Very disappointing there is no racing this week as Fulgora and Fairey Delta are in good form and I was looking forward to running them tomorrow. I have decided against entering the horses in the all weather bumpers at Kempton on Friday as the horses are fit and well and I do not want to risk them racing on the all weather when they are not used to racing on it.

Conigre worked well this morning, I was delighted with him and so have entered him at Folkestone next week – but the race course currently has 4 inches of snow on and so we will have to see if it warms up over the weekend.

All the other horses are doing routine canters and feel great. We are very lucky as the gallops men have managed to keep all the gallops open and they have been riding well.

Fingers crossed the weather will warm up soon.

Im off to defrost in the bath!!

We have managed to excercise the horses as normal, some of them have been feeling very fresh.

Next week we have the following entries

Fulgora is entered at Taunton on Thursday, she ran a good race at Doncaster, but was not up to the class, she has come out of the race so well so I feel we ought to run again.

Fairey Delta has been entered at Huntingdon on Thursday as well, but I have not decided if she will run here or go to Plumpton the following Monday.

Today I felt very sorry for Hadden Frost, he never did anything wrong on Somersby and lost the ride and then he wasnt riding Immissingtheblues at Ascot either, I wonder how Jockeys are ment to make it if they get jocked off!!

But I was delighted for Wayne Hutchinson who is riding very well for Alan King, I better get Conigre ready for him!

Last week all the horses ran well. Fairey Delta made a lovely introduction in her bumper to finish third only beaten a few lengths. Wayne said she was very green and liked her a lot, I am delighted for Lady Cobham too.

Set To Go ran another solid race at Wolverhampton and probably just needed it, hopefully we will get him into the winners enclosure soon.

Westward Point did a nice piece of work this morning and I am looking forward to getting him to the race course soon.

Fulgora worked well and nearly bucked me off, so she is in good form, we are a little stuck to where we race her next as in Novice races she will get a double penalty 14lb which is a bit much for a small filly and I do not want to claim off her as Sam Jones rides her so well.

Needwood Blade gelding and Charity Rainbow did a nice breeze upsides over a mile and both really pleased me, Charity Rainbow has improved no end for the wind operation.

Rhosilli Bay has just started cantering and feels so much stronger and more professional than last year, what she lacks in size she makes up with her great attitude.

Conigre ran a lovely race on his hurdle debut at Doncaster, he travelled and jumped well and only got tired after the last, he was only beaten 8 lengths so we were delighted. Wayne was also pleased with him, so hopefully we can look for another race next week.

Smart Viking ran at Huntingdon on Friday, he travelled well but was unable to pick up when they quickened off the home straight. Sam came in and said he had a wind problem. We have given him plenty of time and his owners Ian Kidger and Ann Sturgis feel it is better to retire him rather than give him a wind operation. I feel annoyed for Ian as this was the first horse we bought for him, he is a lovely individual but he is not going to be good enough luckily we also have Ten Fires to look forward to, who is very well but is not back cantering yet having been given plenty of time to allow his leg to heal from the injury he got a Ludlow.

This week runners

Tuesday Fairey Delta Folkestone in the Bumper

Thursday Set To Go Wolverhampton in the  Handicap over 7f.

Both horses are in good form, Fairey Delta is going well at home, but I feel she will come on for the run and we are taking on a few horses that have already raced.

Set To Go is in good form and we just hope to get a good draw.

Monday 10th Fulgora Taunton

Tuesday 11th Conigre Leicester

Wednesday 12th  Conigre Doncaster

Friday 14th Smart Viking Huntingdon

Effectsmenone ran too free at Exeter in his second Bumper, he is lovely and relaxed at home, but Noel was unable to settle him and he ran with the choke out so was unable to see the race out. He will now go hurdling and we will teach him to settle in his races. Colin Miles his owner came up this morning and watched him school with Sam Jones.

Fulgora is in good form and will run at Taunton on Monday, I have not decided which race yet but she schooled well this morning.

Fulgora

Conigre worked well and will be aimed at Doncaster on Wednesday as I think the ground will be too soft at Leicester on Tuesday. I was annoyed as I wanted to run him at Lingfield but after all the rain it was too soft.

Ian Kidger and my Mum came to watch him school this week.

This morning Smart Viking and Fairey Delta worked on the grass and went well, I am hoping to run Smart Viking in a Bumper on Friday, Huntingdon is not the ideal track for him but if we do not get a run here we will have to wait another ten days before there is a suitable race. I have a few Mares only Bumpers pencilled in for Fairey Delta later this month.

Rhosilli Bay and Cecile De Volange both came back in this week from their holidays and both look well so I look forward to running them both on the flat this summer.

Charity Rainbow has also come back in having had a small wind operation, she is back cantering and is moving well and so far has not made a noise, we will know more when she starts to work, but she seems much stronger and relaxed.

Red Rock is slowly recovering from his fall, he seems much better this week and hopefully he can start full training next week. Ten Fires leg is looking much better after striking in to himself at Ludlow and I will also start him back next week.

Westward Point managed to get loose on the gallops and has got a nasty cut to his leg, this is very frustrating as he was ready to run and his home work had been very good, he will need another week on the easy to allow the cut to heal and then hopefully he will have a clear run, as I had promised his owner he would be ready to run in November and now we are in January!!

