The sales season is upon us
The sales season is upon us already. This time of year is the equivalent of the transfer window in Football. Old players get traded and new ones are purchased. Always with the aim of increasing the quality.
On the track we still have much to look forward to. We have some classy later maturing 2 year olds still to run that will appear this Autumn. Hopefully they will form the bedrock of a stronger 3 year old team for next season, something we have lacked this year.
We are also starting to make plans for the Dubai Carnival which starts in January. I am pleased to say Treadwell has recovered from his fracture that has kept him off the track. He will be prepared for Dubai along with last year’s winner, Rakaan and possibly Mr David.
Meanwhile, I have the imminent problem of the Legends Race next week to overcome.
Let’s just say my fitness level is adequate. I will come on for the run. I am praying I don’t draw a lazy horse!
If you would like to sponsor me, please click here on the Just Giving Button – many thanks, all goes towards great causes.
Just Giving – Leger Legends Race
At this half way point of the season I can report that the horses are generally healthy and fit and we have much to look forward to in the forth coming months. So far this year, 50% of our runners have finished in the first four; however, I have been slightly disappointed with the number of winners. I expect our stats to improve from this point onwards. Our results at Royal Ascot were disappointing for a variety of reasons, not least the unusual occurrence of soft ground in June.
I am hopeful that Glorious Goodwood will prove more fruitful.
My old favourite, Geordieland, will contest The Goodwood Cup providing we are racing on his preferred fast ground. I am still hopeful that he can show the world just how much ability he retains. Ascot was sadly a non event for him. This time I will insist on Hughsie having his 3 Shredded Wheat beforehand!
Other likely runners with a realistic chance of getting competitive at Goodwood could be Destiny Blue, Never Can Tell, Rakaan, Pride and Joy, Upper Lambourn and Almail.
On the 7th September there is a re run of the Leger Legends Race at Doncaster which is in aid of ‘The House That Jack Built’ and The Northern Racing College.
If you would like to sponsor me, please feel free by clicking on the Just Giving link. Thank you very much!
The Leger Legends Race:
Team Members:
Julie Krone, Thierry Gillet, Dale Gibson, Kevin Darley, Luke Harvey, Steve Smith-Eccles, George Duffield, Gay Kelleway, Tom O’Ryan, Jamie Osborne, Ray Cochrane, John Reid, Charlie Swan, Norman Williamson, Ernie Johnson, Graham Bradley
The “House that Jack Built” will be the first rehabilitation centre for jockeys in the North. This will be based on Oaksey House which was developed on the site of the ruined Bourne House Stables in Lambourn, which provides two fully equipped units for the disabled with rooms for carers, plus two double and eight single dwellings. These facilities are available to residents and also the local racing community and are being extensively used by numerous jockeys to aid and speed up recovery from wide ranging injuries. Jack Berry is devoting all his energies to this Northern project trying to raise money by many different initiatives.
The development of residential course accommodation facilities at the Northern Racing College, this would be an extension of the current residential block and these are badly needed.
Latest exhibition at the Osborne Studio Gallery
Monday 13th June sees the opening of my darling wife’s latest exhibition at the Osborne Studio Gallery, 2 Motcomb Street, London – the Exhibition is entitled ‘No Title’. This is her first one man show since 2007, when the exhibition was called ‘Drawn From The Past’.
Forty paintings, with mainly an equestrian theme are on show and for sale. Undoubtedly her best creations to date. Her work is collected by some important aficionados, including HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Sheikh Mohammed and Andrew Lloyd-Webber.
If you happen to find yourself in Mayfair in the next few weeks, please pop your head around the door and feel free to release the cheque book!!
http://www.osg.uk.com/katie_osullivan/katie-osullivan-11.shtml
Return of our old favourite, Geordieland
With Royal Ascot looming, we are all looking forward to the return of our old favourite, Geordieland. An injury which occurred in the Doncaster Cup in 2009 compounded by another one last summer, means that this will be his first run for 643 days.
We have tried to leave no stone unturned in our pursuit to have him fit for the day, but we could not be happier with his current condition. It is a huge ask, but not impossible.
He will be joined at Royal Ascot by Rakaan in The Buckingham Palace, Mr David in The Hunt Cup, Blizzard Blues in the Ascot Stakes and possibly Pride and Joy in The Coventry.
I will be posting pictures of them all regularly on Twitter if you would like to follow their progress.