THURSDAY 31ST JANUARY
Today was the last day of trotting before the horses step up a gear in their work, resuming cantering up Warren Hill poly track tomorrow morning. It was a terribly wet and windy morning and with nothing to stop the wind blowing across the heath it was surprising that nobody was blown from their horse! Thankfully we all got through the morning in one piece and everyone is very much looking forward to the commencement of the flat season in March. The string looks really well at this time and everybody has high hopes for their charges. Some of the older horses look fantastic and have done really well for their break, especially OAT CUISINE who came back from Jo Winter's yard looking tremendous. SUMMER'S LEASE and DANCING ABBIE are both nice big strong fillies who should do well this year and of the colts, the unraced pair of PROFUMO AFFAIR and RAMPRAKASH look like horses that should come into their own this season. Of the older brigade, it is great to see MONTRACHET stay in training and she came back from her owner's stud in great order. DIRECT DEBIT has also come back to us in good shape and should hopefully be winning again this year.
METAPHORIC was sent away to Yogi Breisner's yard to do some intensive schooling, after his slightly disappointing effort at Ascot. Tom O'Brien reported that day, that the horse would have a good future over hurdles, but that he needs to learn to jump better and get some confidence. The word from Mr Breisner's yard is that METAPHORIC has been doing very well and the horse is due to return to us shortly. Yogi Breisner is a well-known name in the jumping circles, as he is something of a guru when it comes to getting horse over obstacles. He often works with some of the best equine names in the sport, helping them to improve their technique. Hopefully we will notice the difference in METAPHORIC'S performance next time and he can go on to fulfil his full potential.
Or other National Hunt runner, RAWDON is in fine form and ran a good enough race at Folkestone last Monday, on Heavy going. He now has a handicap mark and will hopefully be seen to better effect on decent ground. There is a race for him at Warwick next Saturday, so let's hope that the weather doesn't do anything drastic in the meantime.
We are set to have a couple of runners on the all weather next week and today we made an entry for RED LINNET at Lingfield next Wednesday. She is a nice big filly, who has never run, but she has been pleasing us at home lately. Hayley Turner came into ride her yesterday morning, in a spin up the Cambridge Road along with TOP DRAW and AMBER MOON. The race on Wednesday looks like a fairly warm affair for the time of year, so we won't be expecting miracles from the filly, but it will be good to get her on the track and get some experience into her. TOP DRAW is not too far off a run either and should be out sometime at the end of next week also. SPICE ROUTE'S workload is gathering momentum as he builds up to a crack at the Winter Derby and he will probably run in one of the trials before hand. The horse was gelded over the winter and has come back from his holiday in fine fettle. SPICE ROUTE had a good year on the track last year, winning twice before running well in good company. Hopefully there is still a bit more to come from the horse and his owners should have lots of fun with him on the track this year.
It will be good to get the two year olds cantering again and see how they have come on for their month's break. They grow and change very quickly at this time of year and hopefully we will do reports on some of them soon, along with some pictures of them striding up Warren Hill.
THURSDAY 17TH JANUARY
We are looking forward to having a couple of runners over the sticks in the next few days, with METAPHORIC due to run at Ascot on Saturday and RAWDON engaged at Folkestone on Monday and Huntingdon on Wednesday. METAPHORIC made a great start to his hurdling career, when getting narrowly touched off on his debut at Huntingdon back in November. The horse has been pleasing us at home since then and has schooled nicely as well. Tom O’Brien has been booked to ride again and we would be hopeful that this time the horse could go one better. If all goes well on Saturday the long term plans for METAPHORIC include a possible crack at the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, which would be a really exciting day for the yard. Should the meeting at Ascot be abandoned this weekend METAPHORIC has the option of joining RAWDON in the same race at Huntingdon on Wednesday.
RAWDON had been entered at Lingfield on Monday, but the meeting was switched to Folkestone after the Surrey venue received much of heavy rain that has been sweeping the country. At this stage there are lots of entries in the race at Folkestone and RAWDON might struggle to get a run if the race proves to be popular. RAWDON seems very well and happy with himself at present and can hopefully build on his very encouraging eighth place last time. He ran a really creditable race that day at Lingfield and looks set to have a profitable future over timber.
Our other recent runner was MOVIE MOGUL, who ran at Lingfield on the third of January. She ran a game enough race that day, to finish fourth, and the first three home from that contest have all come out and won again since. Unfortunately MOVIE MOGUL has had her training problems and it was decided after the race that the best decision was to retire her. The good news is that she left the yard this week in a very smart horse box, painted in the Queen’s colours, as she is off to the Royal Stud at Sandringham where she has a date with former Fitzroy House inmate, MOTIVATOR. Although she will be missed in the yard it’s great to think that in a few years time we might hopefully get a yearling by Motivator out of Movie Mogul!
The last few weeks have been very busy with horses coming back in from their winter holidays and it is amazing how well the horses look for the time of year. The lads are glad to be reunited with their charges and people are starting to dream of the start of the season already. SPICE ROUTE looks set to be one of our first high profile runners on the flat this year as he is being aimed at a tilt at The Winter Derby at Lingfield. He looks in great order and may well have a prep run on the all weather before hand. We have a few fillies to run on the all weather also and they include the previously unraced duo of AMBER MOON, a nice Singspiel filly of the Middlebrook’s, and RED LINNET, a Cape Cross filly owned by Sheik Marwan Al Maktoum. TOP DRAW showed promise in her two starts last season and she is another member of the winter squad.
