One thing that I quite often think of is how the Industry has 'changed' over the 38 years since I started training in 1984; not so much in terms of the 'horses' per se; on theflat Fred Darling and Noel Murless would both recognise the horses I have at Rowdown; and by 1984 the 'revolution' (for want of a better word although 'transition' would equally suit) in the way NH horses have evolved from powerful and 'substantial' guys like Freebooter and evenMill House to the lighter, more athletic chasers who use their hocks, that the Dickinson's had so much success with; like Wayward Lad and Silver Buck; but more in terms of the impact that the professionally constructed artificai surfaces have had on the wider flat race programme over the last decade or so.

One consequence of this is (self evidently!) a reduction in the number of races run on the grass over the course of the tradiitional turf season from the Lincoln to the November Handicap; and, because of this reduction, the opportunities to find the right ground for an individual horse in the 65% or thereabouts of the flat races that are still run on turf are becoming harder to find; different horses have different confirmation, both in terms of being static and (more importantly) in the way that they move; and this difference is the key determinate of the ground that will suit each horse; some horses are better suited to acting on a firm surface but it is a truism that everytime you run a horse on jarring ground you pay a physical 'price' against the integrity of the horse's systems of support and movement; for some horses that price is quite small but for others, particularly tallish and latter maturing guys, the affect of jar can be really quite adverse.

So the ongoing dry Spring is one factor in the patience that we are exercising at Rowdown in terms of running our horses; we are really pleased with overall quality of the string; and equally pleased with the 'healthy' way almost every horse is currently running (and, with a bit more luck with the draw and the stalls, witness Arlecchino's Gift and Twilight Revenge, our win to run ratio would be better still); the guys who ride work for us, Ellie, Isobel, Jazz and Charlie to name four we are grateful to, Dave, who makes sure the Yard runs smoothly and Carol, who travels a lot of the horses, the rest of the guys in the Yard and I are all really content that the patience we are exercising now will pay as we get into the Summer proper and later to the Autumn.

If you can't actually go racing you are always welcome to see the horses on the move virtually and morning Monday thru to Saturday.