to Radiohead also ran a blinder to come second at Windsor we hope there is a maiden in her, she is very well at home. Dutch Art dealer looked like he got beat by a very good horse to come third at Ascot but we think there is a lot more to come from him as we have always liked him and he is one to keep an eye out for in the future. 

Goodwood:

Silverheels after his win at Ripon did not bounce back as we thought he may do but the feeling was he did not like the ground and the field was probably was too big. Grecian ran ok but we feel he did not quicken down the hill, it looked like the inexperience beat him, as he was one of the last of the bridle he is a very nice horse for the future he should have won at Ascot but did not have luck in running. The ground did not help Meritocracy by the mass of rain that hit the track the night before he is a firm ground specialist.

Bluegrass Blues is such a nice horse to train he is tough and genuine. He has won three races this year and probably was unlucky in a couple. The pace really suited him and he galloped right to the line. He may go over a mile next time.


Berkshire did his first gallop on the grass since the Chesham and his regular work jockey could not be happier with him the Champagne is still the target.

                                 Berkshire enjoying his wash after his gallop.

Gifted Girl worked very well on Saturday and will be heading to the Beverly D it looks a hot race but the prize money is big and she is in great form, she heads out there next Saturday.

                               Gifted Girl enjoying some grass after her work.

Walking back from the gallops after exercise

Newbury to France

Silverheels could run at Deauville on the 27th, along with others including Blue Grass Blues and possibly Double point, during August. The horses are fit and well, and enjoying the sunshine, Whatcombe looks beautiful in the sunshine. Meritocracy runs at Newbury this weekend in the Super Sprint, the horses is in good form and we are hoping for an exciting race.
August we are looking forward to a busy time in France with some decent prize money, it can be a profitable venture.

Gifted Girl continues to improve...

Gifted Girl ran very well against the odds at Epsom on Friday. She is a big horse and has a tendency to hang so Epsom would not suit. Tom Queally rode her well and we were trying to win and keep her balanced at the same time. She may go for The Beverly D at Arlington Park in August, a Group One Fillies race which we have won before.

Bluegrass Blues will run at Pontefract on Friday, he seems in good nick

Kalicamix missed his target in Deauville owing to a pricked foot, he would have had a good chance.

Kuantan One had ran two bad races before his win at Goodwood for no apparent reason apart from the fact that he has won twice on right handed tracks.

St Paul De Vence did not act at Epsom, he can do better.

Strawberry Jam is working well and will run at Ponterfract on Friday.

Berkshire is on track for the Chesham at Royal Ascot.

Double Point ran well at Goodwood last week and goes for an Auction race at Salisbury on the 11th June.

The gallops are good, as is the weather, the horses are well and are running well, let the winners flow.

Shaping up

Not much going on at the moment, horses are all well Circumvent is back and is in full Work. Silverheels runs on Thursday he is working well enough to get in the frame. St Paul de Vence is runs on derby day and he is getting much fitter.

We brought five horses at the Breeze up one is still for sale. They are nice bunch of fillies and a boost for the yard.

We will be running some the two years olds next month, and they are shaping up well and i am looking forward to it.

I went to Newbury races for two days last week and had a snack lunch. Services was very slow and the food was awful. It has got worse rather than better. Fancy having to pay to get in, hot soup and a fried chicken leg are not much to ask for.

Gifted Girl storms home at Ascot

The bad weather continues to interfere with the horses' training, they have their summer coats and the sharp north winds do them no favours.


We were delighted with Gifted Girls win at Ascot on Saturday. She has done plenty of work but not much fast work. Her target being the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot in June but she will also be entered into the Windsor Forest Stakes, a Group 2 for fillies.

The three runners at Windsor today are more hopeful than expecting. Cafetiere got unbalanced at Newmarket and ran poorly, Kuntan One is lazy and may need some blinkers on to show his best and Strategic Strike should go well but it is a competitive race.

Berkshire runs at Newbury on Friday, he is a nice horse and worth following.

We have two runners entered to run in France on Friday. Meritocracy should win and Keep the Dream will run well and has a good chance Christophe Soumillon rides both and he has a good record for us.