Variously mentioned in dispatches

Seeing some of Michael Stoute's horses on the Heath this morning reminded me of another horse whom I should have mentioned in the congregation of ex-racers at the show on Sunday. Richard Williams was, as usual, in Sir Michael's string, and he was at the show on Sunday with his little black stallion Arnie De Burgh, formerly owned by Greg Way (proprietor of the antiquarian bookshop in Burrough Green) and trained by Declan Daly, and winner of two or three races. He is, incidentally, the only winner I've ever noticed by Clive Brittain's shock King Edward VII Stakes winner Amfortas. Richard is an extremely good horseman, and as one would expect Arnie looked terrific. He's covered mares the past two springs, and takes part in competitions both in-hand and ridden. Any horse who comes under Richard's care really has fallen on his feet, because he's a tremendous all-round horseman, and it was great to see this lovely horse so clearly thriving in his new environment, and keeping himself busy in so many different roles. I don't quite know why he didn't come immediately to mind when I was listing some of the horses whom I'd seen at the show - in the same way that I can't think why, when listing some of the show's sponsors, Shadwell, whom I'm sure supported it, didn't spring to mind either. They actually supported it doubly, not only by being sponsors, but also by the fact that several ex-Hamdam horses were competing there, including the reserve champion thoroughbred and the champion of the other breeds (who became the reserve champion of the whole show).

What was also of interest riding out this morning was seeing Robert Winston riding one lot for Paul Howling and one for Gerard Butler, who, incidentally, seems to have fitted well into the town and whom it is always a pleasure to see overseeing his (extremely well-looking) string on the Severals each morning, usually mounted on his hack, good old Nayyir, the former Sussex Stakes runner-up. Robert hasn't found it easy to get back into the limelight since his spell on the sidelines, but you've got to admire a jockey who is clearly working hard to regain his position in the riding hierarchy. The same applies to Shane Kelly, a very industrious jockey as well as a very good one, whose only crime, I suspect, was guilelessness; Shane, I'm pleased to note, is enjoying a very good season after his year off and who rode another Group winner yesterday, for his main patron Jeremy Noseda, for whom he rides out on a regular basis. Two other jockeys of whom we've been seeing plenty on the Heath this year are Pat Cosgrave and Dane O'Neill, who have both been galloping regularly since early in the spring for Luca Cumani and who have consequently been getting plenty of rides for him - and doing very well on those rides. You may wonder where I'm going with these seemingly aimless musings, but this is my way of working round belatedly to saying how delighted I was to see Pat ride his first Group One winner on Borderlescott in the re-scheduled and de-valued Nunthorpe Stakes at Newmarket. He'd ridden Polychrome for us at Nottingham a week or two previously and, although the filly was tailed off, he gave her as good a ride as you'd ever see. I know that the rides which stick in one's mind are generally the winning rides, but losing rides can be 10-out-of-10s too, and that was an occasion when I came away thinking that if every horse we run could be ridden as well as that, and if every jockey could be so diligent in doing exactly what is required and being so helpful, then we'd be a very lucky stable indeed.

To continue my theme of handing out bouquets (the sun has come out for a few minutes, so I'm feeling suitably beneficient) to a few of those whose paths cross ours in the mornings, I am very pleased to see some of Newmarket's more deserving apprentices doing well. Top of this list must be William Carson, whose name certainly can't be said to have brought him instant success. He's been around a while without a great deal to show for it, but lack of reward hasn't dimmed his enthusiasm, his pleasant nature nor his willingness to work hard to further his career, and I'm very pleased that he is now riding winners regularly. Michael Murphy isn't (yet) nearly as successful as William, but he too is enjoying a good summer. He is the latest apprentice to find that working (hard, to a greater or lesser extent) in Luca Cumani's stable eventually brings its rewards; whether he will reach the heights scaled by the likes of Frankie Dettori, Jason Weaver and Royston Ffrench, or even Nicky Mackay, can't be guaranteed (size might be a limiting factor as regards his career on the Flat) but his career is certainly on a deservedly upward trend at the moment.