BUSY PROGRAMME IN STORE 
The next couple of weeks will certainly provide me with enough racing interest to keep me from getting bored. Lourdes No Hitomi should have an outing, but nothing has been booked as yet. There were also thoughts of getting Harmony Fair out, but this idea seems to have gone quiet for the time being.

Miracle Rouge runs in the 5R at Fukushima on the 13th - a 2000m turf race, with Genki Muruyama in the saddle. Genki will have to work hard to beat Harita-san's performance with 'MR' last time out! On the following day, Mosto Verde makes his long-awaited debut in the second race at Fukushima - a 1200m turf sprint, although a jockey still has to be found.

Fairy Robe will run at Kawasaki some time during the week at the NAR meeting, and then on the 21st, it's off to Tokyo-Fuchu for the JRA races. Quadrille runs in the fourth race (1800m turf) with Hiroshi Kitamura in the saddle, while Katsuharu Tanaka rides Tenshinramman in the G-II Flora Stakes. I have a feeling the pulse rate will quicken just a bit watching this race, as it will secure 'Tenny' a place in the Japanese equivalent to The Oaks - the Yushun Himba.

NEW CARROT MAGAZINE 
The latest Carrot Club magazine has just been released, and I can't believe how many of my kids are in there this time - Tenshinramman, of course, including a big piece on her, but also Quadrille, Lourdes No Hitomi, and a nice profile on Fairy Robe. Add in the updates on the younger horses yet to make their debuts, and it's a bumper issue as far as this house is concerned...

Today, as soon as Sophie finished her half day back at school, it was off to the stables. Louis was busy training with Machikane Ukon today, refining jumping skills to get ready for his show-jumping debut. Sophie should make her Dressage debut soon, so fingers crossed there.

We popped into Higashi-Kanto on the way home to see the trainee jockeys polishing up their riding skills. The horses were full of the joys of Spring there, as they were at Tokoro, with 'Jaguar' being particularly frisky. As if he wasn't a handful at the best of times!

THREE DAYS AT FUNABASHI 
Just catching up with the blog again after three days spent at Funabashi - all enjoyable despite nature's attempts at dampening spirits with the most awful weather imaginable. There were times on Wednesday when I figured I'd forget the car and take a boat ride home!

Luckily the rain stopped just in time for the big race, and the jockey event that followed it was thankfully a success as a result. This time I managed to get a mug signed by Masashige Honda, and a superb selection of goodies in the lucky bag, including a Furioso cap. I should say here that the Funabashi lucky bags really are great value - not like department store ones, where they usually clear stuff they can't move. For each item contained within, I'd have willingly parted with the 2000 yen asked, so as a package, it was a wonderful bargain. Sophie was also busy getting the keyrings signed for each jockey in attendance - she won't be happy until she's got them all, and that's OK with me.

I couldn't believe how well the track had dried for Thursday, and with the rains gone, it was a chance to get the decent camera out and take some nice pictures, using the new building as a background. We won't be able to recognize the place soon! Great racing and great company.

THANKS TO THE BOFFINS... 
The technical problems we had getting links up has been sorted, so we now have a few more that I think you'll find useful and/or interesting. Spent the day at Funabashi today, but not really anything in the way of photography, as the weather was awful. Doesn't look like it's going to be much better tomorrow either...