It's the most wonderful time of the year

I love the summer in Newmarket. Never was a summer person until I moved here but at the height of the racing season it's impossible to be bored.

It's been a great thrill getting to know the Aussie horses over the last few years and I felt strangely flat when neither Nicconi (pictured) or Gold Trail managed to grab the King's Stand Stakes on Tuesday. Lovely result for the Hills team though and for Newsells Park Stud, the destination for Equiano once he retires at the end of this season. Nice to hear Michael Hills compare him to his grandsire, the great Royal Applause, sire of the even greater and currently very idle Pantomime Prince. Old age and sciatica willing, I'll soon be back aboard my trusty hack, who seems to be rather enjoying his extremely long holiday.

Very happy to see Junior keep up the good record of the jumpers in the Ascot Stakes - I dream about Anis Etoile, or even Oscar Bernadotte, running in that race in the coming years.

John's one big regret in not coming to Ascot yesterday would almost certainly have been missing out on seeing his idol Bear Grylls. And the thought of the Angels (seen here in action) and Bear being all in the same place at one time would have been more than the trainer could stand.

I'm still sulking about the double blow of my car deciding to combust spontaneously en route to Epsom last week and the subsequent theft of my beloved birthday bicycle the following Tuesday from Newmarket station. Although the car is more expensive to replace, the stealing of my bike was much more upsetting as it was such a thoughtful gift from my family and friends. Even more depressing was reading in the NiBs in the following week's Journal about all the other bikes stolen in Newmarket. We seem to be living in the crime capital of East Anglia.

Looking forward to a trio of runners from BHS at Newmarket and Lingfield on Saturday, with the resumption of Ethics Girl, the debut of Hotfoot and the belated first handicap run for Keep Silent. And hold on to your hats if the crazy guitar-playing Carl O'Callaghan wins the Golden Jubilee Stakes with Kinsale King (by far the most striking of the overseas raiders spotted on the Heath this year) on Saturday. Not even the Queen will be safe.