All horses are in good shape. Chiquilline's net arrived today, we'll try him in it tomorrow, the only thing is he doesn't pull at home. However, he'll need to get used to it for race days, only then will we find out if it is going to help his rather weak jockey! Sam is in tomorrow as test pilot.
Tom Malone was here today to see the horses, he was mad about a couple of them. I always like bloodstock agents seeing the horses prior to the sales. They get to see them without all the chaos that goes on on sales days. I also enjoy talking to them as it gives me a much better idea of what their clients are looking for. It is a very good opportunity to pick their brains and learn from them.
Tiqris will probably run in a bumper, there are 2 races I have in mind, Towcester 8th April or Huntington 9th April. He'll be entered in both. I am not afraid of doing this as I genuinely believe in him and have no doubt in my mind he's a bumper horse. The turn of foot he showed after being on his nose at the 2nd last was breathtaking! The critics can say what they like about British p2p's and times of races. I have watched and ridden enough horses to know when one is a bit special. We are faced with an uphill battle promoting British p2p winners. Tom Malone was telling me that almost as soon as a horse has crossed the line in an Irish p2p he receives a "tweet". The same evening he can watch the whole race on their website with a full result of all runners and riders being available too. How an earth is it ever going to change when we are so far behind the Irish boys. The powers that be in Britain introduced races for 4 year olds yet they seem to have overlooked the importance of backing it commercially. I feel that I am ploughing a lone furrow and the British Bloodstock agents don't want to help push British winners either. Can you imagine an Irish or French agent not supporting their own! I can't. Last year we were advised that if we wanted to go to market after winning British p2ps we needed to buy horses with better pedigrees. We took the advise and did so but nothing seems to have changed. If Tiqris won in Ireland as he did on Sunday people would be fighting over him for sums well in excess of £200,000. Tiqris got a lovely picture in The Weekender and some very good words in the report from the meeeting.
For as long as I am supported by my investors I will continue to use British p2p's as a starting ground for some of our young horses.
We are just about to sing happy birthday to Panda who I am told is 4 today. Only by the skin of my teeth did I manage to stop one of her godfathers sending a card with the number 5 on it. I then received a huge amount of verbal greif about knowing the age of every horse in the yard.
