Harry's Stable Whispers

HOPEFULLY tomorrow at Catterick I will have my first runner of this National Hunt season and only my second runner under that code.

Lady Iona who has schooled well, faces a very difficult task with Martin Pipe possibly running course and distance winner Cosmo Jack.

I'll be happy for an encouraging debut and for the filly to come home safe.

Our Ribble Princess who we had so much hope for at the beginning of last season on the Flat, is back in training after being retired with a leg injury. She has come back into training more by accident than planning on our part.

After having all summer in the paddocks, she was got ready for the sales at Doncaster in October but there were no offers for her so we brought her back to Hambleton Lodge.

Kevin Ryan said to me one morning that Princess was very fresh in her box and he was going to give her some road work.

Well the leg has held up so well that she has been cantering for the last couple of weeks and goes for a racecourse gallop at Southwell on Friday. If all goes well, she will run before Christmas on the all-weather.

I am still planning to have a double at Sedgefield on Boxing Day (Monday, December 27), with Ribble Assembly and my new acquisition Glory of Love, both horses are going really well on the gallops. It's great to watch the new yearlings in the yard being broken in, but this last week they have been having their first experience of the gallops. They are similar to babies, and even jockeys like Derek Byrne - a very strong jumps rider - are sometimes put on the floor by these young horses.

I am very impressed with my two as yet unnamed yearlings, by Noble Patriarch out of our own Pride of Whalley and our Paris House gelding. They were both very exciting and the Paris House offspring looks a particular strong early type.

Racing this week looks very difficult to select as so many horses have multiple entries.

Have a good week.

TIPS FOR THE WEEK:

Wednesday (Plumpton) - Millmount (nap)

Wednesday (Plumpton) - Zamhareer

Thursday (Wincanton) - Rollcall (nap)

Thursday (Market Rasen) - Royal Tipple

Friday (Sandown) - Edmund (nap)

Friday (Hereford) - Floosy (ew)

Saturday (Sandown) - Or Royal (nap)

Saturday (Sandown) - Ichi Beau (ew)

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.