Heart-warming stuff

Today has so far run like clockwork. When planning how to fit everything in, it seemed that all the timings would be spot-on - which is usually the catalyst for nothing running to schedule - but happily all seems to have fallen into place nicely. I started planning this morning when I cycled up the Bury Road to the Bedford Lodge Hotel yesterday afternoon. I'd realised that Richard Dunwoody was within his final week of his 1,000-mile mile-each-hour charity walk, and thus that if I let time continue to slip away then I would miss the opportunity to enjoy making a gesture of support. Anyway, as I cycled up the road yesterday, I had the pleasure of a wonderful and totally unexpected sight: I found myself alongside J P McNamara, the very good and very nice former jockey who at one stage looked set for a life of immobility, striding boldly up the road, accompanied by the admirable northern-based dual-purpose hoop Michael Naughton. This brought me great joy. J P was, it transpired, doing an 8am to 8pm stint in Richard's routine, not quite keeping pace with Richard's sub-15-minute miles but averaging a very healthy 20 minutes. I don't think of a better way of describing how pleased I was to see him than by saying that I can't tell you how pleased I was to see him. Anyway, it was a real pleasure to spend an hour in his company between shifts - during which hour I made arrangements to join Richard this morning - before heading back down the road on my bicycle alongside J P and Michael as they set off on their next leg.

Nothing really can be as heart-warming as that chance encounter, but our couple of miles with Richard this morning came pretty close. I had booked myself in for the 4 o'clock mile and the 5 o'clock mile - which didn't involve quite the early start which that implies as it basically meant walking between 4.40 and 5.15, as the miles are at the end of one hour and the start of the next - and was thus able to head up to the Bedford Lodge after taking in the ATR coverage of the 4.10 (BST) race at Randwick, in which The Embassy, part-owned by Lawrence Wadey, was running. It was a party of three which headed up the Bury Road, because Emma came too, as did our house-guest, dual South Australian champion and dual Derby-winning jockey Clare Lindop (pictured with Richard).
The walk couldn't have been more enjoyable. It had been impressed on me that Richard tries to remain dozy during his night walks to help him go back to sleep in his breaks, so I duly promised - and meant it - that I wouldn't do anything to intrude into his trance. Well, I was forced to break the promise, because Richard couldn't have been more friendly or chatty: the only way we could have stuck to my under-taking would have been by ignoring him! It has been noticeable as we've passed him each day over the past few weeks that Richard has been getting more and more chirpy throughout his ordeal - which is the exact opposite of what one might have expected - almost as if he started dreading it, but has increasingly found that it far easier to enjoy than he'd feared. Anyway, this morning was pure joy, as the conversation covered even more ground than our feet. I had admired Richard's commitment even before this morning, but that admiration has now been redoubled, as he defied sleep deprivation and the tedium of routine to show jollity and friendliness far beyond the call of duty.


Anyway, after our walk we dropped Clare off at Sir Michael Stoute's yard, where she was to ride two lots, and headed home in time for - perfect timing again - the ATR coverage of the 5.38 (BST) from Flemington, in which Diamondsindinside, part-owned by my Winning Post colleague Joel Marshall, ran a very good third. On yet another perfect summer's morning, I then had time to take Ethics Girl out on her own to the Al Bahathri before the normal 6.45 start-time of what is the usual first lot, when I rode Risky Cry and took this photograph
(of Aisling and Emma on Cape Roberto and Panto, on top of Long Hill after cantering up it) which sums up the beauty of the morning, as does the one above in which Ethics surveys the entrance to Railway Land where she is about to work.

We were then spoiled in the stable with the voluntary help which we received today, with plenty of riders in to swell the string and Steve McCormick lending a hand with the other tasks. All help was gratefully received, none more so than Clare, on her return from Freemason Lodge, partnering Douchkette in the final stalls session which she and Stardust Memories were to have prior to their debuts at Windsor on Monday. As this photo (of her on the darker Douchkette and Martha on Stardust setting off to walk home after the session) shows,
both horses behaved in a totally unflustered manner, and I think that we can be confident that we are sending them out as well schooled as they could be. The two Aussie sheilas who have been helping us out - Michelle Payne on previous mornings and Clare today - have been inspirational, as two more professional, positive or likeable people you'd struggle to meet. It is no surprise that each has made such a success of her chosen profession, and it is great to see them both now making a great success of their working holidays. Clare has obviously been more prolific on British racecourses to date, but I am delighted to see that Stardust will now be one of four rides for Michelle (who had her first ride in the UK yesterday, for Jane Chapple-Hyam at Doncaster) at Windsor on Monday, the others being for Jane, Luca and Stuart Williams. Let's hope that they all run well.