Crimson, are you excited?

Oh I'd love to go there and see Echo's remaining family. I followed her story for years. She lived for 64 years, and the documentaries covered about 20 of them.

Ammboselli - yes, crimson, about 47 years ago when my sister came to Kenya to stay with me. We stayed in the tented camp where an elephant routinely came round at night to see if there was anything interesting in the bins. It was just amazing to be so close to those lionesses. I think they were young ones out for a bit of fun, scaring tourists. The soil in the reserve is volcanic dust from Kilimanjaro. My car looked as if it had been dusted with talcum powder - inside and out and in the engine too.

I missed that. Praobably because I was switching to Ch 4 to watch Cheltenham and Kelso. Whilst googling grakle nosebands [I thought Frankel was wearing one] I came upon a blog about a horse called Desert Sea that I used to follow; he's been taken on by a girl who's retraining him as a show horse. It's lovely to see the life he's leading now.

If it was showjumping, crimson I could probably help you out with the bits but trainers usually stick to the simplest and lightest hardwear. Unlike showjumping and eventing the aim is not to slow the horse down at critical moments or turn it on a sixpence, so a simple snaffle is usually used. I didn't really pay much attention to Frankel's tack but he was wearing a cross-over noseband. The lower strap buckles behind the chin which helps to stop the bit from sliding around in the mouth.

Did you see the interview with Cirrus's trainer? He knew which pocket she keeps the polo mints in and ripped her jacket trying to get at them....Priceless!

And Nathaniel, who came second to Frankel in his first race [came third today] will also retire. Poor Cirrus, being a gelding has just got to keep on winning races . And, with Kauto Star most probably not racing again [no decision yet] the end of a golden age for racing .

I will try to catch him on the news.

Started slowly and had to use up energy catching the others, but then cruised past them at the end of the race and won by a couple of lengths. The ground was far too soft for him really. Should be on the news later. I did think he might not get there, though. What a relief all round. Now we wait for a few years to see how good the little Frankels will be. the horse that Frankel has beaten many time won his race easily earlier in the day; had he not been up against Frankel for most of his career he would be hailed a superstar now. My beloved Cirrus came second . Can't get over all the headgear on Frankel; I'd love to understand more about why trainers use different bits for different horses.

How did he do? I have been out all day, but did see him on TV news this morning he is a beauty.

What a worrying start to the race! So glad for Henry.

Amboselli!!!! That's where Echo lived. You've been there.....

crimson - a propos the tigers: I wish I'd been able to take an action shot of the two lionesses which chose to run alongside my car in the Amboselli reserve in Tanzania many years ago. I was too concerned with hanging on to the steering wheel and winding up the window - and hoping that the car wouldn't stall!

Alas no;I think he's been trained to just shoot past him every day. I'm sure I backed Bullet Train for the Derby but he didn't run [was backward I think?]. Frankel's other brother Morpheus finished last'ish at Nottingham the other day but they say he should be better next year [he'd better be!]. Feel a bit deflated now . I'll also miss seing Willie on the telly. I know he gets on a lot of peoples nerves, but I like him.

So sad to see poor Sir Henry looking so ill , perhaps now he will be able to just remain at home , and be remembered as he was .

I bet Frankel lets Bullet Train win when they're out on the gallops together! They do look so like each other though, do you ever wonder.................
Exciting though, wasn't it?

Phew; said to the S.O. when he was walking round the paddock that I wish the crowd would keep quiet [ok to clap after the race!]. Lovely to see Frankel walking round afterwards with his brother [d'y'think one day they'll find a race for poor Bullet Train to win?]. And my Cirrus ran his heart out [knew he would]. On days like this I wish everyone understood how wonderful racing is. Remember the bit in National Velvet that says 'the glorious ancestress Pocahontas, whose blood ran down like time into her flying children'; to me Urban Sea is 'the' racemare of modern times who did the same [that's why I loved Sea the Stars so much]. When they showed her name in his pedigree before the race, that's when I started crying and carried on throughout the race. She looks down on her boys .

Great race. I bit of a worry at the start.

One shot showed the cameraman filming the tigress and she was close to his jeep; in one shot she walked straight past him. I know it's a wildlife reserve and the animals do get used to the wardens etc. I'd imagine the wolf programme will be all long range stuff.

Surely, crimson, disappointing though it may be, wildlife photographers nowadays use long telephoto lenses. I would!!

Next Friday BBC2 9pm; A Wolf Called Storm. Can't watch too many films about wolves; looking forward to this one!

He runs! Hurrah!

I would've thought that tigers lived for longer than that. Must be hard, being a wildlife photographer...you get so emotionally attached to the animals but can't interfere with their lives [and deaths]. Never got over being at London Zoo and standing the other side of the glass at the tiger enclosure and having a tiger stand just a couple of feet in front of me. I can't believe how close the photographer got to the tigress; I thought they were very shy of people...the scene where she killed a crocodile was amazing. The setting with the old buildings reminded me of my favourite Korda film of The Jungle Book. Matthew Norman knows nothing about racing. Aussie Jim is actually one of the worst racecallers there is these days. I know Willie can be a bit irritating, but when he comments on a horses appearance in the paddock he knows his stuff.

That was lovely photography in the programme about the tigers. Such majestic animals. The poaching that goes on for mumbo jumbo Chinese medicine makes my blood boil.

I too watched the tiger programme!

I know what you mean about that article, Matthew Norman also does the restaurant reviews in Saturdays Telegraph, and generally I like his style, but the Willie Carson one was a bit uncalled for.

..watched the programme about the tiger instead; I love tigers....read the Telegraph article, but didn't like the one on the back page about Willie Carson..in fact might write to the paper and complain about it.

okey doke, have a good evening, no doubt we will be "speaking" again tomorrow!