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Monday 31st January

We experienced the toughest day of the season on Saturday with the fatal fall of Gala de Corton in the opening race at Doncaster setting the tone for the afternoon.

Our thoughts are with Gordon and Su Hall who had high hopes of Gala de Corton after his stylish success at the same track a month ago. It was heart breaking to lose him so soon after the death of Master Tommytucker six days earlier at Lingfield and our results on Saturday did nothing to lift the mood.
The horses are definitely not in the same form they were in before they had a little break after their mid winter flu vaccinations at the end of last month. They can take a bit of time to get up and running again and it has happened before in January which is always numerically light for us.
At Cheltenham we had one of those days with McFabulous clearly not staying in the Cleeve Hurdle, which was disappointing, while Simply The Betts was always flat out in the Cotswold Chase, Solo didn’t jump well enough and Magic Saint was too far out of his ground from an early stage of the Paddy Power Handicap Chase.
In addition Iceo’s performance in the Four Year Hurdle showed that it would be a mistake to run him in the Triumph Hurdle in March. He looked very good on his debut for us at Kempton, wants much softer ground and is more in the mould of a staying chaser in time and needs to learn to relax
I’ll consider something like the Victor Ludorum at Haydock or one of the Kempton novice hurdles at the end of February .
Things were no better at Doncaster where we withdrew Kapcorse from the Sky Bet Chase because the ground drying out too much . Miranda ran well to finish second in the Grade 2 Mares’ Hurdle she won last year although she, too, would have preferred much softer conditions underfoot.
The horses will come right sooner rather than later and we are already looking forward to a busy weekend with runners in Ireland, Scotland and nearer home at Sandown.
Frodon and Greaneteen are both running at Leopardstown while Pic D’Orhy goes for the Scilly Isles Novice Chase at Sandown and we will also be sending a team of three or four to Musselburgh on Sunday.
For the latest news on all my weekend runners please be sure to check out my Betfair column which goes live late afternoon on Friday and Saturday.

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Monday 24th January

Our delight at reaching a century of winners at Ascot on Saturday for the 21st time turned to despair on Sunday when Master Tommytucker broke his leg in a fall at Lingfield.

Losing a horse in these circumstances is always hard to bear and Tommy was a lovely bold, confident character who relished his work and enjoyed leading the string every morning ridden by Scott Marshall who thought the world of him as did the whole team at home .
Despite the odd hiccup he developed into a smart chaser, was still lightly raced and was just moving nicely into contention on the heels of the leaders after what was looking a well judged ride by Harry when he came down three fences from home in the Fleur de Lys Chase with fatal results.
My commiserations to his owners Tony Fear and Louise Cabble who bred him and to Scott who looked after him. These things are never easy.
I’ve been touched by the dozens of kind messages I received after it became clear Master Tommytucker had not survived his fall.
The mood had been so much brighter at Ascot on Saturday after David Maxwell’s determined success on Cat Tiger brought up the century for Team Ditcheat. David blamed himself for going too soon on the horse when they were narrowly beaten at Doncaster last time and made amends in great style on Saturday.
He learned his lesson there, delivered Cat Tiger at the last fence and gave him a fantastic ride to gain the day. I hope all the tweeters who gave David dogs abuse 24 days earlier raised a glass to him on Saturday night. He is the most sporting of amateur jockeys, a huge enthusiast, works so hard at his fitness and riding and has four or five nice hunter chasers to ride for the rest of the season starting with Stratagem at Hereford next week.
Yala Enki completed a fine afternoon for the yard by winning the Portman Cup Chase at Taunton for the third year running. He is a cracking , enthusiastic veteran chaser who wears his heart on his sleeve and gives his best every time. If he runs again this season it will most likely be in the Scottish Grand National on April 2.
Then next season we might take him back to Cheltenham for the race he won in November before his swansong in the Portman Cup in twelve month’s time.
Things didn’t really go our way over the two days at Lingfield’s Winter Million meeting.
All credit, however to the course executive for putting on such valuable prize money. Unfortunately some of our horses couldn’t handle the deep ground, while Broken Halo broke a blood vessel in the novice chase on Friday and Rainyday Woman was pulled up with an irregular heartbeat. She is fine now and will have an easy time over the next few weeks and be back in the spring .
On Sunday Il Ridoto ran well to be third in the £50,000 Cazoo Novice Chase and Shearer rounded off a tough day for Team Ditcheat by finishing second in the novice handicap hurdle.
I keep reading complaints about small fields of runners in jumps races yet the showdown at Ascot between Shishkin and Energumene proved that you only need a handful of runners to produce a thrilling spectacle.
At Taunton on a lesser scale the crowd were amazing as they got behind Yala Enki after he beat four opponents. The reception they gave him as he returned in triumph was fabulous.
Then on Sunday the three runner Cheltenham Festival Guide Hurdle at Lingfield provided a stirring finish with all three in contention as they landed over the final flight. It just shows you don’t need a huge field of handicappers to deliver an exciting horserace.
We will have a few runners at our local track Wincanton on Wednesday before a busy weekend with plenty of entries at Cheltenham and Doncaster on Saturday.
Simply the Betts, Magic Saint, Lalor and Solo are all pencilled in for entries at Cheltenham with McFabulous on course for the Cleeve Hurdle and Iceo in the Triumph Hurdle Trial. Kapcorse and Miranda are in the squad heading to Doncaster.
For all the latest news on my Saturday runners please turn to my Betfair column which goes live late the previous afternoon.

