LAST week started well for us (Dave Pipe's yard) with another Monday winner, courtesy of Royal Mer winning for the fifth time this season. He has really enjoyed the switch to fences, especially the drop back to two miles and this success brought up a hat trick of wins. Since our six year old went chasing in November he has won five times and has been second twice, the only time unplaced, he did not stay over a longer trip. We have him entered at Ayr on Friday where he can run with a penalty. Providing the ground remains soft, he is likely to have another run before his summer holiday.

We had relatively few runners last week but Lady Balko ran another very good race to be second at Chepstow on Saturday. She has won three races this season and is a five year old with a great attitude. She is now on her holidays and will be a lovely chaser next season.

This week our first runners are not likely until to be on Friday at Ayr, where Phantomofthepoints holds two handicap entries. He is definitely heading to Scotland but we just have to decide for which race! Royal Mer is also likely to head to Ayr to run in the two-mile novice handicap chase at 4.25pm.

We have entries at Exeter on Friday, Bangor on Saturday and Stratford and Wincanton on Sunday. Keep checking the Daily News on the website for the latest information on the stable runners

Vieux Lion Rouge travelled to Aintree on Saturday to parade with previous Grand National winning greats where he looked a picture parading in his specially made sheet in front a big crowd.

My son Jack accompanied me to Aintree, his first experience of the Grand National and he loved it! He found the winner of the big race and already can’t wait for next year!

I was a little sceptical about some of the changes made to the Grand National itself in the lead up to it but I thought the race was a brilliant watch and good for racing in general.

So many horses were in contention at the second last, including Kitty’s Light and Jack Tudor. They had a great round and finished a gallant fifth. Well done to I am Maximus, Willie Mullins, Paul Townend and owner J P McManus on a great win.

We have to protect the Grand National and racing in general from the wider population who do not want it at all and I only think the race like Saturday is a good advertisement for our sport. No fallers and everyone back safe and sound, everyone is a winner!

We took our two point to pointers to Cotley point to point on Sunday and both horses ran well and we came away with a first and second place. Well done to Conal Kavanagh who rode Moodofthemoment to victory in the novice riders race.

Conal is 16 years old and in his first season at Pond House, his dad having been a conditional jockey at the yard a few years ago. He has his Cat A amateur licence and would like to be a professional jockey in the future.

We also ran Castle Daragh in the restricted race with Lukke Morris riding. He ran his best race to date to be second. Lukke is 19 years old and has now had five rides in his career and while yet to have a winner he has been knocking on the door and his first winner will hopefully not be too far away.