Tuesday 17 January

-5 this morning, and proper vest and gloves weather if you are riding work this morning. It is always on mornings like this that you have to spare a thought for the lads and lasses that ride out in all weathers, they must really love it!! Tuesday is a work morning, and Grassfinch and Justazippy worked very well together first lot - Grassfinch is absolutely tiny, but has a heart the size of a house and hates to be beaten, even in her work - she seems in great form. The three mares - Grassfinch, Justazippy and Honeycreeper all have entries at the weekend - running plans will be finalised later this week. The one girl who doesn't go is Silver Wren, who had a bit of an abcess in her foot last week. Unfortunately for her she has found herself 4lbs higher in the handicap this morning despite not leaving her stable! Always hugely frustrating when this happens, but 2 of the six mares that were in front of her last time out in Ludlow have won, and another would have won yesterday if it had not capsized at the last in Plumpton - so the form looks strong! Smart Exit worked well this morning - he seems to have come on for his Leicester run, and grown in confidence. We think he has gained tremendous confidence from the fitting of a cross noseband which has allowed him to breathe better, and will hopefully carry on improving. He is likely to have a breathing op in the summer.San Telm remains in grand order and is being aimed at Fakenham on 17th Feb. I have made available a limited number of shares in Kikos, please have a look at the For Sale page for further details, or give me a call on 07909 518902. I have had a good look through a couple of sale catalogues at the end of the month and there are one or two intersting candidates coming available - again if interested get in touch! Colebrooke is in rude health - kicking and bucking his way around the place, and generally just being Colebrooke. His intended target is the Triumph Hurdle trial at Cheltenham at the end of the month, which will tell us where to aim him after that. It looks like being a very hot race with the top two in the market for the Triumph turning up - so he will have his work cut out!