Hope springs eternal

Hope springs eternal. We don't need much encouragement to confirm optimistically to ourselves that things are going as they should, so my heart gave a little nod of satisfaction when I read this morning that Lady Suffragette's three-year-old King Charlemagne half-sister Peppin's Gold had won a ten furlong three-year-old seller on the all-weather at Lingfield yesterday. The omens are looking good for our dear little lady! I don't know who'd be less unlikely to breed a stayer, Mull Of Kintyre or King Charlemagne (Mull Of Kintyre would definitely be less unlikely to breed a good horse), so the dam must stamp 'em: the Racing Post reports that "... although she is tiny, she proved too game for her weak rivals. She saw the trip out well, although her stamina was not put fully to the test". That could be a report of our one winning a race (if that were ever to happen). Fingers crossed ...

Fingers crossed too for Mattie tomorrow as he faces the starter for the first time at Towcester, along with fifteen opponents. He's quite slow, but seems to plod along dourly enough; I just don't know how slowly one can get away with plodding along in a Towcester bumper. I just hope he behaves himself and acquits himself with credit. He should do, but we'll have to wait and see.

I'm afraid that I can't give you any further updates on the bustling activity on the Heath as Newmarket prepares for the forthcoming Flat season, because we had extremely thick fog this morning so I didn't see many horses. I assume that the usual number were out there, though, but just not within a 40m radius of me. I did see fifty or so of Ed Dunlop's horses, but they were walking past me so I didn't pick up any clues about the brilliance or otherwise of their work. His two assistants, Matt Cumani and Toby Coles, were both on foot (and both kindly ushered us across the Bury Road at various times, which was much appreciated) and I'd have to give best turned-out to Toby. The deciding factor was his hat, which I'm pretty sure was the same one which Omar Sharif wore in Dr Zhivago.