After the frustrating race on Sunday evening at Kempton when Style Award met trouble in running it was great for Bel Cantor to win at Southwell on Tuesday. He made all to win a competitive Class 3 - 7f sprint under Kelly harrison. It was Bels 11th win and took his career earnings through the £100k barrier. I cannot express how much we owe this horse.

We have spent a lot of time at Southwell over the past week or so and we are back there again tomorrow with Guto and Davana. Guto should have a good chance from a good draw. He is 8lb better off against the favourite after finishing 2nd behind him last week and if he is in the mood he should go very close.

Davana is more an opportunity to try the longer trip on fibresand in what is not a great race. We ran her over the longer trip before but we made too much use of her too early and she didnt get home. This time we will be more restrained with her and see how she handles it.

Bel Cantor is entered at Southwell again on Sunday in a Class 4 7f handicap and we will see how he is at home. He seems to have come out of the race very well.

First blog for a while purely down to workload. The past week has been a successful yet frustrating week and mainly spent at Southwell. We had 6 runners at Southwell through the week and only one did not make the frame. Colorus ran twice, he won a nice Class 4 sprint and then was also 3rd later in the week. Guto also ran twice and had a 3rd and then a 2nd later in the week. Bel Cantor finished 2nd in the Class 3 6f sprint but Davana was out of the money in her mile handicap.

The only other runner was tonight at Kempton where Style Award finished 3rd, she met trouble and then ran on strongly and although she was making ground quickly the line came too soon. That finished off the week with a frustrating yet pleasing run. Its winners that count and to only get one for the week with all the opportunities was disappointing. 7 runners in the week and we had one winner, one 2nd and four 3rds. However as the cliche goes 'at least they are running well'.

Not the most romantic Valentines Day for Elena as we did all the yard work this morning and then headed off to Kempton. Not long back and just collected a Chinese take away and ready to watch the racing replay and plan the week ahead.

I will try and blog again this week as Bel Cantor has a good chance in a nice race at Southwell on Tuesday. Guto should have a chance on Thursday although obviously we dont know the final runners until Tuesday morning.

Just a Sunday evening catch up Blog. Not a bad week although no winner so not that good either. I ran Bel Cantor and Colorus in same race at Southwell on Tuesday and they both ran really well. They both picked up prizemoney and Colorus was out of the handicap and Paul Pickard after much sweating did well to put up only a 1lb overweight. I would say that was probably Colorus best run for a few years even though he did not win.

I now run both horses again in a similar race back at Southwell this Tuesday. Colorus is now in the handicap and also needs to run before his handicap is reviewed Tuesday morning. He will take some beating from draw 5 off 4lb less than his last run and with Paul claiming the full 5lb. Bel Cantor goes as there is no suitable 6f race for him at Wolves or Southwell until well into the New Year and he is so well in himself at present. Although 4th last week he ran very well as he was up against 5f horses and 5f is not his ideal trip. Southwell is probably the only all weather he could be competitive on over the minimum trip. He is drawn in 1 this week and I wouldnt rule him out either.

Davana was unlucky at Southwell yesterday (Saturday) when she stayed on well up the straight to finish 3rd at 20/1 and was only beaten 1 lgth.

One of the lads, Pat Walsh, came in this morning to give Jiminor Mack her second schooling session over hurdles and she will be ready to have her hurdling debut in the next couple of weeks.

Last night Colorus was unlucky to get beaten at Wolverhampton in the last few strides. He finished 2nd to Anne of Kiev which is ironic as Colorus was led up at the races by my wife, Elena (of Kiev). We said before the races that with Elena being from Kiev it would be ironic if that one beat us and so it turned out. I remember Bel Cantor running in a Class 2 sprint last year at Haydock and we said the same before the race about Valery Borzov who is named after the famous Ukrainian Olympic Sprinter and that beat us into 2nd also.

Well it was a pleasing run anyway by Colorus and both he and Bel Cantor are in good form and should be going to Southwell on Tuesday for the Class 3 5f sprint.

Not a blog totally about horses, in fact mostly about darts! What a performance by Phil 'The Power' Taylor when winning the Grand Slam of Darts last night. Work permitting I have been watching the darts whenever I can and last nights performance was one of the most professional sporting performances I have seen for a long time. I watched with admiration and enjoyed every throw. I was willing the dart into the double 12 as a nine dart finish would have been the perfect way to finish the final after already earlier had a 170 checkout. Congratulation to Phil.

Now onto racing! Bel was unlucky at Wolverhampton on Saturday night. He finished 2nd beaten a neck carrying top weight. Not many entries this week. I will have something running to Wolves on Saturday evening.

A good day today with the yearlings having their first hack canters up Hamilton Hill polytrack. Sarah and Pat have done a good job with them and everything went to plan despite the gusty weather.

Bel Cantor declared for Saturday at Wolverhampton and got a decent draw in 4 so he should have a good chance of following up on his Southwell win last week. He is in good form anyway and is ready to run again.

Jethro Bodine who won at Redcar early in the season had a niggling injury but he seems fine now and is not far off being ready to get back on track.

A special week for the yard after Bel Cantor won the 10th race of his career. This horse holds a special place in the yard. He was my first runner as a trainer. He was my first winner as a trainer just over 3 years ago when winning his maiden at his favourite course, Pontefract. He was part of my first double when winning back at Pontefract at the end of July 2008. He has won at Southwell, Kempton and Wolverhampton. He has won on heavy ground through to fast ground. He has won nearly £100k in prize money to date and without him I am sure I wouldnt be training now.

My wife, Elena, has looked after Bel since he arrived at our yard as a 2yo after I claimed him from a Brighton Seller at the back end of his 2yo career. Elena rides him in all his work and leads him up at the races. It was a thrill for us both to see him hit the 10 winner mark and there are more wins to come.

Bels win was our 14th winner since moving to the new yard 7 months ago and we will be pushing to add to that tally before the year is finished.

Right, I had better stop typing now and I had better go and walk our Staffie Puppy as he is sitting looking at me and looking at the door! His name is Pontey, named after Pontefract Racecourse where I had my first winner.

A while since I wrote a blog as its just been very busy. The final turf races of the season, horse sales and getting the yearlings broken to name but few tasks. Colorus won well at Southwell last month and we have already overtaken last years figures for winners and prize money and we have 2 months left to add further. Our total prizemoney since starting had passed the £200,000 mark now which is a great achievement with current levels of prizemoney!

Style Award was unlucky at Wolverhampton last week when she was blocked in for most of the final furlong and finished 3rd beaten less than 2 lengths.

2yo filly by Lucky Story, Olney Lass, ran very well at Doncaster on the final day of turf season. She finished 2nd in division 2 of the 6f maiden only beaten 1/2 length by a nice colt trained by Mr Candy. She has now had her 3 runs and placed in two of them, improving with each run. She will now be put away for the Winter to strengthen up and grow. We will have a nice filly to look forward to next year.

Davana runs at Wolverhampton on Monday in a maiden which looks awful on paper so worth the chance to see of she gets the 1m4f trip. I think she will and would be disappointed if she was not placed at least.

We have shares in yearlings/older horses for sale so if anyone wants to get involved please contact me.