A wonderful send off for Oliver and Simon Sherwood's mother, yesterday; beautiful readings by young amateur Jack and his cousin Davina and a very fitting tribute by vet Alan Walker.

Newbury was very dry and totally unsuitable for Buffalo Bob but he still ran a blinder. Jumping off in front he was only headed just after the last and he stuck his head out only to be beaten into 2nd. Annoying but we were very proud of Bob.

Tom Siddall was in for a couple of lots and we worked, Basoda, Bentota, Double Mead, Ruby Crown, Ballyoliver, Golden Button, Oshkosh, Eastern Supreme, Behindcloseddoors, Points Of View, Tibunel, Jomade Islamouth, Malindi Bay, Blazing Tommy, Cinderella Rose, Real Treasure, Smokey George and The Kings Theatre Gelding. We also schooled Blazing Tommy, Oshkosh, Real Treasure and Golden Button over hurdles.

Ever day between now and The Festival you will read of a certain horse being withdrawn through injury or a problem of some sort. It is the trainers nightmare but these are finely tuned athletes and however hard you try you cannot keep them wrapped up in cotton wool; stones become boulders and even your normal yard tarmac suddenly becomes an ice rink.

Back to Newbury today for a charity lunch supporting Greatwood. Henry Hannon and I do the heads and tails and then Henry is likely to do the auction as the proper one has dropped out. Henry wont enjoy doing it as it not an easy job. All in a good cause and hopefully Greatwood will collect some much needed cash.

Hard to imagine it but my loan car registered -8 when I drove into the yard this morning; I know it is a tiny car but it must have been frozen! Hopefully tomorrow we will be parting company?

Trainers love excuses, and as with farmers we always have something to moan about; now it is the fact that the ground has dried up so much that soft ground horses are now finished, form wise, for the moment. Yesterday the ground at Ludlow was bordering on fast by the last race.

Poor Lady Samantha has missed all her soft ground entries as they were all abandoned so yesterday she was staying on slowly for 6th and Doctor Disny likewise. Doctor Disny was 2nd last time on very soft ground at Uttoxeter; sadly the handicapper will rate him on his soft ground form not good ground form!

There was an announcement over the public address system for 'Kim Bailey to come to the weighing room' immediately after Doctor Disny's race. That call gives you nothing short of the feeling you get when a police car comes up behind you with its lights flashing, and expecting to have to explain why DD had finished down the field I headed off with my excuses. To my surprise I was met by a lovely lady, Angela Draper, who having watched my interview from Fakenham wanted to join the Heroes Partnership ; I could have hugged her!

I am off this morning to support Oliver and Simon Sherwood at the funeral of their mother and then heading to Newbury.

Headlines of My Racing Post. 'Silence is Golden' I've got the third favourite of the Gold Cup and Champion hurdle and virtually nobody rings me!' Hardly surprising when their expense account does not cover international dialling tones.. Of course I am only jealous.

CHELTENHAM SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR ‘THE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO JUMP RACING BY A LADY’ AWARD.

Ladies Day at The Festival is on Thursday, March 18, this year and Cheltenham Racecourse is seeking nominations for the award that recognises the contribution that women make to Jump racing.

The presentation of the award for ‘The Outstanding Contribution made by a Lady to Jump racing’ is an integral part of Ladies Day.

In previous years this award has been won by Heather Atkinson, from Cheltenham's Jockeys’ Hospital, by Lady Chicky Oaksey from the Injured Jockeys Fund, by Ann Saunders from the Jockeys Association and, in 2009, by Nina Carberry, the leading female jump jockey.

A shortlist of six is drawn up from nominations made by members of the public and a panel of female racing experts will select the winner.

Nominations are again being invited from members of the public for this award, to vote for who you would like to nominate please click here Entries should be received by Friday, March 5.

Round the farm with the horses this morning; a quiet one as usual on Thursdays and Allformary back after her slightly dirty trachea wash.

Another very good supper at Soushi Creation in Cirencester last night, celebrating 9 years of wedded bliss, I am a very lucky man.

Bitterly cold here this morning, but warmer news; there is a possibility that my car might reappear on Saturday, two months it has been away. The missing parts finally arrived from Japan only for further delays because the local Toyota garage put the brake sensors on back to front!

