The single worst week in my life! (And I’m Still in the Race…)
- Emris Racing
- Jun 28
- 3 min read
Hi All,
I hope everyone is doing well.
Firstly, an apology — the title is a little dramatic and admittedly a touch clickbait, which I’m usually not a fan of. But you’re out of the stalls now, so you may as well stay the trip.
Every year, the seven‑day stretch between the 22nd and 29th of June is the most stressful on my calendar. It’s both my wife’s and my youngest daughter’s birthdays — my daughter’s is actually today (hence the lateness of the blog) — so it’s a week where I’m usually travelling a furlong a minute trying to keep everyone happy.
Sales Week: A Tough Track and No Running Rail
The week began with sales prep. The second of the big store sales kicked off on Wednesday, meaning hundreds of pedigree pages, longlists, shortlists, and plenty of head‑scratching. Trade at Goffs the week before had been blisteringly strong with very little value, and we hoped this sale might ease off the pace.
How wrong was I.
To give some context: my shortlist for Day 2 contained just eight horses. Those eight averaged €131,625. Needless to say, none of them were knocked down to us — we weren’t even in the same race.
We looked at a few on the final day, but the value simply wasn’t there. In truth, we won’t be making any further purchases this year unless something exceptional appears. Right now, value is running like a horse that’s lost its jockey — technically still on the course, but impossible to catch.
Private Offers: Four Runners, One That Caught the Eye
Something unusual happened this week: we were offered four horses privately by three different people in three days. One form horse really caught my attention — the sort you’d love to have in your colours — but she was over our current budget. She’s still a maiden but has been placed in her last three starts in Ireland for a top, top trainer. A flat racing pedigree, but plenty of ability and a proven jumper and stayer. We’ll keep tabs on her; I’d bet good money she’ll be travelling to the UK soon.
Charlock Stud: A Birthday Treat
I visited Charlock Stud on Tuesday — which also happened to be my wife’s birthday. She surprised me on Sunday evening by announcing she’d booked the day off work, meaning a mad dash on Monday to sort her card and arrange with Carla for her to join the visit.
I also managed to organise a treat for her: meeting the foals. That went down extremely well, so thank you to Carla for helping me pull that one out of the fire. A proper last‑stride victory.
Around the yard, the yearlings had a quiet week after their dentist appointment. They all look great and enjoyed cuddles with Emma and me — although you wouldn’t believe it from the photos, as Emma’s photography skills are somehow worse than mine.
Lambourn Fillies: Sunbathing, Rolling, and Ready to Return
Katie sent over a lovely video of Ellie on Friday having a roll and a bath in the sunshine. Both fillies in Lambourn are doing brilliantly. Ellie is due back in work next week, with Freya set to join her shortly after. They’ll prep before heading to Marcus Foley and then on to Fergal O’Brien and Tom Lacey respectfully in August to begin full training.
A proper progression — no rushing, no pulling hard, just settling into the bridle.
Looking Ahead: Online Sales and a Trip to Lambourn
Next week brings a few online sales, which we’ve largely prepped for already, alongside a planned trip to Lambourn. I also hope to catch up with Fergal O’Brien in the next couple of weeks, so we may pop over to Ravenswell Farm too.
Until next time!
