Is summer over?

We seem to have had the best of the summer already, which is rather depressing. In fact, we seemed to pass its zenith around mid-July, but at least it was nice for a month or so before that. And at least now, even though it seems to rain most of the time as the most recent Test match demonstrated, it is still more or less permanently warm.
And at least, as this photograph upon which I chanced the other day shows, the first week of August is still better than the first week of February, exactly half a year ago. I illustrated the previous chapter with a gratuitous photograph of lovely Risky Cry and I'm doing the same again now, with this snap taken by Rupert Erskine Crum on the Severals on February 2nd, a salutary reminder that, while we might complain that summer isn't quite what it should be, it's still a hell of a lot better than winter. Abandonments through water-logging, which we're having again now (including the second half of the Flat card at Chepstow today), sure beat abandonments through snow or frost.

Today was an interesting day with the publication of the Melbourne and Caulfield Cup nominations. There aren't usually really any surprises, but this year I was pleasantly surprised to see Cima De Triomphe's name among those nominated. I presume that at present it's no more than a speculative entry, and that currently Luca is thinking no farther ahead than this weekend's Arlington Million; but he'd be an exciting contender. I have the horse in my Twelve To Follow as he made an immediate impression on me this year. The first time I saw him was in, I'd guess, February or early March. One morning I saw Luca's string going on to Long Hill, and my eye was taken by an impressively sturdy grey horse, ridden by Camilla Milbank. As Luca has several greys I didn't know who he was - I guessed he wasn't Bauer, even though Camilla had formerly ridden Bauer quite a lot, as he was too solid for that - so I later asked Brendan McGiff, the head lad, whom Camilla had been riding first lot. He told me that it was Cima De Triomphe, which was news to me as, although I remembered the horse winning last year's Italian Derby, I had not until that point become aware that the horse was no longer trained in Italy. So thus began my interest in the horse - and if that interest can culminate in my watching him win the Melbourne Cup (although realistically the 2400m of the Caulfield Cup might be more his go than the 3200m at Flemington) from the presenter's chair in the At The Races studio (assuming that I get called up for that job again this year) it would be really good. (Although of course Rebel Raider naturally remains the horse I'd most like to see win). I was last week delighted to be asked to go on a show on At The Races next Monday, so fingers crossed I remain on their roster and will have my usual overnight Flemington position in November. Re Cima, of course, the only sadness of a Melbourne Cup victory for him would be the fact that he will obviously be heading to Flemington without any more of Camilla's assistance. God willing she will be back in Luca's string eventually, but Cima will, one would assume, have retired to stud by the time that happens - and let us pray that it does indeed happen. That would be as good a result as any winner anywhere.

Talk of the Melbourne Cup reminds me that I noticed on Saturday a re-cycling of a great horse's name - not once, but twice. Kensei, of course, will always be most famous for winning the 1987 Melbourne Cup for Les Bridge and Larry Olsen, so I was intrigued to see Kensei running in a two-year-old maiden at Lingfield on Saturday - the same day that Kensei won the Grade Two Jim Dandy Stakes (for three-year-olds) at Saratoga! Of course, they are Kenseis (is that the plural of Kensei?) from three different naming jurisdictions so that's forgivable, even if remarkable.

We've got Anthony here for a few days this week, which is lovely. He gets bigger every time we see him, but there's no harm in that. Particularly as at present he's showing no inclination to pursue a life in the saddle. He has a pony at home but I think it's quite a long time since he rode him: he fell off him months ago and doesn't seem sold on the idea that one should get straight back on if one comes off: rather, he seems to subscribe to the idea that one should get back on several years later, if at all!
But he'll make up his mind whether or not he wants his life to revolve around horses in good time. We're taking him and his friend Finn Tidmarsh up to the coast tomorrow (so I hope that it doesn't rain all day) while today he had his first trip to a cinema, after catching up with our friends Colin (pictured) and Eileen Casey, in whose house he always receives a princely welcome.