Sunday, January 23, 2011

Reasons to be cheerful: 1,2,3

A handful of good things have happened this week to balance out several bad things. The bad things, caused by bad people, do not warrant a mention here because I don't want thoughts of a negative nature to ruin an otherwise perfectly nice Sunday.

But the good things are worth mentioning, even if they have little relevance (yet) to the wider racing world. I arrived back from London midweek to an upbeat report from the trainer regarding Ruby In The Dust. It wasn't that she'd just performed a sparkling piece of work or any such miracle, rather that the marvellous Carol Whitwood, equine chiropractor extraordinaire, had found that she needed some manipulation in her sacro-iliac joints. It may sound strange to be pleased to find that she had something wrong with her but John's been concerned with the shape of her back and quarters of late and, despite the fact that she's been eating well and moving well (which, generally, horses with SI trouble don't), she has continued to look too light and has had us scratching our heads. After a quiet week – a few days on box rest then a few more turned out in the muddy swamp that was once a paddock – Ruby will come back into slow work and resume her build-up towards a bumper debut.

Also approaching a bumper run (we hope) at the much grander age of seven is Ben Bhraggie, seen in both pictures on this posting, at work and at rest. Every year for the last four we've wondered if this will be the year that Ben will see a racecourse and, keeping absolutely everything we can think of crossed, it's looking like this year just might be the one. Only don't say it too loudly because we don't want him to know about it just yet.

Adam returned from his Thai sojourn and was as shocked as we all were to find Ben a transformed beast, scorching up the Al Bahathri in company with Douchkirk (Frankie). And given that Frankie has been just about keeping up with Ethics Girl and Rhythm Stick in recent work, it's heartening to know that Ben, in turn, can just about keep up with him. Come on Ben Bhraggie, the entire Scottish town of Golspie, if not all Sutherland, is waiting for you to run.

The third nice thing was being able to view a video clip on Facebook of Douchkette successfully jumping a double clear on her first indoor showjumping outing. She's not long left us and Tanya Bridgeman is doing a great job of re-educating her for eventing.

From having had the four siblings Kadouchski, She Is A Cracker, Douchkette and Douchkirk all here at one stage, we only have the two boys left now. Being by four different sires they are all markedly different in looks but what they all share is a very nice nature and willingness to work. Douchkirk, who, it has to be said, is a very strange looking horse, almost non-thoroughbred, completes the trio of our bumper horses waiting in the wings and we're very much hoping he can add to the family's winning tally later this year.

No comments: