Time has been flying in Newmarket. Most of us can’t believe that we’ve already been here 10 days. We’re all living in the same house, which most of us thought was going to be a problem, but has turned to really great. It’s nice to have everybody around. Whether you want to go out to dinner, watch some races, or go for a run there’s always somebody around that’s willing to go with you.
The presentations went very well overall and can be seen on the Darley Flying Start website if you’re interested, under 2009 trainees. I was particularly pleased with how enthusiastic and interested the crowd was in our topics. There was quite a bit of discussion and questioning after the presentations were finished.
Newmarket has been phenomenal so far. It’s nice to be around so many people who are interested in racing. Dalham Hall is a sight to see. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bigger farm. The facilities are something else as well. Looking around the farm and seeing everything has given me a lot of new ideas. I’ve also learned a lot of new things about synthetic surfaces. After talking to some of the experts over here, I’ve realized that we made several mistakes in California with our installation of our synthetic tracks. After seeing how they’re supposed to be when properly installed, I’d have to say that there is no better surface in the world. I’ve also received some direct knowledge of how these tracks work by running and training over them myself. Several of the team members have began running everyday on the Polytrack and it has really given me some better insight on how these surfaces feel to a horse.
We've had some great lectures and visits over the past week. James Willoughby, from the Racing Post, gave us a great talk on sectional timing during races. We also had a tour of the gallops here in Newmarket. It’s very interesting learning about the different options that trainers have at their disposal here. It must be great to be able to find and utilize so many different types of training options for the horses.
The Breeder’s Cup was certainly a night to remember. Although, I was disappointed by the way Zensational ran and the near loss by Lookin at Lucky, the three big races on the card made the evening spectacular. Seeing Goldikova, Conduit, and especially Zenyatta win back to back Breeders’ Cup races made the evening. I think it was one of the best Breeders’ Cups of all time. We also had a DFS Breeders’ Cup challenge, where we all put in some money in a pool and attempted to pick winners on the championship card. Jennifer crushed all of us and though I was second I was a far second, her win was similar to what Rachel Alexandra did in the Kentucky Oaks. She’s come a long way, considering her first bet was when we began the course in Ireland. I think we have a future professional handicapper in the making.
