Stuart Carter

Start of another very warm day in Newmarket. Currently 16 degrees, forecast high 23. The very hot weather seems to be behind us, and I don’t think we’re going to have the unbroken bright sunshine #SuitcaseSmith

A farmer dies in April 2026. His son inherits the farm. The farm has been in the family since 1847. The farm consists of: 300 acres of grazing pasture, a farmhouse built in 1892, a barn, a milking parlour, two tractors of varying ages, a Land Rover that runs about 70% of the time, and a herd of 180 Hereford-cross cattle. On paper, the farm is worth approximately £3.2 million. This is because land near him has been bought recently by a London hedge fund looking for carbon credits, which has dragged the comparable value of every field within forty miles upward to a number nobody local can justify. In cash, the farm produces a profit of about £28,000 a year in a good year. In a bad year it loses money. The son also works as a fencing contractor three days a week to keep the operation viable. The inheritance tax bill on a £3.2 million estate, even at the reduced 20% rate, comes to approximately £140,000 after the increased threshold is applied. The son does not have £140,000. The son has never had £140,000. The son has £4,200 in his current account and an overdraft. The son sells 60 acres to a developer to pay the tax. The developer puts solar panels on the 60 acres. The remaining herd cannot be sustained on the reduced land. The herd is sold. The barn becomes a holiday let. A different family eats Brazilian beef this Christmas without knowing why the price went up. The Treasury collects £140,000. The land never produces British food again.

See what George Stanners & Caroline Kenneally got up to in Virginia ahead of the 2026 Doncaster Spring & Goffs Arkle Sales… See you at Goffs! 🇺🇸

Repost!🙌🏼

Racing supports jobs, livelihoods and rural communities across Britain. Government cannot afford to ignore the growing pressures facing the industry. Read the latest from @CA_TimB 👇 countryside-alliance.org/features/tim-b…

Sun seems to be trying to find a gap in the clouds but there’s a cold northerly wind in Newmarket this morning. 6 degrees but ‘feels like zero’. Forecast high 10. And it’s now trying to rain. Not very nice. Weather could & should be nicer than this in April #Clasina #BenBhraggie

More rain again in Newmarket yesterday evening and again this morning. Stopped raining now but it’s still quite bleak. And so very wet. Breeze getting up again so feeling colder. 6 degrees, ‘feels like 2’ #MrsMaisel #Dereham #Clasina #DoubleMeaning #SmooCave #Littleferry

The Lanwades Stud Brochure for 2025 is now available to view online..issuu.com/lanwadesstud/d… #BOBBYSKITTEN #SEATHEMOON #STUDYOFMAN

The National Gallery has just announced that its Stubbs exhibition next year will focus on this LIFE SIZE (!) painting of Scrub, a racehorse owned by the Marquess of Rockingham who also owned the famous Whistlejacket. It's in a private collection. Only seen in public once before.

We're so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by the Heath, a captivating training ground for some of the UK's best racehorses. Have you watched them out on the Gallops in the week? Everyone needs to experience it at least once. #HeathCourtHotel #Newmarket #NewmarketSuffolk

Thank you to every single person who got involved over the last 5 days. It's been something, and we can't wait to do it all over again. This has been Royal Ascot 2025. #RoyalAscot

United Utilities illegally dumped 140 million litres of raw sewage into one of England's most famous lakes - Windermere - over 3 yrs, the BBC can reveal The firm failed to report most of it bbc.com/news/articles/…

🗣️"Nothing is often hard to do." Sir Mark Prescott is in no doubt that patience is the key to training racehorses. #LuckOnSunday | @WorldPool | @nickluck

@ClaireSayer7 @BRSNewmarket She will be a lovely addition to @BRSNewmarket and will be great for the students to work with. They will quickly discover her favourite snack.....

Beautiful Empress Lulu starts a new stage in her life today at the British racing school. She will be a star for them. She has been a joy to have since her first day. This is a great opportunity for her to have a protected future Thank you to everyone who has cared for her. 😍

Good luck today @haydockraces with ‘Prague’ @dylancunha_uk ridden by Daniel Tudhope & to owners Federica & Amadeo 🤞🏇

It's the morning of #GoodwoodRevival and despite the rain, the cars are looking as beautiful as ever. These stunning machines are participating in the RAC TT Celebration over the weekend. 📸: Joe Harding

23 races on the all-weather today, most of them poorly funded affairs @LingfieldPark and @Southwell_Races. Slightly better funding @kemptonparkrace thankfully but that defeats the point. It’s meant to be the turf season?

Congratulations to you both - lovely pictures.

Book of the Day: Arthur Ransome "Swallows and Amazons" (1930) A reminder of the glorious summers of childhood to lighten the gloom of this wet and windy summer. Picture a still from the popular film of the children's adventures.