Beating (or relishing) the heat

Thank you, Neil and Glenn, for your comments after the last chapter.  And apologies that it has taken me so long to acknowledge them, and to write another chapter.  Where does the time go?  It just goes.  There's a saying that if you want something done, you should ask a busy man - but I'm not sure that that's right.  Sometimes busy does actually mean busy, just as Brexit apparently means Brexit; and I'm not just talking about a red, white and blue busy either.  Sometimes busy means that you just can't fit any more in.  I've been a bit like that recently (again).

It doesn't sound much, but when you have extra things outside the usual daily grind for a few days, then you just can't get everything done.  I had a period like that.  Emma and I treated ourselves to a day at Ascot on the Saturday (ie nine days ago).  (She had been on the Tuesday and Wednesday, but for me this was my first day out at the Royal Meeting since Black Caviar won in 2012).  That was lovely, but it wiped out the whole day.  I rode two lots and made up the feeds, but apart from dealing with a few emails that was the full extent of my working day.

And then I was on the Sunday Forum the next day, a late call-up as a substitute for a non-runner.  That took out the bulk of the time between morning and evening stables.  There was nothing extra on the Monday (bar the end-of-month full Town Council meeting in the evening) but Monday is always busy anyway as I have my Winning Post column to write.  And then we had runners Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Roy at Brighton; Hope Is High at Salisbury; Wasted Sunsets at Nottingham in the afternoon and Leicester in the evening.

Wednesday (thanks to appalling traffic) and Thursday were very late nights, which was a strain as we are starting at 5.30 at present to beat the heat (which to my mind doesn't require any beating because it is a joy, but I keep being told that it's difficult).  I think that Friday was straightforward enough - and then I had a Saturday evening shift on At The Races, which meant that I pretty much had to have a sleep at lunchtime, as that was going to be a late night as the Grade One race at Monmouth Park was late.  And Sunday turned out to be fairly full, largely as I ended up spending three hours out on a horse whose exercise ought to have taken about 40 minutes.  And today is Monday (with an NTC Development & Planning Meeting in the evening, and 1,900 words written for Winning Post).

And my VAT return was due by the end of the month.  And the end of the month was also the deadline for an article I was writing for a magazine, and predictably I had spent three and a half of the four weeks which I had to write it doing no more than (occasionally) thinking about what I might write.  It all takes time.  Anyway, I ought to write something today as we're off to Brighton with Roy again tomorrow.  The trips to Salisbury, Nottingham and Leicester were pleasant, but ultimately unproductive which limits the pleasure.  Our trip to Brighton last week, though, was terrific!

Roy and Ross Birkett had won the race two years ago and then he been ineligible to run in it last year through being rated too highly; and this year he was the bottom weight.  And I was very happy with his condition.  So that meant that he had to win, yes?  Well, it doesn't really work that way.  Clearly he had as good a chance as anything else in the race, and a better chance than many of them, but that still meant that he was more likely not to win than to win - which is the case for any horse which doesn't start at even-money or shorter.

And we hadn't had a winner since October.  (Admittedly the situation wasn't as gloomy as that sounds: we hardly have any runners over the winter, and this season we had only run four horses, of which one was running in maiden races so wasn't in a position to be disappointing while the three handicappers had all been placed, running as if a win shouldn't be too far away).  But I never take anything for granted at the best of times; under the circumstances, therefore - well, it was just very, very good to have him win.

Roy is so popular at Brighton, which is a lovely racecourse.  Matt Chapman was doing the TV for ATR there and he really added to the occasion, and the victory was just a source of great joy, joy seemingly shared by pretty much everyone on the racecourse.  Roy is so special (and doubly special at Brighton).  As I bred him, part-own him with some dear friends who have been staunch supporters, and ride him pretty much every day and spoil him rotten; as he races in colours very dear to my heart; as he's pretty much always ridden by a good friend (whether that be Ross Birkett who rode him last week, or John Egan his regular jockey who rides him tomorrow, or Nicola Currie); and as he is the most loveable horse who carries a mountain of good-will behind him - well, it's a special day any time he runs, never mind wins - so last week was a wonderful delight.  We go back there tomorrow, so we'll hope for the best but take nothing for granted.