SUNDAY was probably one of the best day's racing I have ever had!

Swan at Whalley ran the race of his life.

And that performance (second at Ripon at 25-1) came just two weeks after I was going to retire him.

He was fantastic.

Swanny has attracted a lot of attention over the last week after I reported he was being treated by spiritual healer Ernest Wilde even to the poin that when he took the lead the crowd roared.

Blowing my own trumpet for a minute, if you have been following my bets at £1 each way from the start we are showing a profit of £36.50.

I spoke to Tim Easterby at Ripon on Sunday - his horses are in great form.

From his 'horses to follow' he gave me on my first week writing this column Bollin Joanne, Springs Noblequest and Pipalong have all won.

That's three winners from three runners.

He told me Springs Noblequest and Dominelle should both go very close at Newcastle on Thursday.

Our own horses are in great form at the moment and Ribble Assembly was very unlucky to be placed second at Nottingham on Friday. We were hoping to get the race after the Stewards' Inquiry which took 24 minutes.

But it's very difficult to get a decision against a Newmarket horse.

Top of the Form was withdrawn from Ripon on Sunday because she was off colour on Thursday, but she is flying on the gallops and will be out shortly.

It's the start of a new era for me today, our horses have all moved to Hambleton Lodge Stables at Thirsk.

Next week I will do a trainer file on Kevin Ryan and the 20 horses he will have in training at the most famous northern stables.

Have a good week.

Tips for the week

Wednesday: Goodwood 3.10 Due South (NAP).

Thursday: Newcastle 2.00 Spring Noblequest (NAP) or Friday Pontefract.

Newcastle 4.00 Dominelle (EW).

Friday: Haydock 3.00 Pride of Pendle (EW); Nottingham 4.20 Skyers Flyer (EW).

Harry Barlow runs the Swan At Whalley Racing Club

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.