Well fingers crossed that we have a good week and I am off to buy my lottery ticket.

Fulgora ran a blinder to win on her first start over hurdles, she travelled and jumped beautifully and won well. It was a great success as she is a home-bred of my Landlord and she won him a nice Christmas present.

It was very disappointing for Ten Fires he struck in to his hind leg and got a nasty cut and so will have to have a rest for a few weeks. I was so disappointed for his owner Ian Kidger as I was expecting a big run.

Conigre ran a very pleasing race in the bumper to finish 5th. Wayne felt that the track was too sharp and that he needed further, but I felt it was better to run at Ludlow than the following day at Hereford where the ground was very testing and hard work. He has come out of the race in good form and now will go hurdling.

Red Rock was running well when he took a very nasty fall at Taunton, he is still rather sore and is having some physio to help him, I am so annoyed as I had the perfect race for him at Warwick this weekend.

Effectsmenone worked well this morning and will run at Exeter on Sunday in the Bumper.

Happy New Year

Red Rock has been declared to run tomorrow at Taunton in the 2m1f Handicap hurdle. He was due to run last week at Uttoxeter but due to the ground being to testing we decided to wait for the better ground.

Wednesday we have three entries at Ludlow.

Fulgora in the Juvenile Hurdle, Ten Fires in the 3mile Chase and Conigre in the Bumper. Conigre needs 7 to come out to get a run so I am keeping fingers crossed.

Aeronautica runs Tuesday at Folkestone in the 2m5f Handicap chase and then on Friday Red Rock has been entered at Uttoxeter in the 2m4f Handicap Hurdle.

It looks like we are going to get rather wet this week and I see on the weather forecast there are likely to be strong winds, I hope Folkestone is on.

We worked Red Rock, Fulgora and the Milan Filly on Friday and they went well, the Milan Filly is improving all the time and Lady Cobham has named her Fairey Delta, hopefully she will be ready to run after Christmas.

Kielan Woods and Sam Jones came in Thursday and we schooled Aeronautica and Ten Fires over fences and then Fulgora led the Milan filly over the hurdles.

This week I am aiming to work Conigre and Westward, they have had an easy week due their blood not being right.

Fingers crossed the weather does not ruin our plans.

Monday Lingfield Expensive Legacy in the 3.30pm race 1m2f Handicap

Tuesday Fontwell Aeronautica 2.10pm race 2m4f Handicap Chase

Red Rock 2.40pm race 2m2f Handicap Hurdle and the 3.40pm race 2m4f Handicap Hurdle

Thursday Ludlow Ten Fires in the 2.40pm race 3m1 1/2 f Handicap Chase

Thursday Taunton Red Rock in the 1.20pm race 2m3 1/2f Handicap Hurdle.

Delamere Racing has a new horse called Conigre who has been leased from Ann Sturgis. He is a lovely four year old by Selkirk and has been working and schooling very well. There are only a few shares left in him, please see the partnership page for more details.

Yesterday both Kielen Woods and Sam Jones came in to school. Ten Fires and Aeronautica both jumped very well over fences and then we schooled Fulgora and Conigre over the hurdles and we were delighted with them as well.

Last week I was begining to tear my hair out wondering what I had done wrong to deserve so many problems in the yard.

Ten Fires was on course to be running at the Hennessy meeting at Newbury on Saturday, but he had a dirty scope so has had to have a quiet week, he is back cantering now and watching him on the gallops this morning I think he is feeling better!!

Aeronautica returned lame from her race at Lingfield so had to have a quiet week, but is back moving well and I am keen to get her out fairly soon.

Smart Viking got spooked on the roads by the builders and managed to get loose and fall over cutting his knees so I am afraid he will be on rest for at least a month while they heal.

Westward Point returned lame from excercise and I thought the worse, but luckily it turned out to be a corn, which we had to treat and he was on rest for the week, I was rather nervous riding him yesterday as he could have been very fresh but luckily he behaved well.

Cardinal James has picked up a small injury and will be on rest for the Winter, he prefers summer jumping ground so will have his holiday now and come back for the Spring.

This week has started much better and Effectsmenone is back cantering after his Bumper, he had a few easy weeks to strenghten up and feels great on the gallops so hopefully he will be ready to run in a few weeks time.

Fulgora is in tip top form and we have started to school her and she loved jumping so much that Sam Jones could not pull her up after the hurdles. She will have one more Bumper run on the 8th December at Taunton before going hurdling after Christmas.

Fulgora on the schooling ground.

Conigre is in good form and did his first piece of work this morning and I was delighted with him. He hopefully will be ready to run at the start of December. He has been leased to Delamere Racing for the season and will have one more run in a Bumper before going hurdling. He is a lovely looking horse who has filled out this summer and I can not wait to run him. There are 15 shares available at £80 per month or a one off payment of £560.   

CONIGRE

If you would like to come and see him on the gallops please give Tor a bell.

By joining Delamere we offer you

1. Racehorse membership without the cost of purchasing a horse. 2.The whole experience of Ownership
3. Open Mornings on the gallops
4. The opportunity to attend race meetings as an owner
5. A share in the prize money won
6. Weekly updates by email and on the Web Site

If you or your friends are interested (it would make a great Christmas present!!) please email Tor at info@torsturgisracing.co.uk for more details.

Oh yes and the Three puppies are doing very well!!