Once again I’m truly sorry I’ve lapsed in keeping up my website. So much has happened since I last wrote, I truly haven’t had a moment to think, but I promise I’ll catch up soon. For the moment I just want to say I had a fabulous tour promoting the paperback of Wicked! and had hilarious times going on Woman’s Hour and taking Feather our greyhound on the Paul O’Grady Show where he met the famous Buster and going on This Morning with Fern Britten and Philip Schofield. Most thrilling thing of all was Wicked! going to Number 4 after three days and then to Number 1 for two weeks, the following two weeks, then down to Number 2 by a very few copies and then back to Number 1 this week. I cannot describe the excitement when my publishers Transworld or my agent, Vivienne Schuster rings me on the Tuesday afternoon when the lists are published to tell me the latest score. I’d just like to thank all the thousands and thousands of people who have bought Wicked! it really has been such a joy and a buzz for me.

Another great excitement is my son Felix and his wife Edwina have acquired from Battersea Dogs’ Home a heavenly new dog called William. I will be putting a photograph of him on my website very soon. He and Feather are getting on really well.

Finally, almost most exciting of all, Monty’s Salvo the lovely National Hunt horse I share with eleven other people, raced for the first time at Worcester on June 2nd. He’s been off for two years through injury and had actually wrecked himself and raced for the last time on the course at Worcester in 2005. I was so worried he might have frightening memories of the place.

This time he was entered in the 1.25, a Maiden Hurdle, against really good horses ridden by stars like A.P. McCoy, Richard Johnson and Timmy Murphy. Although Monty looked magnificent in the paddock, and in Andrew Tinkler had an excellent jockey, I wasn’t expecting him to do anything and was all geared up to smile bravely if he came in last.

But to my absolute amazement, he ran simply beautifully. Suddenly, we kept hearing: ‘Monty, Monty, Monty, Monty,’ on the loudspeaker and coming up the straight our boy went into the lead, then, when overtaken by another horse, he fought back so bravely and just failed to get in front by a whisker.

After a nailbiting photo finish he was declared second, but it was one of the biggest thrills of my life. Henry Ponsonby, who runs the syndicate, and I screamed our heads off, were both in tears and had a wonderful time being photographed with our arms around what to us was a true winner.

Monty then had lots of buckets of water thrown over him but I was so overexcited it was me who needed cooling down, particularly when I was interviewed by, another hero, Richard Pitman, for At The Races. So well done Nicky Henderson for training Monty, and Andrew for riding him, and Michael Kissane, the wonderful stable lad who looks after him.

As well as being at Worcester races as an owner, I was also a guest of St Richard’s Hospice, who were staging a wonderful Ladies’ Day. Everyone enjoyed themselves hugely and I was particularly enchanted to meet Dr Jim Lewis, who owned the legendary Best Mate. An auction, which took place after the Derby made a splendid £12,000 for the Hospice. The whole day was a terrific background for Village Horse, the novel I’m writing about National Hunt racing.

Finally, in passing, I must tell you a friend, Zoe Gibson, has painted a gorgeous picture of Feather. He is extremely pleased! And so are we. If there is anybody interested in having their dog painted, her website address is: www.zoegibson.com