The rest of the string are continuing to trot throughout January and we are counting down the days until February the first when we resume cantering again. It is good conditioning work for the horses, but they tend to get a bit fresh and I think it’s safe to say that it is not the Lads’ favourite month of the year. It is nice to get out and about on the heath though and we head off in all directions on different days of the week which makes a nice change. On Saturday morning’s we wake the town up by heading up the High Street before turning off down a nice country lane which leads to a village called Woodditton. It is a lovely long straight road and gives the horses a good long uninterrupted trot before heading back towards home. We do get a few funny looks though as the string, which numbers nearly thirty, heads back down the High Street just as the Saturday morning shoppers are arriving!
THURSDAY 3RD JANUARY
We have an unusually busy start to 2008 with a runner on the all weather today and another over jumps tomorrow. MOVIE MOGUL is our representative today and she runs in the first race on the card at Lingfield, which is a mile and a quarter maiden. There are only seven runners in the race and she has a good draw in stall 1. Hopefully the race won’t turn out to be a tactical affair and she looks to have a good chance of making the frame, despite coming back off a fairly long lay off. Adam Kirby has been booked to ride as most of our regular pilots are on holiday or have gone abroad for the winter. Mr Kirby has been riding very well on the all weather and can hopefully use some of his magic on MOVIE MOGUL this afternoon.
Tomorrow RAWDON is due to have his second outing over hurdles, after his last engagement at Doncaster was called off due to the weather conditions. There is also an inspection at tomorrow’s venue, Lingfield Park, but hopefully the meeting will go ahead as planned and RAWDON will be able to take his place in the line up. He jumped well enough on his first start over timber and has been brushing up since then at home. He seemed to get a bit tired that day so hopefully he will be better for that outing and can finish a bit closer tomorrow.
Apart from the runners, the rest of the yard have enjoyed a few days break over Christmas and New Year and were very fresh when ridden out this morning. The yearlings are starting to look very professional now and are going to spend the month of January trotting before resuming cantering in February. We are pleased to see the return of some old faces and today we welcomed back 7 familiar faces in the shape of GOLD PROSPECT, ARTSU, INK SPOT, FURNACE, MEZZANISI, SPICE ROUTE and MONTRACHET. It is good to get the older horses back in and they all looked to have enjoyed their winter holidays and they too will be trotting throughout January to increase their fitness before beginning cantering at the start of February.
The boss has just returned from his winter holiday and he too seems to have benefited from the break, sporting a healthy tan and looking in good spirits despite returning to freezing conditions and the prospect of some snow showers. We are all counting down the days until the start of the season already and the prospect of a bit of warmer weather. Hopefully 2008 will live up to the last few seasons, which have been really successful here at Fitzroy House.
FRIDAY 14TH DECEMBER
We are due to have a runner over jumps tomorrow, but we are waiting on the weather to see if the fixture can take place or not. We have had some very cold and frosty mornings this week and today’s meeting at Doncaster was abandoned due to a frozen track. Hopefully tomorrow’s fixture will go ahead and RAWDON will be able to take his place in the line up. He runs in the third race on the card, which is the second division of the two mile novice hurdle race. On his first start over timber, at Aintree, RAWDON had the assistance of Tony McCoy in the saddle and he ran well that day, before tiring in the later stages of the race. Hopefully his confidence will grow as he gets more experience over obstacles and he looked in good form with himself when schooling on Thursday. METAPHORIC also schooled well on Thursday and he is on target to run on the 19th of January.
THE FUTURE TONY MCCOY
Apart from that we have been a bit quiet on the runners front, with MOVIE MOGUL being withdrawn from her intended start on Monday. There are a couple of suitable races for her after Christmas and in the New Year. The yearlings are going very well and they had their first canter down the grass, upsides this morning. They look like a very nice bunch and there were 19 in the main group out first lot. We have six more in the second group who are one stage behind the others at this point and just a handful left to finish the breaking process.
RAWDON AND METAPHORIC
At this time of year everybody likes to get away while things are quiet and Richard the Head Lad was lucky enough to spend last weekend in Hong Kong where he went to watch the weekend's big races. I myself have just come back from a month’s working holiday in the States, as the prize for winning the Alex Scott Memorial Fund Assistant Trainer’s scholarship. I was fortunate enough to work for top turf trainer Christophe Clement. My time there was very interesting and I learnt a lot. Our apprentice Luke Morris is currently in Australia on a working holiday. He is attached to trainer Gai Waterhouse’s stable and rode a winner on his first ride down under, so well done Luke! Juniper Girl’s groom Anna Kamper-Blower is also in Australia over the winter and is having a great time by all accounts. Last we heard she was looking forward to a barbeque on the beach on Christmas Day!
NICK BELL AND ZIGGY
On Monday it is Christmas party night, the annual "knees up" at The White Lion, at the top of town. There is always a good deal of fun to be had and after the meal comes the dancing…! Matthew Morgan is usually first up when the disco starts, swiftly followed by Chris Hough. Later on the boss can normally be found chasing Hayley Turner round the dance floor while the more sensible of us look on in amusement. I’m sure there will be many tales to tell the following morning and we will try to recount some of the more tame stories on this site…
