Pete and I arrived at the course at about 1.15 after sitting in traffic for ages and then proceeded to park in the bog that was the car park. Conditions were that wet that cars were being towed onto the grass car park by a tractor - I had to leave before the last race so can't imagine what it was like when everyone came out to go home!!!

As you enter the race course through the owners and trainers entrance you immediately pass the pre-parade ring and we could not have timed it better as Muffin was just walking down from the stables to the ring – I say walking but it was more of a tugging and pulling as he was very lively.

We quickly made our way to the O & T bar to see if we could see any other Guilders and met up with Eddie and before long it was time to go down to the parade ring. In the parade ring we met up with all the others and we had quite a good group which I tried to strategically place behind both the C4 and RUK cameras. Sounds like we actually made TV but must to have been on RUK because I went and recorded C4 and can’t see any of us on there!! Pete reckons it looked like I was stalking the TV presenter.

We met up with Ray in the parade ring and he told us that Muffin had travelled up well and was raring to go. Muffin was very lively in the parade ring probably the most wound up I have ever seen him – in fact we were getting quite worried with his antics as he jumped around and kicked out continuously. Steve Drowne told us he would be trying to settle Muffin in and keep him prominent and try and make sure he had enough left for what was going to be a gruelling finish on the heavy ground. When Steve went to mount Muffin it got quite worrying as Muffin got even more excitable and started to spin around and the girl had to really pull at him and lead him to the entrance to the course. However once out on the course he did settle down.

So time for the race and nerves really starting to build up. Muffin got out of the gate well but was pulling quite hard for at least the first furlong, however Steve managed to settle him in a good position. I think in quite a few races now he appears to have hit a flat spot at about 5 ½ to 6 furlongs and then picks up again and it looked like that happened again yesterday with Steve really having to ride him for a short period of time. Anyway with a couple of furlongs to go our boy was really up there fighting for the lead and I honestly thought at one point he was going to get there. It was not to be however and a combination of the weight and heavy ground meant he died away in the last ½ furlong but still came a very creditable 3rd!!!!

We proceeded back to the parade ring and Muffin looked quite pleased with himself as he gulped down his water. Steve told us that he believes Muffin does not really get the mile in heavy conditions and that in those conditions he would be better over 7f. What was really nice about York was that we were invited to go and watch a video of the race and participate in Champagne which I thought was normally only offered to the winners!!!!

It was great to see everyone and we had a great day. My lasting memory though was actually after the big race of the day, the John Smith Cup. Pete and I had been discussing possible winners when a lady turned to Pete and said she was the owner of Flying Clarets and that it would love the ground. Pete sneaked away to put a bet on it and when it won it was a picture to see him jumping up and down kissing the winning owner!!!! He had after all won £60 but the lady had won £94,000!!!!

A final note from me, let’s not forget that Muffin got beat by two horses carrying well over a stone less than him in fact they where the two lowest weights in the race!!!!!

Dave