I'd like to say I'm back from holiday feeling rested and ready for a busy winter. Instead, I'm back from holiday feeling as if I haven't been away. All said and done it was lovely to get away but 1 week isn't long enough to wind down. My phone constantly buzzed and couldn't be ignored. The sun shone and the kids had a lovely time. It was our first experience of Mark Warner holidays, they are fun but active, I didn't appreciate being asked to join in aqua aerobics, volleyball, a triathlon and many other exhausting things when trying to relax. I refrained from telling the organisers of these activities to fuck off as I felt I was quite fit enough. The price to pay for a holiday is 2 days flat to the boards catching up with everything. Yesterday, after morning stable, at the bank managers request, I spent the day strapped to my desk. Hopefully, by the end of the week he won't need to ring me again.
Alice and the guys have done a great job keeping things ticking over here and as expected everything was in tip top shape when I got back. Hopstrings ran a very creditable race at Bangor on Friday. Lets see what the handicapper allots her tomorrow. I think she should be 95 but we fear she may get 100. She won't be rushed back to the track and will be given some time to get over 2 relatively quick races.
Alice took a 2 year old filly back to Overbury Stud this morning, no sooner was the stable empty another horse arrived. We sat on our latest arrival from Ireland in the lunge pen this morning, a 3 year old Robin Des Champ ex Lady Mariah, he was lead out unsold at the Derby Sale and we bought him privately the week before I went away on holiday. He's a gorgeous horse and behaved beautifully, he is owned 50% by the Pudlicote Partnership and an individual owns the other 50%.
Next week I am heading back out to Tatts Ireland August sale in search of another one.
Sam called in with his father and brother this afternoon, Sam's foot is looking more like a foot and he hopes to be back on a horse by the end of September. Sam will be working for me full time next season, he will be a huge asset to the team and we are very much looking forward to having him back.
