Well, plenty to catch up on, so we might as well start in France. Or not, as the case may be, because we're having so much weather that I can't resist banging on about that. I'm really enjoying this weather, not specifically because it's enjoyable (which it isn't really) but simply because there's so much of it. We've had minus 7 the last couple of nights, which is a great mark to reach, and we're forecast night-time temperatures below zero every night this week. And Tuesday should be the real highlight, with a daytime high of minus 1 predicted.
It's rare enough in southern England to get a daytime high below zero, so that will be something to savour. (And, don't worry, if it actually happens I'll definitely let you know). Anyway, the snow duly arrived from Wolverhampton around 8pm last night, so it got here in time for Gus' birthday. One of the things which I love about snow is the night-time daylight which one gets, as this first photograph, taken out in the yard without a flash at 10pm last night, shows. Anyway, we've got three or four inches lying around now and we have had no significant melting during
the day today, so it looks as if we've got it for a while. Conditions were fine this morning and it was no problem riding Kadouchski to the Heath to canter (pictured) up Long Hill (cleared impressively well by the Heathmen) but I'd imagine that we might encounter some considerably more slippery patches in the morning, as there will have been an element of thawing followed by some re-freezing. However, we won't complain - if one ever thinks about complaining about snow, it's always worth remembering that, awkward though it might be while it's here, it's always considerably worse once it melts. And, anyway, it can be rather fun for both man and beast, as our little friend who's been celebrating his birthday weekend is seen discovering shortly after dawn this morning.
Back to France. We drove about 900 miles during the excursion. Deauville is about 300 miles away by road (roughly 120 in England and 180 in France, plus the 25 miles crossing the Channel which one doesn't drive) so that means we did around 300 miles while we were there. And these miles were really well spent as we saw some lovely places and some lovely horses. The highlight had to be Haras de la Cauviniere, where Minnie's Mystery (pictured) lives. I hadn't seen her for two years, so it was great to see her. And even better to see her looking so
well and so happy. It's a lovely property and she's in very safe hands there. An even greater highlight was seeing her Gold Away yearling filly for the first time. She's around 10 months old so it wasn't very good that I'd never previously seen her, but better late than never. She looks to my untutored eye (I never pretend to be able to form a worthwhile judgement on horses less than a year old, unlike the quidnuncs who'll tell you that such and such is "a cracking foal" etc.) to be a very nice filly, but no doubt we'll find out more on that score anon. Also worth mentioning is
the fact that she doesn't look like turning grey. She'll be the first of the mares foals not to be grey, as she looks like sharing her father's chestnut coat. We saw her father later in the day (third picture) at Haras du Quesnay, but before we saw him we'd seen the father of her next foal: Haras de la Cauviniere resident Le Havre (fourth picture) by whom Minnie's is due to have a foal in maybe late March. Minnie's has been a great producer so far, never having missed a year. I'm hopeful that that remarkable sequence can be maintained
further because when we were at Haras du Quesnay I booked her into the admirable Youmzain (fifth photograph) for this spring. He's such a terrific horse as his record of three consecutive second places in the Arc suggests, and you just can't beat horses who were sound enough to race and race and race. I know that nowadays it is the fashion to give prospective stallions only very light careers - it's rare enough for a potential sire to race even 10 times nowadays, and 20
is almost unheard of - but time and again the successful sires are the racehorse who weren't winning the very top races but who were sound enough to compile extensive racing records. (A good example being the stallion on whom I've written this week's
http://www.thoroughbredinternet.com/ Grey Panel profile, Any Suggestion, who raced 37 times). Anyway, Youmzain did win top races in addition to his Arc placings, twice scoring at Group One level; and retiring sound after six years of racing with figures of 32-6-8-8, and earnings of
nearly 3.4 million pounds, is more than good enough for me. And he stayed 12 furlongs very well, is very handsome and is one of two Group One winners bred by his dam, so I'll be very happy indeed if her sequence can continue into 2013. So that was grand. I could go on about the lovely places we visited (we also went to Haras d'Etreham, Haras de Colleville, Haras de Mezeray, Haras de la Reboursiere et de Montaigu and the Haras Nationaux - ie National Stud - at Haras du Pin) but I'll content myself by touching upon the National Stud. We inspected three nice horses
there (the 2008 Grand Prix de Paris winner Montmartre, plus Croco Rouge and Sleeping Car) but the real treat was the property. It was just stepping back in time. It's a sort of equine Versailles fallen on hard times. If you wanted to film something from war, you could do it there without having to make any alterations at all. It's just a lovely place and if you ever get the chance to go, go. You can see here Montmartre and Croco Rouge prancing about the stable-yard, but that's just a taster for seeing the property in its full splendour.
