NEWS ARCHIVE

Week Beginning - 13.07.2009

Monday 13th July: BOBBY CHARLES misses the possible trip to Kempton as we keep fingers tightly crossed that it will rain enough for an outing on the turf either at Newbury or Newmarket on Friday. It did rain here this afternoon......so you NEVER KNOW!

Tuesday 14th July: There's an entry for THE FRYING PAN at Yarmouth on Monday. A little bit of BOBBY CHARLES rain wouldn't go amiss.

Meanwhile, a big day for Tony Dalton's retired mare BILLIE BLUE. She, at the very grand old age of 23, has gone into glorious retirement. Today she moved to her new home at Strawberry Fields Stud and settled in straightaway. Bought as a yearling in Ireland in 1987, she raced only once, placed second. She has produced a hatful of winners including multiple Group winner TUMBLEWEED RIDGE and her daughters have done exceptionally well at stud in their own right. TUMBLEWEED PEARL (Aragon) produced Queen Mary winner GILDED. Today, even, there is news that her first foal BILLIE GREY has produced a two time winner in Spain! This is a 2 year old, named SAMSAM, by first season stallion Governor Brown. It's an international dynasty!

Wednesday 15th July: IVY THE TERRIBLE is entered at Yarmouth on Tuesday. Her 2 year old half-sister by Nayef Amtaar comes home 3rd in a fillies' maiden at Kempton this evening. All grist to the mill.

Sunday 19th July: The rain fell for BOBBY CHARLES at Newmarket on Friday and he finished a very creditable 7th after encountering more traffic problems than the M25 on a Friday evening. THE FRYING PAN partnered by Shane Kelly features in the second at Great Yarmouth tomorrow.

Tuesday 21st July: THE FRYING PAN ran a pleasing race at Yarmouth yesterday afternoon. Equipped with the blinkers to wake her up and make her concentrate she shot out of the stalls in driving rain and despite being battered by the elements throughout the 7 furlongs she came home bang in the middle of the field. Meanwhile, BIG NOISE has been confirmed for the valuable 7 furlong handicap at Ascot on Saturday.

BOBBY CHARLES'S 3 year old sister by Refuse to Bend who goes by the 'un-apostrophied' name of Sams Lass was a good winner over 6 furlongs at Ffos Las today in only the 2nd flat turf race on the track. On being asked what he thought of the track, the young jockey rated it 'one of the best tracks in England'.

Wednesday 22nd July: There's another entry at Yarmouth for THE FRYING PAN next Monday. We're trying to catch give in the ground but may be thwarted by the return of Summer over the coming weekend.

A pleasant hour or so was spent at the newly established Strawberry Fields Stud perusing the stock and bonding with some of the inmates.