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After a nine day break I cannot tell you how pleased I was to get back jump racing again and I was even more pleased that the horses have returned from the enforced mini-break in rude health with three winners during the course of the week.  Unfortunately for Tom Scudamore his enforced holiday is a little longer than the rest of ours, although in his absence we have been able to put up some of the other capable lads around the yard as well as secure the services of a certain A P McCoy on a few of our runners.

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MCP, David & Jilly Cooper at the Garden Party

As we know we have had a mini break from the jump racing over the past few days but I can assure everyone there has been plenty of work going on behind the scenes!  All the horses are now back in from their summer holidays and in fact the majority are cantering away on the gallops.

Jumps action returns on Wednesday but my first runner of the week is on the flat on Tuesday at Ffos Las.  Bathwick Street is having his first run for the yard in the 5.15pm race, a 1m4f handicap with Willie Twiston-Davies in the saddle.  He actually won his last two starts for David Evans but then has had some time off due to injury so this will be his first run since May 2013.  He is a lovely big five year old and I am really looking forward to sending him over hurdles but it is nice to get him back on the track and see what he can do on the level first.  He works well at home and it will be interesting to see how he gets on off a mark of 78.

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Kieron_Edgar_equicisor

We have now embarked on our nine day summer sabbatical and you have already heard my thoughts on that, but the horses still need to be groomed, exercised and fed so it is very much business as usual around the stable.  This time of year gives us the ideal opportunity to do a bit of belated ‘spring cleaning’; getting the maintenance jobs around the yard done, as well as steam cleaning and disinfecting the remaining empty boxes.  Indeed, with the horses still continuing to arrive back in from their summer breaks you could almost confuse it for a regular day at the height of the National Hunt season…albeit considerably warmer!

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There has been plenty written about Tom Scudamore’s error of judgement last Monday when taking the wrong course aboard Run Forest Run for trainer Karen McLintock so I will not dwell on the subject too much.  Needless to say that Tom was mortified as soon as he realised his error and has apologised profoundly to all effected by his mistake.  He accepted his punishment of a twelve day suspension (commencing 13th August) with the good grace and dignity befitting of a gentleman and he seems to have come out of this with his reputation enhanced rather than damaged by the entire saga.

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Well, he got there in the end!  A P McCoy finally surpassed my father’s tally of winners with success in the Summer Plate at Market Rasen aboard It’s A Gimme on Saturday.  To ride 4,192 winners is a phenomenal achievement and judging by his appearance at Pond House on Sunday evening to claim bragging rights, his hunger is undiminished.  He still wants to ride 300 winners in a season and that feat alone would put him firmly on his way to an extraordinary 5,000 winners.

We had a lovely little get together last night (Sunday) to celebrate his achievement and for all that has been made out of the competition, it has all been in good humour and we could not be happier for him.  Congratulations from everybody at Pond House to a very special talent.

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It has been well publicised that champion jockey A P McCoy is nearing the number of winners that my father sent out during his time as a trainer (4191) and it would seem that as he has drawn closer to that tally, the winners have become harder and harder to come by.  It is a target that A P had set for himself after riding his 4000th winner and it has been an on-going personal challenge between him and my father for some time.  To think that it has taken McCoy twenty years to achieve this total is some testament to the success that my father enjoyed as a trainer, although I know he will be delighted when the champ finally surpasses his tally.  They have been exchanging teasing texts over the past few weeks, but it has all been of a fun nature although my father has threatened to take out his trainers licence again…I certainly hope he is only joking, otherwise I will be on the lookout for another assistant trainer!

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As I alluded to last week, we have been busy at the sales recently.  Following a productive time in Ireland where we picked up six new recruits, we enjoyed an even more fruitful time in France where we purchased another eight inmates.  They are a mix of promising, young unraced horses and a few with their ability already proven on the racecourse including exciting lots Alternatif and Batavir (pictured above).  At this time last year we were all very excited for the season ahead and following a great campaign, we are extremely fortunate to be able to solidify an already strong team with these new additions.  Of course, we wouldn't be able to achieve any of this without the wonderful support of our great group of owners, both old and new and for that I am extremely grateful.  These are certainly exciting times for everyone at Pond House.

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                  Kieron Edgar

Although a fairly quiet time on the racing front at the moment it has been busy in many other ways!  I was in Ireland for three days last week for Tattersalls Ireland Derby sale and I am pleased to report we have six new acquisitions to the yard who are already settling in well at Pond House.  Five are un-named, unbroken youngsters who are long term projects and who hopefully could be potential stars of the future!  Last year’s purchases from the sale, include bumper winners and placed horses, Molo, Lady of Longstone and A Hairy Koala.  This year’s horses all have nice pedigrees and could literally be anything which is the exciting part!  They will now be broken in before being turned away for some grass with the view to them hopefully making their racecourse debuts in the spring of 2015.

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I spent the last seven days in Bergerac in the west of France near Bordeaux with Leanne, her parents and the children and while we had a lovely time, there is only so much overindulging on fine wine and food I can manage before I need to get back to the grind.  I was never too far away from the action though with required bedtime reading being the upcoming Derby and Arqana sales catalogues.

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Lady_Of_Longstone_Worcester

Although quieter on the racing front with most of the horses now enjoying their summer breaks, the good form of the stable was maintained with the success of Lady Of Longstone (pictured above) at Worcester on Tuesday.  Making her racecourse debut in the bumper, our daughter of Beneficial ground out a workmanlike victory under a good ride from Tom Scudamore.  She would ideally have been suited by a stronger gallop so Scu sensibly produced her to challenge some way out and she stayed on gamely to draw away in the closing stages.

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