Fast horses, fast boats, fast women

Bit of a whirlwind this past weekend. Started at 5am on Saturday, shortly after which time Michelle Payne arrived in the yard to give Stardust Memories a gallop up the Al Bahathri alongside John on Douchkette. She’ll gallop her again ahead of her intended debut (for which Ms Payne will be aboard) at Windsor on 5 July and in the meantime Michelle reports the filly is ‘ready to run’.

Quick spin next lot for Panto and me with John and Anis then it was home, with a nod to Micheal Holding out supervising Micheal Stoute’s string in breaks between cricket commentary, to jump in shower then car to pick up Dawn at 8am for our weekend in Norfolk as part of Emma Candy’s hen celebrations.

Dawn, Gail, Emma and I had kindly been lent a lovely cottage in the village of Morston by my old boss Sam Bullard, who came up to take us out on his boat, from which, in company with the dogs Fluke and Whizz, we saw the nature reserve for seals and travelled along the coast to Blakeney.

Blakeney has a special place in my heart – the village and the horse. The equine Blakeney (so named as he was by Hethersett out of Windmill Girl, Hethersett being the name of another Norfolk village, while Blakeney quay affords a lovely view of the windmill at Cley just along the coast) won the Derby in 1969, the year I was born. He was bred, owned and trained by Arthur Budgett, who repeated this remarkable feat four years later when Blakeney’s half-brother Morston won the 1973 Derby. Now 93, Arthur Budgett was guest of honour at this year’s Derby and I was fortunate enough to interview him. A more charming gentleman it would be hard to find.

The neighbouring villages of Morston and Blakeney are still unpsoiled delights on the north Norfolk coast, where the tide goes out for miles to reveal swathes of salt marsh and a haven for wading birds, not to mention the local delicacy, samphire grass, which is a member of the asparagus family.

Emma and Gail joined us at lunchtime as they both work for big trainers in town and couldn’t escape until after morning stables. Tour rules prevent me spilling any more details about the hen weekend but the champagne-swilling was punctuated by a nice call from Gai Waterhouse, Emma’s former boss, who is currently in Sicily and homing in on Newmarket for July Cup week.

Very much looking forward to the week ahead, which will see the debut of the aforementioned Stardust Memories and also the flat debut for a new arrival Douchkette, who is Kadouchski's half-sister. These two fillies are set to go head-to-head at Windsor on Monday. Later in the week Ethics Girl will return to the track and we have the July meeting, Darley stallion parade and countless visitors to look forward to while all that's going on. Let's hope this cracking weather holds.