March

​It’s been a busy month juggling the syndicate runners, filming Unbridled and my new role presenting for Sky Sports Racing, but it’s great to be involved on all fronts and to see the horses continuing to run well.

We had a fantastic day at Ludlow on Monday with two runners on the card. I was delighted to see Jack Hyde get his head in front in the 2m Handicap Hurdle. He travelled strongly through the race and jumped with plenty of enthusiasm, putting himself in a great position turning for home. From there, he showed a really willing attitude, sticking his head down and finding plenty when it mattered to go on and win nicely under Tom Broughton. My two boys were at Ludlow to cheer him on, which made the day even more special. We had a race in mind for Jack Hyde at Cheltenham’s April meeting, so it was a real shame to see that fixture cancelled. He’s come out of his race in great form though, and there’s every chance he could head up to the Perth Festival instead, which is always a brilliant few days for connections.

​King’s Scholar also returned to the winner’s enclosure after finishing fourth in the 2m Novices’ Hurdle on his debut for the syndicate. His jumping wasn’t the slickest throughout, but what I really liked was how he stuck to the task and finished his race strongly, exactly what you want to see at this stage. Sean Bowen is sure we can iron out those errors with more schooling and it’s just a matter of time before he gets his head in front over hurdles. There’s one share still available in him, and I’m always happy to have a chat with anyone who might be interested in joining us. We had a great day meeting new members of the syndicate, and days like that are what it’s all about. The catering at Ludlow for owners is fantastic and really adds to the whole experience.

​A King of Magic put up a very solid performance to finish a close second in the 2m1f Novices’ Hurdle at Sedgefield under a penalty. He’s been allocated a mark of 117 by the handicapper, and I’ve no doubt there’s more to come from him with time and experience.

Ink Black Heart ran a big race to finish third in a competitive bumper at Exeter, especially considering he didn’t help himself by pulling quite hard early on. It’s since come to light that his hock has been causing him a bit of discomfort, which certainly explains a few things. The good news is it’s nothing serious and it will sort itself out over the summer. He’ll have a nice break at grass and go hurdling next season.

Rainbow Tara enjoyed a short break back home with us after her bumper run at Newcastle and has now returned to Dan Skelton’s yard. The plan at this stage is for her to make her hurdling debut at Stratford on the 19th of April. While we’re on the subject, huge congratulations to the Skelton team on surpassing £4 million in prize money this season, an incredible achievement and thoroughly deserved.

​Belle Le Grand finished sixth in the valuable Mares’ Final up at Kelso. She ran on really well in the closing stages, and looking back we might have been better riding her a bit handier. She’s come out of the race in good order though and we’ll now look to find the right opportunity for her in the coming weeks.

Saint Jeannais is in great form back at Nigel and Willie Twiston-Davies’ yard. I had the chance to sit on him myself recently, which is always a pleasure, and I couldn’t have been happier with how he felt. All being well, he could also make the trip up to Perth for another bumper towards the end of April.