Still a bit soft...

We are all still suffering from the soft ground at the racecourses. The two year olds that are working well are not running as expected on the soft ground. It is always the opinion that the ground should be soft, good or firm. Good is used by clerks of the course to coax runners into races, as at Newmarket on guineas day. We have had few runners with chances and I feel that you need four chance runners to get one winner. Circumvent ran a fine race at Lingfield on Saturday, the field were outclassed by the winner Retrieve and has a possible engagement at Royal Ascot in the Wolferton Stakes, a Listed handicap over 1m2f. Kalicamix is working well and runs in the Statford Place Stud Maiden at York on Thursday. Stormbound is improving with every run but needs good ground, he has two entries over the weekend. Winner will follow on better ground.

Soft, heavy or abandoned..

The weather is making life difficult for everybody and it is difficult to predict wether horses will show their true form on the various degrees of soft ground. The O'Brien team are doing extrodinary things on the racecourses but one way of another they still seem to come out in front. Circumvent got bogged down at Newmarket, luckily they have put Lingfield on Saturday to the all weather track which means I can enter him in the conditions race, he is in good nick. We are not running any two year olds this week because of the soft ground. Faluka who is quite speedy may run on Monday at Windsor. Daring Damsel runs tonight at Kempton, she won well from the front last time but has a poor draw today so we may not be able to do the same. She seems to lose interest in behind but she is fit and well. Gifted Girl, Silverheels and Stormbound all ran with potential last week. Gifted Girl goes to Newbury on 18th May and Silverheels goes to Newmarket on the 19th May. Ziefhd ran well at Lingfield, she goes to Newbury on 19th May in the 7f fillies race. Swingland scoped badly after her run at Pontefract, that was not her running, she can do better. Flashbang and Pearls From Sydney both have chances at Yarmouth tomorrow if the meeting is on. Not sure what will happen to French Racing with a true lefty in charge, have to wait and see.

Good runners today!

A lot of well laid plans have gone out of the window because of the bad weather. Historically the Whatcombe horses fare better on faster ground. Circumvent and Silverheels are both working well and would not like it too soft for Saturday. Gifted Girl is working well and will run well at Kempton today. The two year olds are working well but need better ground. We have a nice Oasis Dream colt arriving from the breeze up sale this week. I hope the weather improves for the weekend otherwise the Newmarket meeting will be full of strange results. Zing Wing runs at brighton tomorrow and should be thereabouts, she was badly interferred with at Kempton last time. Flashbang has had two bads draws from her last two starts but has been better drawn tomorrow at Lingfield in stall 2, she should go well.

More rain...

Ground conditions are seriously affecting the way the horses are running. Newbury was a bit of a disaster unless your horse wanted testing ground. We ran a very nice two year old in Carlton Blue, although only beaten 5 lenths he ran well below his gallop work. Hunt A Mistress ran well enough but could not handle the ground. Daring Damsel came good at last, being out of an Alleged mare she should stay further. She is beautifully bred and will probably go back and run at Kempton

Zing Wing runs at Kempton on Wednesday and should go well. Silverheels in on schedule to run in a Conditions race at Doncaster.

The two year olds are shaping up well, they could be our source of winners this year. We have some shares for sale in two year olds that are on the verge of running and are going well. I think it will be three weeks before the string really get going.

Here comes the rain

Everything we have ran so far has run up to expectations, the horses are a little behind this year by choice. We have our first two year old runner on Friday at Newbury, Carlton Blue is probably not fully wound up and he is bred to get further but he is expected to run really well.

Daring Damsel runs tomorrow at Kempton, although she looks well, we do not expect her to win. Our nice fillies, Gifted Girl & Swingland are on course for their intended starts. Gifted Girl at Ascot on May 2nd and Swingland at Pontefract on May 2nd. Circumvent is in good form and goes for the big handicap at Newmarket on 5th May. Moynahan who ran extremely well yesterday at Windsor, only beaten 2l, goes to Doncaster Sales on Tuesday.

The horses continue in good form and we expect to have some winners in the near future.

The rain is most welcome not only for racehorse trainers but ducks as well, trainers like to see the damp weather at this time of year to knock the pollen out of the trees and fields and to keep the dust down so it's not breathed into the horses lungs creating mucas problems.

I thought it was a fantastic Grand National this year, a great spectical which racing should be proud of and look at the positive side of things and not the negative. It seems everything that can be done to make the race safe has been done. You get accidents in all sports, I think people would be shocked if anybody published the deaths and accidents on the ski slopes.

Flashbang a good bet!

It is nice to see the recent rain, it has helped the grass grow and dampen the dust down but not improved the ground so most work is continuing on the All Weather gallops.

Silverheels who was a Listed and Group performer for us last year is a possible for the Free Handicap at Newmarket. Although he has done very well during the winter, it is not easy to get ready on the All Weather gallop.

Gifted Girl and Swingland both showed promise last year and are in good form, we are short of races for them at the moment.

The runners we have coming up this week should all be in the frame without having strong win chances. Possibly the best chance is Flashbang at Kempton tomorrow although her draw is not ideal.

Gripe - Queen's Prize - It is my understanding that handicaps should be competitive and that the handicapper tries to get a close finish as possible. The Queen's Prize at Kempton on Saturday is normally a competitive race but was fought out by two Maktoom horses, both obviously thrown in, with the rest of the runners no-where. If this is the best the handicapper can do, maybe he should become a starter.

Just getting going..

It is another quiet week at Whatcombe with regards to runners, we should be in full swing by mid April. All the horses are fit and working well. The ground remains very firm which makes grass work difficult.

Pearls from Sydney runs at Southwell tomorrow, as yet she has not shown a lot.
Hunt A Mistress is fit and well, she ran a promising race at Newbury last year and is ready to do herself justice. She is entered on Thursday at Folkstone, a decent draw would help and it would be nice if the race split, she should run well.

The World Cup was enjoyable to watch but I think one day a year would suffice. The Dubai World Cup lacked depth and I think that the Dubai Sheema Classic was the quality race of the meeting which was beautifully ridden by Olivier Peslier. All credit must go to Roger Charlton for producing Cityscape to win such a massive prize. With regard to the staying race, the fatalities amongst the older horses who have run many times before would put me off running in that race.