Purchase and Pegasus

Without winning, the limited runners we have had have largely been performing with credit. It scares me how much earlier we had horses ready last season. But with plenty more to run we hope this means that there is still plenty to look forward to. It was the October horses in training sale at Tattersalls last week and if anyone thought that the demand for horses in our industry is at a low point then all they had to do was stand in the sales ring and see some of the gargantuan prices. It was a very hard sale to be involved in as proven horses over a variety of distances are in high demand. It took us a while but we eventually bought a 3 year old filly named Last Echo. She had proven form over 1m4f and on soft ground. She has big boots to fill as she is the replacement for Tweedledrum. Incidentally we were delighted to see Tweedledrum's very close relative Elm Park win the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy impressively at Doncaster a couple of weeks ago. Certainly a pedigree bursting with action.

Last Echo will start schooling over poles rather than be trained much as she only ran last week. She seems to have settled in well so fingers crossed she takes to her new discipline. While in Newmarket we were delighted to stay with James and Jacko Fanshawe. Pegasus Stables is probably one of the most beautiful yards in the world with a great history behind it. James has adhered to it's history and heritage by expanding the yard in keeping with it's original buildings. This is something not to be underestimated as people do not always build for beauty now a days but rather for convenience. This equine arcadia also houses some cracking performers from this flat season including High Jinx (what a jumper he would make) and Ribbons. I can remember breaking-in Ribbons' mother Sister Act. She was Soviet Song's full sister and had the misfortune of bumping into a subsequent Group 1 winner on her racecourse debut at Newbury. With Group 1 winners and garden flourishing together he is setting some example and something we can only hope to achieve one day at Dason Court. But James always reminds me that Pegasus was not built in a day. . .