With Christmas looming it's probably time for a bit of a review of the year from the small goldfish bowl that is Beverley House Stables.
The accident that claimed the life of Chris Watson last month has to be utterly the worst thing that could happen in any stable. We've lost a good friend, racing has lost an enthusiastic supporter and in the wider world there is one decent man missing. Chris will not be forgotten by any of us and our thoughts are very much with his family and friends this Christmas.

Hannah is of course very fortunate to have two such experienced and decent colleagues as Hugh and Adam. A racing yard can't function without good staff and we're very grateful to have such wonderful and trustworthy people involved here.
My small string is growing, though I can't say with any confidence that we'll see any of them on the racecourse any time soon. Oscar Bernadotte has a darling temperament but the trainer appears to be taking a very softly-softly approach with him. I'm sure he's right to do so. The same can be said for Ruby In The Dust, though John doesn't agree with me about her manners as he has nicknamed her 'The Maggot'.

Best news of the year for me was that Oscar's sire Sulamani has returned to Britain to stand at Yorton Farm in Shropshire. To truly like a particular stallion I have to have loved him as a racehorse and there's hardly a horse in the last few decades whom I have admired more than Sulamani. I know I can't be a lone voice in liking him as a stallion – his Classic-winning son Mastery has been a wonderful advertisement for him again this year – and I hope a plentiful array of NH breeders will take him to their hearts now that he's back in the UK. If his stock are anywhere near as tough as he was as a racehorse then he has to stand a chance of siring good bumper/hurdles winners in the next few seasons.
And probably equal best news was AP McCoy becoming BBC Sports Personality of the Year. He didn't need the marketing campaign. He is, quite simply, the best, and the best by a distance.

Most wonderful of all are those currently very woolly creatures who inhabit this yard. Extreme Conviction has to win BHS Horse of the Year for his four victories but each and every horse here brings joy in different ways and watching the young ones learn to become racehorses is endlessly enjoyable.
I'm not going to spoil Christmas by thinking about the potential carving up of next year's Flat season for no justifiable reason: that subject has already upset and depressed me too much this year. Much better to focus on the positives and all that ever really matters is the horses who make the sport of racing so great. Here's to them and to every one of us who lives in hope that a truly great one will one day touch our lives.
Happy Christmas.
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