ASKING FOR A MIRACLE 
Nakayama's third race on the 24th will hold special interest for me, not only because Miracle Rouge runs in it, but also because the jockey is someone I respect very much - Takashi Harita, who is based at the NAR Funabashi track. You may remember I did a profile on Harita-san, which should come up in the search box at the top of the page. This 2000m turf race is one I'm really looking forward to...

A VERY QUICK UPDATE 
Just had a few updates come in from Carrot Club, with Tenshinramman, Lourdes No Hitomi and Mistoffelees each having routine reports, and a statement saying that Quadrille should be ready for Tokyo-Fuchu in the near future. Fairy Robe, meanwhile, seems to have overcome her dislike of the starting gate, and should be running at Kawasaki in the middle of April. Look forward to that...

JUMPING MAD 
Jokingly, having been pestered for months, I told Louis that if he won the gymkhana event a couple of weeks ago, I'd buy him the show-jumping saddle that he's been after for ages. Inside, I was laughing my head off, because on the face of it, the chances of 'Jaguar' winning a gymkhana were about as slim as me becoming a ballroom dancer overnight. Put him back in a race, that's one thing. But a gymkhana!! My plan was a masterstroke.

Well, wouldn't you know it, the combination struck gold, and my plan to get Louis off my back for another few weeks backfired in a big way! This is the boy fixing up the stirrup straps on his new jumping saddle that he'd lovingly oiled the day before. And my lesson is learnt: Never underestimate Jaguar or Louis, or it will cost you dearly - very, very dearly in my case...

SLOW RISER 
Today was Quick Bread's debut, and drawing a conclusion from it is a tough one to call. The jockey is saying this was a typical first race performance, and there's still a lot of untapped potential in the horse - today, he enjoyed a run, not a race. The trainer is saying the distance is about right, and with no post-race problems reported, he should be out on the track again soon after a brief rest.

The fascinating thing was his practice time, which was 0.1 seconds off a G-I competitor that had been worked harder to get that time, and he finished three lengths ahead of a pretty decent nag. This points to a bright future, and I can see one in him, although I think his build is more suited to turf. I reckon put him in a mile race on grass, and he'd be untouchable...