Friends, old and new

Three of our four yearlings are now cantering and coping well. The one lagging behind is my boy, Oscar Bernadotte, but the trainer is under strict instructions not to rush him. He's now being lunged and long-reined and for a horse who has seen nothing but a peaceful Norfolk farm for his entire life, he's handling the excitement of Newmarket Heath pretty well.

We've wound down quite a bit with lots of the flat horses on holiday but the jumpers are keeping us occupied alongside the babies and we're looking forward to running Kadouchski on Boxing Day and Ex Con on 28th December, both over hurdles.

An interesting hurdles prospect to keep an eye on from Exeter Road is the Australian-bred Stawell Gift, a big strong dark brown gelding who has recently joined Willie Musson's stable from Peter Moody at Caulfield in Melbourne. With jumps racing about to be abolished in Victoria, it would be no surprise to see a few more Aussie horses head this way.

Although it's always exciting to have new horses in the yard, we never forget our old friends and it's lovely when their new owners keep in touch to let us know how they are getting on. Of the old guard, it was a particularly tearful moment when Brief Goodbye finally left the yard last month. He's not gone far though and is down the road in Fordham with Terri, who plans to do a bit of showing and hunter trials with him next year. Larry and Iris, who continued to race Brief after Joe died, came to give him a scratch on the nose before he left us and we're delighted that they are continuing the great McCarthy family link with this yard via their ownership of a new yearling, Silken Thoughts, who will carry the navy and yellow silks worn by Brief, Bold Cardowan and Stormy Crest, all of whom raced successfully for Joe.

It's been lovely to hear from Natalie Bainbridge, the new owner of Milton's Keen, who is also now doing well in the showing arena. Milton was extra special to us as he was a son of Largesse and it's great to see that he's clearly in very professional hands. Thanks to Natalie for sending us this lovely picture of the two of them and good luck to you both.

We look forward to welcoming Milton's full-sister Keep Silent here after Christmas. Another new addition to the yard will be a Desert Sun filly out of Henesey's Leg, a lovely filly who won four races for Peter Skinner when trained by John. It's a pleasure for John to be asked to train her daughter. Both she and Keep Silent are already two so will be good company for Ruby In The Dust, who has also had an easy year but will start her professional career in earnest in 2010. She's a dear little filly, who is already digging in and trying hard with the work she's being asked to do.

News also reaches us from the sumptuous yard of Ireland's leading vet/master of foxhounds/point-to-point trainer/show judge/you name it, John Halley, who has been safeguarding Lady Suffragette for Aisling since the filly's retirement. Now fully recovered from her tendon injury, Lady S has been schooling over banks at Enda Bolger's no less. We'll either see her out hunting with Aisling with the Limerick Foxhounds or in next year's Cheltenham Cross-Country Chase in the colours of JP McManus giving Garde Champetre and Heads Ontheground a run for their money.