I have had a blast writing the Diary, I have enjoyed your feedback, well the positive stuff at least and have developed a close affinity with some readers, with whom I have enjoyed sharing the highs and lows of our laying lives.

There have been some awful moments and I would dread penning a journal when we had put up a 33/1 rag only to see it sluice in. However, there have been some classic moments when we put up some “shorties”, to see them toil later in the day.

I thought we were going to sign off with a perfect day, only for Autumn Blades to return to winning ways, by collecting the last at Lingfield and foil our plans.

I leave the Diary in excellent hands and it will be returning in the New Year with a different body behind the pen as such.

Thanks for the opportunity to communicate my rarely “water weak”, views and much continued success in your laying exploits.

All the best,

Don

A quirky character, one that seems to have heaps of humility, Williams has obvious talent and patience in abundance, two obvious and vital character advantages in a National Hunt trainer. His star will continue in the ascendancy.

Ere Alfie, performing back to back victories was winning off a career high mark, having been upped eleven pounds for winning a very ordinary looking handicap chase last time out. There were those in this novice handicap field that looked to have been leniently treated by the handicapper, while the winner looked to have been dealt the short straw.

Not a bit of it, the Williams juggernaut has continued in a rich vein, with this win and in so doing, condemned Donkeyites to the most ignominous of results over the Festive period.

Tomorrow will be my last Diary entry, I will revert to more pressing tasks on the selection side and trust that matters willl improve there.

Don

Solwhit and Big Bucks were mightily impressive in the hurdle races and What A Friend confirmed the truly fantastic winning performance of Denman in winning the Hennessy from the Lexus winner today. Denman would on the strength of what I have seen today, would be my Gold Cup favourite and while it appears a tad offside to be rubbishing the claims of the imperious Kauto Star, after his demolition of rivals in the King George, that is my honestly held belief.

Moving on to more mundane events, Thundering Home, was a sore winner for Donkeyites away from the headline writers at Southwell. He upped his game significantly on his first two runs, finding the Nottinghamshire surface more to his liking as a son of Storming Home might suggest and while only a length winner, a length is as good as a mile in our world.

Once again, this was a tremendous ride, from the ever impressive Hayley Turner, there can be few better pilots operating today and perhaps as a woman, she does not get the plaudits she deserves. I would have no issue in putting her up on one of mine.

Hope springs for tomorrow,

Don

I felt that an on form Binocular would pick  up and carry the young Irish pretender, but the reality was that the form pick, isn’t the horse that won a Bula at Ascot last season, he simply has not managed a performance of that quality subsequently. His lofty position in the betting for the Champion does now seem to be inappropriate and he seems a horse that may just be shy of the very top class.

Starluck did his ultimate best t0 save 0ur behinds but it was not to be, this was a taking performance from the winner, who travelled supremely well in the race and always looked the most likely winner. Given he is a course and distance winner at  Cheltenham,the are very few flaws in his make-up, I still reckon there are others with more potential, Solwhitt and Hurricane Fly to name two. But he is the form horse.

Don