Not too many runners in recent weeks....

The last few months have been underwhelming to say the least for the stable. It seems like it has just been one thing after another, and most of it out with the control of any of us. And yet the string have been in fine health, and working pleasingly each morning.

To the forefront - it seems all season - has been the unusually dry weather during the winter. Racecourses have done their best by frequent irrigation but we've not really felt comfortable in running any of the string during this period. Not a large yard by any means but we've got the best batch of horses we've ever had here at Dodlands, and they're all fairly young (in NH terms) with what we think are there best days ahead.

With the backing of our owners, we have refrained from running horses on fast-ish ground in the vain hope that a prolonged spell of rain would occur to provide the soft ground (or even genuine good-to-soft) that would give a safe surface in which to run our winter-ground horses.

Come end of April, and now our horses have been in training for 8-9 months and due a break that summer grass brings. There are one or two who were later in, or had a mid season break so we'll carry on with a few into May. Several youngsters are back in for a second spell and we've got a few horses for the Flat too, so there's still lots going on!!!

 Enough already, let's crack on with the weekend news from Dodlands.

Saturday morning gallops

Half a dozen of the work riders were in bright and early, so there were 6 horses in the first lot. Each did couple of steady gallops Up-the-Middle.

Princess Apollo, 'Hope', 'Mila', Danced Every Dance, Paper Promise and The Boo Box comprised Lot 1.
Do you ever watch Golf coverage from the USA on Sky Sports? You know, the American Network starts 'live' transmission about half-way through the round, so the TV audience hardly ever see anything from the early starters.
A bit like Lot 1 each Saturday..............

Lot 2 saw Paper Roses (Leah), Dali Mail (Pinky) and Honda Fifty (Rebecca) complete a couple of steady canters. While 'Margaret', our Yeats filly (Kingy),  and Bonny Houxty (Callum) did one steady canter then a faster piece of work.
This was 'Margaret's' first exposure to a faster pace and Bonny Houxty is new arrival to the yard and is an ex-Pointer. Given their level of experience (i.e. little and very respectively), both horses delighted their riders. Bonny Houxty has a bumper at Hexham in about a fortnight's time on her agenda.

Yeats filly (Kingy) on the left with Bonny Houxty (Callum, right)

Rob Bewley was in place at the top of the gallops for Lot 3. And there was double interest for Rob, for as well as his Arcadio gelding who has been in training at Dodlands for a couple of months, his wife Kathryn brought along her Point-to-Point youngster (Just Don't Know) to join in.

As well as the Arcadio gelding (Callum), Lot 3 comprised of Big Bad Dream (Kingy) and Keyboard Gangster (Pinky).
Big Bad Dream had a couple of nicely paced canters with Just Don't Know but after a once up warm-up, Callum and Pinky gave their horses a faster piece of work. Callum and Pinky were equally delighted with their horses during the post gallop de-brief back at the yard.
With Kathryn very happy with her Pointer, Rob left the stable complex a happy man!

Rob Bewley's Arcadio gelding (Callum nearside) working upsides Keyboard Gangster (Pinky)

It's at this stage of the year that we welcome back a few of the youngsters (such as 'Hope' and 'Mila' from Lot 1) for their second spell of training. Almost as a group, these young un-named fillies and geldings will be here for another month or so and we hope to take 3 or 4 of them along to a nearby racecourse for a gallop at the end of May.

In Lot 4, we gave a steady canter to a couple of horses who had been out at Gary Rutherford's yard for several weeks in pre-training. 'Seb' (Callum) is The Buyers Club purchase from Tatts Ire last August, while 'Mac' (Kingy) is a 3 year old bred by Al Duncan out of his mare Well Disguised.

Naturally enough, both horses showed signs of green-ness, especially as their gallop was accompanied by a short rain outburst but they are two nice types who have settled in well.

'Seb' (Callum) leads his new friend 'Mac' (Kingy)

A bit of schooling

To round off this lengthy update, a brief glimpse of Stainsby Girl, our filly who had a good season in National Hunt Flat races.
Before being 'roughed off', Callum gave her a few jumping lessons which she took to very well. Good girl!!!