NEWS ARCHIVE

Week Beginning -  27.07.2009

Monday 27th July: Great Yarmouth is the intended destination for THE FRYING PAN today. Having put up a good show at the seaside venue last week it was decided to repeat the exercise. Whether this will once again include white chocolate mice from the resident confectionery stall, fish and chips and a game of mini golf for the owners remains to be seen. Sometimes you can have just a wee bit too much of a good thing.

Thursday 30th July: Through no fault of her own THE FRYING PAN was unable to run on Monday. She has 2 alternative entries next Wednesday. In an attempt to beat the vagaries of this fine British summer one is on the all weather at Kempton and the other, once again, is at Yarmouth. Meanwhile, Red House Stables has invested in its own rain gauge and I can report that in the 24 hours up to 06.00 today we had 7mm fall upon us. There will be a daily update for your meteorological edification.

Friday 31st July: Just the 1/2 mm of rain in the last 24 hours! This allows us to do what we want to do without getting wet. The workers gallop on the grass which makes a nice change as there was still some ease in it.  Those that needed a spell turned out could bask in the late July sunshine. A better day.

Sunday 2nd August: This morning saw the highest rainfall measurements since records began (on Thursday). Having recorded a nil on Saturday, we were greeted with an unprecedented 10mm today. Most was provided by a late evening deluge.

Monday 3rd August: Not even a splash of rain in the rain gauge this morning. We must have reached the height of Summer. Ground remains good to soft at Great Yarmouth and THE FRYING PAN is declared to run in the second race of Wednesday's evening card. It ends up a field of 8 and Daragh O'Donohoe is booked to ride. Entries for the weekend are made. BIG NOISE is put in here at Newmarket on Saturday afternoon and SANCTUM may go to Windsor the following day.

Thursday 6th August: THE FRYING PAN duly completed her third run at Yarmouth yesterday evening. Competing this time without the blinkers, she was a little too casual in her approach and the headgear will be re-applied for her next outing.

BIG NOISE is declared for Newmarket on Saturday afternoon. As it stands he is one of 15 participants but the weather picture is confused. We are promised anything from biblical rain to nothing more than a few annoying drops of the stuff between now and then. Whatever the conditions by then, one of more of the field may not be suited. One of the wonders of the 48 hour declaration system!

Friday 7th August: SANCTUM goes to Windsor on Sunday afternoon. Both she and BIG NOISE (running here tomorrow) will be partnered by young claiming jockey Louis-Philippe Beuzelin.

After two blank days, last night saw another world record for the Red House rain gauge with a massive reading of 20 mm. Not sure if Newmarket's clerk of the course is prone to exaggerate, but he's posted a score of 28 mm.