Bank Holiday sunshine

Another week.  Well, this other week has begun beautifully, its first day (Sunday, of course) having been a truly glorious day.  We've spent large parts of both July and August feeling short-changed by the weather, so it's rather good that during the August Bank Holiday weekend, which is so often very wet, is proving to be such a delight.  It's due to be even hotter tomorrow (24 today, 27 tomorrow) so that's great.  We'll be off to Epsom with Roy, and the traffic might be busy especially on the M25 as one approaches the bridge, so it'll be sensible to be on the road in good time, as it's not good to have a horse in a stationary horsebox on a hot day.

The amateurs' Derby is likely to be a hot enough race by Roy's standards, but he's very well and on bottom weight.  Ross Birkett rides him very well (he's ridden him twice previously, winning at Brighton in the middle of last year and then running well in this race a couple of months later) just as he rides all horses well, so we'll go to the races knowing that we have a legitimate contender in what is by our standards a big race; and we'll enjoy the day, knowing that Roy is almost certain to run his usual honourable and honest race.  

Later in the week we should have Wasted Sunsets making her debut at Kempton on Wednesday evening and Sussex Girl running at Thirsk on Friday.  Wasted Sunsets has been a slow developer, but that's been no surprise as she was a relatively immature yearling.  It'll be good to be able to begin to make up for lost time.  Sussex Girl has also been quite backward too and it's still fairly early days for her too, although it'll be her fifth rather than first race.  She seems to be progressing nicely, so I'd hope that she is ready to run very competitively.  We'll see.

Looking farther ahead, White Valiant (seen in the foreground this afternoon in the first photograph, out with his friends Indira, Kilim and Roy) is also preparing to take his career to a new stage.  He appears to be on schedule to make his hurdles debut at Fontwell two weeks today, 10th September.  He's working well and his schooling is going well too, courtesy of Jack Quinlan and his sister Megan who is doing us a colossal favour by giving him a lead on her horse.  As you can see from these last two photographs, taken yesterday morning before the clouds dispersed, this is first-class tuition, and White Valiant seems to be taking advantage of this excellent education.