Merry Christmas from Dodlands Steading

With bands of heavy rain spreading through the country, it may be a frustrating time for racing over the next week or so. Actually, right through until the first week in January, there is a good selection of racing in the north to choose from.
Later on this week, there are meetings at Wetherby, Catterick, Kelso and Haydock, and into the New Year we've got a Scottish Winter Festival with 4 meetings in as many days shared between Ayr and Musselburgh, topped off with Newcastle on the Saturday.

Plenty of mud around, but our woodchip gallop is continuing to provide a sound, safe surface on which to gallop the string each morning.

So, as always, we're rarin' to go!!!

So, look out for...........

Wetherby on Thursday where we'd love to run Mini the Minx in the 3m 1f handicap hurdle on heavy ground. She in fine health at the moment, but the only drawback is that she needs a fair few of those horses above her in the handicap to drop out. If she gets a run, then this will be her first attempt at beyond 3 miles, a distance which should suit. Anyway, we can but hope she has the opportunity.

More likely is Bollin Fiona at Catterick on Friday in the conditional jockeys handicap hurdle over a similar distance. Likewise, as I'm sure you'll know by now, Fiona will be suited by the soft ground, and the distance is ideal, and that just leaves the course layout to worry about............

Charlie Bucket will in all likelihood run in the staying handicap hurdle at Kelso on Saturday, with Callum able to reduce the weight on his back by a valuable 5lb. You never know, this could just be the quirky gelding's day!

Snapping Turtle will revert back to 2 miles if he takes his chance in the handicap chase. He looked in need of the experience over 2½ miles at Newcastle last time after the promise of his debut at Carlisle when 3rd to Kruzhkinin. He shouldn't be far away if jumping fluently.

Hawaii Klass is an experienced handicapper, but has just had the one run to date over the larger obstacles. He's entered in the 3 mile (or as near dammit) handicap chase at Kelso, but with a variety of distances and race meetings on the horizon we'll take a raincheck before committing to run.

And finally, Mia Matriarch makes up our entries at Kelso. There's no doubt she'll be suited by further than the 2m of the mares' novices' hurdle  but we're keen to give her more jumping experience after she unseated her jockey at the second on her seasonal re-appearance.

 
Mia Matriarch