IT’S a tough time for me at the moment. It’s that time of the season, when the racing calendar starts to thin out, evening racing finishes, and the rides have dried up slightly, particularly the last couple of days.

I was hoping to be on Valonia at Doncaster on Thursday. I had ridden her the last twice, including when winning a listed race at Pontefract and she is a filly I really get on with.