Harry’s Introduction…

I must admit that I was somewhat nervous ahead of the Royal Meeting this year wondering whether I would be strong enough post my op earlier in the year to cope with the first four days of the meeting. Thankfully all went well and I thoroughly enjoyed everything that this great race meeting had to offer. First and foremost, it gave me the opportunity to meet up with so many of our shareowners at the picnics in the owners and trainers car park ahead of racing. On the racecourse we only had a few runners but on the whole they ran well and to see Rhapsody travelling on the bridle behind a wall of horses in the Kensington Palace was both thrilling and exasperating! What a race she ran to be fourth and then seeing Conclave run his heart out to finish sixth of thirty runners was again really exciting. Topaz’s inexperience sadly told in the Albany but the way that this daughter of Persian Force flew past horses in the last furlong when the penny dropped left no doubt that she would be winning races very soon. Definitely one to watch going forward! Our fourth runner, Awaken looked fabulous but appeared not to stay in the Sandringham so we will bring her back in trip which should see her return to winning ways.

The pageantry and outstanding racing over the week was really something to behold so hats off to Ascot and their management team for putting on such a wonderful spectacle.

We are currently running at 21% winners to runners, a really strong stat that we want to try and keep at this level as the season advances. There is so much to look forward to in the months ahead with many of the two-year-olds about to run whilst the star older horses such as Antipodes, Centigrade and Respond look to go on to even bigger and better things!

It feels great to be back so here’s to much fun and excitement to come in the weeks ahead!

With my best wishes,

Harry Herbert
Chairman