Midweek update

We're two thirds of the way through our flock of runners (ie we've had two runners) and results have so far been mixed. On a strike rate basis, the results aren't mixed: they're uniform, the strike rate remaining at a constant 0%. But as regards satisfaction, Mobs' run was very disappointing, but Polly's was pleasing. We'd been hoping against hope ever since it became plain last autumn that Mobs needed a wind operation. I know that there is anecdotal evidence that such things can work, but I think that a lot of it is based on the supposed success of such operations given to horses who don't actually need them. I've never had a good result with them, having them only applied when the horse genuinely has gone in the wind, and I'm afraid now that Mobs has failed to buck that trend. The proof of the pudding can only come under racing conditions, but I'm afraid that we now know that a lot of time and money has been wasted. That's very disappointing, but the one consolation is that it is only the horse's connections for whom one should feel sorry: from the horse's point of view it's a case of 'No worries, mate' as he walks away from racing safe and sound and can go on to enjoy life doing anything else. And, as we know he is a lovely jumper, he'll make someone a grand hunter, eventer, show-jumper or such like, and should thus have a long, happy and useful future guaranteed. (On which subject, incidentally, Bilkie is excelling as a show-jumper in his life after racing).

Fingers crossed Polly now has a useful life in racing to look forward to, because her run at Lingfield yesterday was very good. She should still have a lot of improvement in her, which is an exciting thought, as she showed a lot of ability yesterday, albeit finishing out of the money, 4.5 lengths behind the winner. It looked a good race and I expect that it will throw up a lot of future winners. The Derby entry Eastern Hills ought to come into this category, as should the third Seasonal Cross, a really nice Cape Cross filly who is trained by Simon Dow. And on the subject of nice horses against whom we have raced, the winner of Mobs' race at Folkestone looks a lovely horse; I can't remember his name, but anyone who is interested can easily look it out. He is a very light grey son of Verglas, who is far from an obvious National Hunt stallion.

Mobs isn't the only horse here looking for a new home, because a steeplechaser called Guymur arrived here yesterday under strange, rather disturbing, circumstances. He is a smashing horse who has been retired from racing because of supposed fetlock problems, but if I am any judge of a horse at all he has an excellent future either in or out of racing. He is a grand horse who won a handicap steeplechase at Newton Abbot last summer, is still only aged eight, so we'll have to give careful thought as to what is best to do with him. Whatever he does do, he will be a wonderful horse for someone. He's the sort of horse anyone keen on hunting would give their eye teeth to own, but I won't rush into any snap decisions about moving him on, because he has so much potential that it would be wise to make sure that he is sent in a direction where it would be maximised.

But the really big news is that I've become a breeder. I have previously sent a mare to a stallion (Bin Ajwaad) but no longer been her owner when the foal was born (ie I wasn't the breeder of the foal), and have also been the owner of a mare when her foal was born (Last Quarry foaling a colt to Shareef Dancer) which meant that, even though I didn't plan the mating or own her at the time of conception, I was technically the breeder. But now I am the breeder in fact and every other way, because Minnie's Mystery, whom I own because of Tony Le Brocq's kindness, gave birth to her first foal, a colt by Largesse, on Sunday at Haras de la Cauviniere in Normandy. The stud's proprietor Sylvain Vidal has sent me photographs of the proud mother and her handsome son, and I really find this very exciting. Fingers crossed all will run smoothly and Minnie's will be covered by Gold Away at some point in the next few weeks. The new arrival is certainly the son of an in-form stallion, because Largesse has had three winners in the last three weeks from very few runners: our old friend Milton's Keen, who finally won a race by coming from last to first over a mile at Kempton under a very good ride from Tom McLaughlin, Bel Cantor and Lazy Darren, who looks a young hurdler with a lot of promise. Wouldn't it be lovely if we're saying something similar about his youngest paternal half-brother at some point in the next few years?