Well, plenty to catch up on, so we might as well start in France. Or not, as the case may be, because we're having so much weather that I can't resist banging on about that. I'm really enjoying this weather, not specifically because it's enjoyable (which it isn't really) but simply because there's so much of it. We've had minus 7 the last couple of nights, which is a great mark to reach, and we're forecast night-time temperatures below zero every night this week. And Tuesday should be the real highlight, with a daytime high of minus 1 predicted. 
It's rare enough in southern England to get a daytime high below zero, so that will be something to savour. (And, don't worry, if it actually happens I'll definitely let you know). Anyway, the snow duly arrived from Wolverhampton around 8pm last night, so it got here in time for Gus' birthday. One of the things which I love about snow is the night-time daylight which one gets, as this first photograph, taken out in the yard without a flash at 10pm last night, shows. Anyway, we've got three or four inches lying around now and we have had no significant melting during
the day today, so it looks as if we've got it for a while. Conditions were fine this morning and it was no problem riding Kadouchski to the Heath to canter (pictured) up Long Hill (cleared impressively well by the Heathmen) but I'd imagine that we might encounter some considerably more slippery patches in the morning, as there will have been an element of thawing followed by some re-freezing. However, we won't complain - if one ever thinks about complaining about snow, it's always worth remembering that, awkward though it might be while it's here, it's always considerably worse once it melts. And, anyway, it can be rather fun for both man and beast, as our little friend who's been celebrating his birthday weekend is seen discovering shortly after dawn this morning.
Back to France. We drove about 900 miles during the excursion. Deauville is about 300 miles away by road (roughly 120 in England and 180 in France, plus the 25 miles crossing the Channel which one doesn't drive) so that means we did around 300 miles while we were there. And these miles were really well spent as we saw some lovely places and some lovely horses. The highlight had to be Haras de la Cauviniere, where Minnie's Mystery (pictured) lives. I hadn't seen her for two years, so it was great to see her. And even better to see her looking so 
well and so happy. It's a lovely property and she's in very safe hands there. An even greater highlight was seeing her Gold Away yearling filly for the first time. She's around 10 months old so it wasn't very good that I'd never previously seen her, but better late than never. She looks to my untutored eye (I never pretend to be able to form a worthwhile judgement on horses less than a year old, unlike the quidnuncs who'll tell you that such and such is "a cracking foal" etc.) to be a very nice filly, but no doubt we'll find out more on that score anon. Also worth mentioning is 
the fact that she doesn't look like turning grey. She'll be the first of the mares foals not to be grey, as she looks like sharing her father's chestnut coat. We saw her father later in the day (third picture) at Haras du Quesnay, but before we saw him we'd seen the father of her next foal: Haras de la Cauviniere resident Le Havre (fourth picture) by whom Minnie's is due to have a foal in maybe late March. Minnie's has been a great producer so far, never having missed a year. I'm hopeful that that remarkable sequence can be maintained 
further because when we were at Haras du Quesnay I booked her into the admirable Youmzain (fifth photograph) for this spring. He's such a terrific horse as his record of three consecutive second places in the Arc suggests, and you just can't beat horses who were sound enough to race and race and race. I know that nowadays it is the fashion to give prospective stallions only very light careers - it's rare enough for a potential sire to race even 10 times nowadays, and 20 
is almost unheard of - but time and again the successful sires are the racehorse who weren't winning the very top races but who were sound enough to compile extensive racing records. (A good example being the stallion on whom I've written this week's http://www.thoroughbredinternet.com/ Grey Panel profile, Any Suggestion, who raced 37 times). Anyway, Youmzain did win top races in addition to his Arc placings, twice scoring at Group One level; and retiring sound after six years of racing with figures of 32-6-8-8, and earnings of 
nearly 3.4 million pounds, is more than good enough for me. And he stayed 12 furlongs very well, is very handsome and is one of two Group One winners bred by his dam, so I'll be very happy indeed if her sequence can continue into 2013. So that was grand. I could go on about the lovely places we visited (we also went to Haras d'Etreham, Haras de Colleville, Haras de Mezeray, Haras de la Reboursiere et de Montaigu and the Haras Nationaux - ie National Stud - at Haras du Pin) but I'll content myself by touching upon the National Stud. We inspected three nice horses
there (the 2008 Grand Prix de Paris winner Montmartre, plus Croco Rouge and Sleeping Car) but the real treat was the property. It was just stepping back in time. It's a sort of equine Versailles fallen on hard times. If you wanted to film something from war, you could do it there without having to make any alterations at all. It's just a lovely place and if you ever get the chance to go, go. You can see here Montmartre and Croco Rouge prancing about the stable-yard, but that's just a taster for seeing the property in its full splendour.
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