Tom Siddall and Sean Quinlan were in for a couple of lots this morning (Jason Maguire on holiday). Lizzie Wills and Alison Drake were in to watch Lizzies two horses Supreme Plan and Blazing Sun work; we also worked Basoda,  Valento, Ballyoliver,  Malindi Bay, Oshkosh, Points View, Tribunel, Eastern Supreme, Jomade, Smokey George, Cinderella Rose, Behindclosedoors, Double Mead, Islamouth and The Kings Theatre gelding.

We schooled Lady Samantha, Valento, Points Of View, Golden Button, Supreme Plan, Smokey George, Real Treasure, Tribunel, Malindi Bay, Doctor Disny and Paddy Tern

Graham Potts our vet was in for his weekly visit.

-5 first thing this morning, clear skies and a full moon.. All week we are going to have the sun shining and these wonderful bright blue skies. What a difference the sun makes to everybody's demure, smiling and happy faces and the yard full of jokers; oh what a relief to be away from the snows of last week and rain; a very welcome change.

Talking of change I have had an email from David Hill, one of the directors of Warwick Racecourse, to say that they are now going to use number cloths on all the horses when parading round the paddock ''Never let be said we don't listen to our customers Kim. Number cloths have been organised for the next meeting with extra large ones for the Directors!''

Constantius bogged down yesterday at Hereford which was rather expected, but better ground and easier races in the spring await. Courses that leave their covers on for a week are bound to produce very testing conditions even if the course walks ok. Kempton and Warwick last weekend and Hereford yesterday were all cases. Tough call for them and us.

Hughie Williams one of my intrepid followers has just returned from holidaying in Dubai and this was his report

Back from Dubai in time for Bangor on Wednesday!.
As you know, I can "go on a bit" about the merits, or otherwise, of racecourses so, by way of a change, I'll keep this brief (!). 

Meydan is VERY impressive. Think Ascot, multiply it by any factor you care and you might get somewhere near. Free entry; free racecards; approx £8 for a "Premier Seat" in the grandstand which is very grand indeed!.
Buy a coffee and they bring it to you! Want to get to the other side of the horse walk out of the parade ring? No men standing by a barrier saying you can't : there's a subway! Why didn't Aintree think of that?
 

Michael Dickinson was there fussing about, no change there then. Andy Murray was interviewed on the, again, VERY big screen, well actually 5 big screens; so big they obliterate the back straight but so clear you find yourself watching them as the horses go by. Despite being built to cope with huge crowds it didn't fail for atmosphere. It's awesome without being frighteningly so.    

Pity the racing's so flat.

March 1st 1989 was very memorable day it was the day that Harry Bailey arrived into this world.

Happy 21st Birthday Harry.

Harry's day will be spent with friends up in Newcastle, where he is supposedly studying, although I hope the Newcastle clubs are open and ready to party tonight!

Time flies for parents and 21 years ago I celebrated Harry's arrival with Craig Pearman, who used to own Kings Fountain; it was Craig's 50th and there were big celebration at the Beetle and Wedge.

Sadly Craig, who is no longer with us, was a big man in every sense of the word and a night out with him usually took a while to recover from! His son Sam is based just down the road and owns and runs the The Wheatsheaf and The Royal Well Tavern, so we see a great deal of him understandably.

No racing at Towcester yesterday which meant that Lady Samantha, who has had a rotten season, has now missed her last 4th engagements through weather. Not a great deal of help when you want soft ground, 3 miles and you are right at the bottom of the handicap!

Hereford today and Lion On The Prowl is going to be dropped off on the way at Robert Chugg's for a weeks intensive schooling round his loose school; our out door school is more or less flooded.

Jason Maguire was in for a couple of lots on this bright sunny morning and schooled Real Treasure, Golden Button and Tribunel over hurdles; no more rain forecasted so the courses just might have time to put their ground right before the grass starts to grow. They say the ground will be good to soft at Cheltenham.

Jason starts his 10 holiday tomorrow and although he hopes to go skiing for a few days he has plenty to do here in the UK before he goes off; as we well know it is only 15 days to Cheltenham and the Racing Post, as will most of the other daily papers, be full of all the news and stories hyping the big 4 days.

Today I am attending a Reception and seminar at Hartwell House Stoke Mandeville in aid of Restore in the presence of The Duke Of Kent who is Patron to the Charity.

With a very full quota of staff we took all the horses round the farm this morning before having a canter. Now that Higgs is back gates are being repaired and the various other holes made by Mat and I while he was away.