After a morning meeting on Thursday I hurried down to Goodwood to catch Morana’s run in the first. I arrived in the ring at the same time as Alan Munro – Mick was there with a couple of friends but Pete hadn’t made it. Alan was very positive about Morana – he said he hadn’t been sure how good he …

Lots going on at the moment, both in business and with the horses. Last Tuesday was a Swindon Town strategy day.  We wanted an outsider to chair it and we got Roger Munby, ex chairman and CEO of Norwich, to do the honours.   He made a big impression on me – a committed and hard working man who helped to built the …

Out and about today and updating from my mobile. Looby Loo comes out at Kempton after eighteen months of waiting. She cost me over half a million pounds and she’s coming out in a little maiden at Kempton on a quiet Wednesday – I don’t think I’ll be getting my money back on this one. Still she’s not completely useless …

No good on Saturday, with Maxwell continuing to disappoint.  I’ve had a few runs now without a winner – hopefully today that can be put to rights. Quaker Parrot is a genuine sort who readily gives her all – if she gets beaten today it wont be through lack of trying.  Her race looks pretty winnable if she can replicate …

I’m very busy at the moment, with some days being wall to wall meetings.  It’s nice to have spare time to think, but recently I’ve come to realise that I’m much happier in myself when I’m really busy.  On Saturday I went down to Yeovil to watch Swindon.  We won 1-0 thanks to an own goal – unspectacular but they …

Another disappointing run for Maxwell Hawke on Friday.  It’s been a while now since he put in a decent run, but I think he’ll return to form one day.  Next time up he’ll be wearing a tongue tie.  Cyan Eyed ran today, finishing in mid division in what may prove to be a smart maiden.  She doesn’t look like a …

Disappointing yesterday.  Teia Tephi ran no race and is a candidate for early retirement.  She has plenty of ability on her limited home work but she has dodgy joints, and when push came to shove yesterday she didn’t want to go through with it.  Open Glory ran a reasonable race all things considered.  Richard tried to get her to the …

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday at Doncaster with Tom and the Owens.  We looked at half the horses in the sale and ended up buying 12 for Manor House stables – we’ve already sold three of them.    Doncaster is a good place to buy forward 2yo types – the pedigrees typically aren’t quite top class but the horses are …

I woke up yesterday in my house on the south coast. A quick shower and down for breakfast – Jane and the kids, her mother, her brother and his family all milling around. This house has been in my family since my Grandfather built it in 1933, It had been very run down, a bit like the wider area, but …

Perhaps I’m an eternal optimist but I’ve got a feeling that Jonathan Trott may turn out to be something special. He’s taken his time to make his test debut (28) but the finest wines take the longest to mature. He just looks right to me somehow. Swindon lost their first game 5-0, but I’ve become optimistic there as well. They …