We had a really enjoyable days racing with Jess coming fourth and Ponty third. It was a bit of an experiment with Jess as last season she used to jump to the right and could only go on right handed tracks, which is a bit limiting, this time as her jumping is so much straighter we thought we would try her left handed but she clearly didn't like it and fiddled every fence wanting to change legs before the fence. Normally her jumping is her strong point but not this time. However, she finished strongly, about six lengths off the winner, and will have come on nicely from the run. Her owners were all out in force, and we had a great time huddled up around the lorry drinking Christopher's champagne and my home made soup. Ponty ran a great race - He was up with the pace until three quarters of the way around when he hit a fence and seemed to lose confidence going from third out of fourteen to seventh. I assumed Pete was going to pull him up but then heard the commentator calling Ponty's name, saying that he was finishing 'like a train', he finished just two and a half lengths off the winner, and would most certainly have won if it had been a three mile race and not two and a half as Pete had a job to pull him up. Both horses legs are fine this morning and they both ate up, which is great news.
This morning we had an early start and took four horses to Towcester racecourse for a gallop. We are allowed to use it if they have been racing there the day before. We took Jake, Dolly (Velvet Royale) Dancer and Flash. It was Dolly's first time away from home since she was a foal and she coped with it really well and was very impressive on the track. They all worked well but she is quite extraordinary for a five year old, very workmanlike and just wants to get on with it. We will be running her soon as she is telling us that she is ready.