News Update - 23 November. It’s Rumoured (or Woozit as he’s better known) made all to win at Plumpton today (Sunday). Readers of our last update will know that Woozit was retired in the spring but then returned to us last month after his new owner was unable to keep him any longer. Trying to re-home racehorses at the moment is almost impossible, and as he had returned looking very fit and well, we decided to give him another winter racing. Well that decision certainly paid off! He looked happier than he has for a long time, and with his favoured soft sloppy ground his 20-1 opening price looked a trifle long, albeit in a better class of race than he has run in for some time.

Of our other runners since the last update - Pocketwood has come 3rd twice, on the flat at Newbury and over jumps at Wincanton. At Newbury he was rather unfortunate to come up against Blazing Bailey, a Cheltenham festival winner, having a prep run before the Hennessy. Over jumps Pocketwood would be receiving 5 stone weight allowance against Blazing Bailey - on the flat he had to give him a stone instead, which didn’t seem quite fair to us! At Wincanton the ground was just a bit too tacky for him, so whilst as always trying his best, he wasn’t enjoying himself and racing with his usual fluency. Russian Angel had her first outing in a year (her second in total) in a bumper at Hereford last week and ran very disappointingly. We think a bit of her but she pulled like a steam train and wandered all over the track, making stamina an issue. Although an extremely easy ride at home, she is a fretter and she obviously got herself well and truly wound up before the race. We will now run her on the flat over a much shorter trip, just to teach her to settle. She is more than capable of winning a flat race anyway so it’s no real hardship. Perry ran his usual good race at Kempton last week, finishing 4th. For his last few runs he has been drawn on the wide outside, which for a hold up horse means he gets stuck at the back of the pack. Whilst he has a lightning turn of foot in a finish not even he can make up a furlong in a furlong. Inontime had a run over hurdles at Huntingdon a fortnight ago and really disappointed as she is much better than that at home. Our amateur Harry is going to give her a spin on the all weather at Southwell next week.

More disaster has struck on the human injuries front with Carly coming off Russian Angel and breaking her wrist. She is now sporting a day-glow pink cast on her arm (apparently the days of white plaster which you could write on are long gone - you now get a choice of colours - my how times change).

Click on the logo for a list of entries.

21 October. We have had a much needed break this week, going to Le Lion D’Angers in France to watch Crescendo H, an eventer belonging to Louise Stoten and Joan Major (The Swift Buck Partnership) and Justin Moss (Imperium) compete in the World Championship 3 day event for 6 year olds. The weather was fabulous and we had a brilliant few days away. The week before we went we truly experienced the highs and lows of racing - Pocketwood made all at Folkestone to notch up his third win this year and Code Violation had to be put down after severing a tendon at Chepstow. She was bumped from behind when jumping the first hurdle, stumbling and unseating her rider, which is probably when she did the injury. If she had not gone on and completed the course then we may have been able to save her, but by the time JR and Carly caught her the damage had been done. We have had her for almost 2 years and everything we had done with her was geared to making her a successful jumper. She had started to work like a good horse and we were all very excited to see her on her first start over jumps. If possible, it was made all the worse by the fact that it was JR’s 40th birthday - not the best of presents.

The week before Second To Nun had her third run and we were all very hopeful - she received a shocking ride (sorry to the jockey’s agent if you are reading this, but it really was bad) and therefore finished mid-div. She has now gone back to her owners’ for the winter.

We had an unexpected arrival over the weekend, with It’s Rumoured being returned having been re-homed as a riding horse in the spring. We’re not sure quite what to do with him at the moment.

Returning to the subject of Pocketwood, The Swift Buck Partnership have now purchased him. They have had dreadful luck with their horses so (literally touch wood) they should have some fun with him. He will run in the ladies race at Newbury on Saturday, weather permitting, before having a winter campaign over hurdles.

Owners' Open Day, September 2007 - click here
Owners' Open Day, September 2006 - click here
Owners' Open Day, September 2005 - click here

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Lambourn Racing
Frenchmans Lodge Stables, Upper Lambourn, Berkshire, RG17 8QT, UK
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