Latest news with #JamesMoss
News.com.au
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
John Sargent-trained Autumn Blonde gets chance to break maiden at Randwick-Kensington on Wednesday
Autumn Blonde, who has form around Golden Slipper winner Marhoona, gets an opportunity to break her maiden status in the Myplates Handicap (1150m) at Kensington on Wednesday. The John Sargent -trained Autumn Blonde went winless in four starts last season but showed natural ability including her third placing at Canterbury last February. The winner that day was Marhoona who trained on to win the Golden Slipper, while the runner-up, Dream Side, was placed at Group 2 level. Raced by leading syndicator James Moss and his Tricolours Syndications and part-owned by The Daily Telegraph editor Ben English, Autumn Blonde followed her Canterbury effort with a very close fourth to Within The Law in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes before failing in the Magic Night Stakes. Sargent said Autumn Blonde had been improved by two recent trials and could sprint well fresh under jockey Dylan Gibbons. 'Autumn Blonde has got ability,'' Sargent said. 'But I'm putting ear muffs on her for the first time as she has been going a bit hard so this might help her to relax. 'We will ride her midfield, hopefully there is a good speed early and she will be hitting the line well.'' Some spring class back to trials with these 2yos 1st - The Playwright (2f Written By x Sugarparma) for @GaiWaterhouse1 G3 Widden S. winner and 4th G1 Blue Diamond last start. Note 4th - Autumn Blonde (2f The Autumn Sun x Tall Blonde) for @jsargentracing. She's got something.… — Breednet (@BreednetNews) July 11, 2025 Sargent has a third of the field in the Kensington opener with Nullarbor Jane and Solar Dance clashing with stablemate Autumn Blonde. 'Nullarbor Jane has no weight (53.5kg after the claim for apprentice Molly Bourke) and has race fitness on her side. She hasn't been far away at her last two starts,'' Sargent said. 'Solar Dance is having her first start but she is well-bred and is out of a Zabeel mare on her dam's side, and I liked her last trial (won at Rosehill). 'She will probably get back from her barrier (eight) but I expect her to be doing her best work late.''
BBC News
12-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Thriving nature reserve near Stretham all began with a lake
A farmer and conservationist who transformed 300 acres into a thriving wildlife reserve 30 years ago said it all began when he dug out a Green created Kingfishers Bridge wetland habitat out of an intensively farmed sugar beet and potato farm between Wicken and Stretham, lake resulted in animals and birds using it every day, he said, so he founded the reserve which is marking its 30th anniversary on Saturday and Sunday. "Now we have more than 420 plant species, 215 different birds, 740 different moths and many more [species]," he said. Kingfishers Bridge was "almost exclusively a birder reserve" until the Covid-19 pandemic, with visitor numbers rising from about 2,000 in 2019 to 21,000 in now has a car park, a cafe, a visitor centre and a shop, as well as offering regular visitor tours of its rare Green said: "About 50 years ago, I realised that [to make] a wetland conservancy, it had to be with plenty of water to make it work, and so I made a lake – this followed with animals and birds using it every day."He praised manager James Moss for expanding and developing the habitats after the farm officially became a nature reserve."[He] gradually found the right places on land and water, leading to a wonderful nature reserve for which he had an extraordinary ability for managing," Mr Green said. "a massive increase" in its breeding population of lapwings, a farmland wading bird which is on a list of endangered has also seen a vast increase in the vulnerable water germander, from 12 plants in 1996 to seven million today, and it was the first place in Cambridgeshire to successfully breed bitterns since the 1930s. The data comes from RSPB, BTO & Environment Agency surveys, said Mr Bridge also has herds of water buffalo and konik ponies, which help manage the has organised an open weekend of events to mark its 30-year milestone, including guided tours, talks, performances by local musicians and food from local vendors. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
14-06-2025
- BBC News
Stretham nature reserve marks 30 years with lapwing number boost
A wetland habitat which was "almost exclusively a birder reserve" until the Covid-19 pandemic is marking its 30th Bridge, a 300-acre (121-hectare) reserve between Wicken and Stretham, Cambridgeshire, went from having 2,000 visitors a year to 21,000 in dog-friendly reserve now has a car park, cafe, visitor centre and shop, as well as offering regular visitor tours of its rare James Moss said a recent success had been "a massive increase in our breeding population of lapwings. The farmland wading birds - which are on a list of endangered species - are well camouflaged, so the reserve has used a pioneering recording technique to chart Moss said: "This is a hand-held thermal camera and the technology allows us to find the nest and count the eggs, monitoring the breeding birds through until their chicks fledge." Farmer and conservationist Andrew Green created the reserve in 1995 on the intensively farmed sugar beet and potato land. Using the River Cam as a wildlife corridor to draw new species in, he began recreating lost fenland habitat from the former farm. Kingfishers Bridge now attracts 210 different bird species, more than 90 of which have bred there, including the first bittern to successfully breed in Cambridgeshire since the has also seen a vast increase in the vulnerable water germander, from 12 plants in 1996 to seven million today. The data comes from RSPB, BTO & Environment Agency surveys, said Mr Moss. Large mammals are used to transform and manage the landscape, including a herd of water buffalo and two herds of Konik ponies."We've also introduced Old English Longhorn cattle from neighbouring farm Spinney Abbey to help manage the Cam Washes and they're doing fantastic job," said Mr Moss. Volunteer numbers are up, helping out at big events, and a regular team of 10 volunteers "make a massive difference", he other tasks, they help with hide and nest box creation, maintaining the infrastructure and with wildlife monitoring. Mr Moss added climate change - with extremes of weather and the lack of cold winters to kill off parasites - is of concern."While we're seeing biodiversity increase, we're also seeing invasive species - we have had our first Chinese water deer regularly on site," he said. "Visitor numbers have stabilised and are now more manageable than it was at its peak in the pandemic, but we're at a level where the reserve could be self-sustaining now," he added. Kingfishers Bridge plans to mark the anniversary during a weekend of events on 12 and 13 July. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
