Donald McCain: Back from the summer break and raring to go

Donald is back with the first of his weekly columns.
With the National Hunt season getting into full swing, Donald is back in typically forthright fashion.
The first Chepstow meeting of the season is always a sign that things are about to get into full swing and I am back with you for what will hopefully be as successful a campaign as last winter.
It's hardly been a relaxing period over the summer, though, with new arrivals and plenty of racing to keep us busy - sadly, the days of the old summer break do seem to be a thing of the past.
Call me old fashioned but I would much rather there was a two or three week break in July, rather than a week off in August and another in September - by that time, most of the horses are back in work and you are ready to crack on - the week off couldn't come at a worse time.
I can't see why there can't be a proper break and then start again with that good card that Market Rasen put on at the end of July. In the past there was always a real buzz when the jumping started again - a chance to catch up with faces you hadn't seen for a while and a real sense of anticipation about the upcoming season.
Anyway, enough of the moaning - for now at least - and I ought to look at the positives. Last season we managed 37 winners from May to September so the fact we had 47 on the board in the same period this year has to be encouraging. If we didn't have another winner all season, you couldn't say it had been a bad year!
We have more boxes than ever this season and just over 120 horses in training - the aim is obviously to keep improving the quality of the horses in the yard and I will be looking to strengthen the squad further at the upcoming Horses In Training sale at Newmarket later in the month.
The core of our team, both equine and human, are still here and there are a few new faces who should strengthen things as well.
Jason had a great season last year and is as good as there is, while John (Kington) and Adrian (Lane) are worth their weight in gold at home. We have a strong team of conditionals this year - everyone knows about Henry (Brooke) but Callum (Whillans) is coming along well and Paul O'Brien - a name that won't be familiar to many - is a new addition to the ranks.
He rode his first winner for us on Mulligan's Man at Perth last month and I think he is an excellent young rider - I am sure his 10lb claim is going to come in handy at some stage!
I can't sign off without a mention of the ridiculous new rules regarding novice chases. Whatever the reason for the changes, it isn't going to benefit anybody. There might be the odd small-field event which doesn't suit punters but they are important for the development of young horses and reducing the numbers as they have can't help anybody.
Sticking rating bands onto them isn't doing anyone much good either - especially someone like Paul Nicholls who has a yard full of highly rated chasing prospects - and trying to find suitable races for a horse like Super Duty, at a track you want to run at, is more difficult than it should be.
An example would be the novice chase at Bangor that Peddlers Cross won last season - it's a 0-110 novice chase this year and he wouldn't have been eligible. Everyone has their favourite tracks and I like to send a horse to places like Bangor and Carlisle to give them a proper education over proper fences. By reducing the opportunities for good horses at these tracks, it means I will end up sending horses to places that I wouldn't really want to go to.
Anyway, there's a long season ahead and hopefully there will be enough moaning to see that things can go back to how they were!