EVEN though jumps racing has returned from its mini-break, it is still a funny time with some meetings, but it is a little sporadic with not a lot going on in between!

There was racing at Worcester on Sunday but this is followed by four blank days with just Bangor on Friday and then Stratford on Saturday and Fontwell on Sunday to follow this weekend.

We had just a few runners last week with some placings but no winners to add to our 14 tally so far this season. Ocean Heights finished third over hurdles at Stratford. On latent ability, he should be winning off his current mark over hurdles but he is not the most natural over an obstacle and this can let him down at the business end of the race.

Pub Crawl missed the start in his race at Stratford and that put him on the back foot. He has ability but he is a quirky character. He can be winning when things fall right for him. On the flat at Ffos Las, Final Entry ran well enough on his first run for us in this sphere. He now qualifies for a rating on the level and while we plan to run him next back over hurdles at Newton Abbot, it an avenue we will look to explore a little further down the line.

Full-brother, Mr Tambourine Man ran on the same day but did not enjoy the heavy underfoot conditions. He will next run again back over hurdles at Newton Abbot. Bashful Boy ran his best race for a while to a point at Fontwell but did finish a little weakly. He seems to have come out of the race fine and he holds an entry in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket next month, a race he finished fourth in last year at big odds. Dindin didn’t follow up his good run at Newton Abbot at Worcester on Sunday while Groundbreaker also disappointed. Chemical Warfare ran another solid race to be fourth over hurdles and he can be winning again soon.

This week is fairly quiet on the runners front with not much racing but we did have a runner on the flat at Goodwood on Tuesday, Ben Lilly.

Leanne and I went to Ireland to watch Coldplay at Croke Park in Dublin on Sunday. We went as guests of Tom Malone alongside Paul Nicholls, Jamie Snowden and Tim Vaughan. It was a great evening enjoyed by us all.

We have had the second driest August we have ever recorded at Pond House with just 27mm of rainfall. We have had 776mm of rain so far in 2024, over 50mm more than in 2023 and in fact the highest since 2012 when we had 789mm to this point. We had a nice drop of rain on Sunday overnight; 19mm fell, and more on Monday, so a little more of this would be good throughout September for the racecourses.

National Racehorse week is fast approaching with yards opening their doors to the public from the 7th – 15th September. This is something we have enjoyed taking part in and it gives people the chance to see close up the love, care and attention all the horses get on a daily basis. We are opening our doors on Sunday 15th September but it is a pre-booked event and you cannot just turn up on the day. It is a free experience and we have sold out our allocated spaces online but if you are interested in coming along, please do get in touch direct. Email: [email protected]