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Monday 17th January

Threeundertheufive took our score for the season to 99 for the season with an impressive front running performance in the colours of the McNeill family in the Grade2 Novice Chase at Warwick on Saturday.

In recording his fourth success from five starts this season he was taking his career total to nine wins from twelve starts.
Adrian Heskin was always in control on Threeundertheufive who jumps for fun, is a strong stayer, and takes his races so well.
His relentless improvement is a pleasing example of our well tried system of buying a group of young stores aged three and four each year and and bringing them on steadily in bumpers before they progress to hurdles and then fences. It’s encouraging that we have loads more like him waiting in the wings.
I have it in the back of my mind to take Threeunderthrufive next to the Reynoldstown Chase at Ascot on February 19 and he will have entries at Cheltenham in the NH Chase and the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
It obviously makes sense to keep Threeundertheufive and Bravemansgame apart and I’ll keep all options open for both of them for the rest of the season.
Gelino Bello also ran with credit on Saturday at Kempton when finishing fourth in the Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle on his fourth start over hurdles. It looks as though he wants a bit further on a stiffer track.
Rouge Vif travelled nicely in the Silviniaco Conti Chase until his wind cut out. His breathing is clearly an issue because he already had an op last summer to try to sort it out.
We will be quiet again for much of the week before some interesting runners at Lingfield on Friday and at Ascot, Taunton and possibly Haydock a day later. Rainyday Woman has an entry at Lingfield and Yala Enki is on course to defend his crown in the Portman Cup at Taunton.
I will confirm Hitman for the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase at Ascot and then make a decision about his participation on Thursday morning. If Shiskin and Energumene both look like turning up at Ascot then I might keep Hitman for the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury.
On Sunday Master Tommytucker is an intended runner in the new £150,000 Chase at Lingfield.
Further ahead we have entered Frodon, Clan Des Obeaux and Greaneteen at the Dublin Festival at Leopardstown early in February. Running plans for all three are still up in the air and if it stays dry for the next fortnight Frodon has the option of heading for the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.
In that case Clan would most likely run at Leopardstown in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup while the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase looks an obvious target for Greaneteen if the ground is not too soft.
The vast majority of our horses have enjoyed an easy fortnight since their mid winter flu vaccinations at the end of 2021. We will be pressing on with them at home now and will be firing on all cylinders again before the end of the month as we build up for a big push for the final three months of the season.
Finally I would like to pay tribute to David Powell a brilliantly talented bloodstock agent in France who died over the weekend. He was a lovely man with a wonderful eye for a horse and worked closely with Anthony Bromley in buying so many good horses for Team Ditcheat including Kauto Star, Big Buck’s, Master Minded and Neptune Collonges. David’s knowledge of bloodstock was second to none, he had a host of contacts in France and it was a pleasure to work with him over the years.
One of the last winners he bought for us was Cap Du Mathan, a fine, big, scopey type who won easily at Taunton last week and looks every inch a chaser for the future. My thoughts are with his family and Anthony who I know was so fond of him. RIP David.

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