Another lovely day but sadly still no rain - Where have the April showers gone? We will have to walk both courses (Edgcote and Chaddesley) but are very unlikely to run Secret as she fractured her leg two years ago and I wouldn't want to run her on ground that is anything but good/good to soft. I rode Garry today and he rather annoyingly felt fantastic. We will still get his back checked but I just cannot understand his disappointing run.  The only other thing I can think of is that he needs soft ground as being such a big horse he hasn't learnt to organise himself in front of a fence yet on quick ground. Oddly it says on his race card that he won with a tongue tie - He has never worn a tongue tie with us and he was with us on his only win, so I don't know where they got that information from.  His wind seems fine, so we can rule that one out.  I know he is genuine as he tries so hard on the gallops and never hesitates to go up the hill but maybe he just doesn't like racing...  We will try him one more time in the soft (?) with a female jockey, possibly cheek pieces and see how he goes.

Popaway - Back home and enjoying her hot breakfast

We are bringing the brood mares back now and Popaway and Jess were the first to come home. They have been to Yorton stud to visit Masterstroke. It was lovely to have them back and Jess was the first one covered and was scanned in foal this morning. Rosie (a well bred flat mare) and Velvet Steel went to Pethers Moon and have just returned and Velvet Dream and Burrows Spring have  gone to the National Stud to visit Flag of Honour. They are coming home tomorrow.  One in foal, five to go!