Baileys Blog

Plus 2 and dry when driving in.

That hurt…

Yes you might well ask why, but finishing second with Queenohearts really did hurt, not because she was beaten on the nod, but because all the hard work and effort by all here to get her there means many don't appreciate when you finish second.

Yes of course I know it was a huge training performance by all here and huge patience from her owners who probably thought her career was over after having leg problems..We are so proud of her.. She is tough, honest and determined..

But thanks to her owners patience, Jason Maguire’s water treadmill, Will who rides her out most days, Ciaran Gething who was unable to ride her yesterday but rode all her work and of course the work Laura Collett put in with her jumping, she so nearly pulled of the moment of our season..

But..Sadly her defeat rather sums up our season!!!!..

Look on the bright side .. Queenohearts ran a cracker and we are hugely proud of her… what do I say.. Bugger!! The good news is that she seems fine this morning.

More of a bugger was the ridiculous decision by Market Rasen to keep holding inspections when frankly racing surely had no chance of going ahead because of frost..11.30 was their last call and it took until nearly 12pm to announce their abandonment ..

Ciaran Gething who was due to ride my two runners at MR rang before the result of the inspection to say that it was still frozen in the shaded areas of the course..

I am sorry, but Market Rasen called it wrong and because of that owners were pissed off and costs incurred.. John Perriss and I were 45 minutes away.. Nannette Sellars who has yet to see her horse Flirtatious Girl run (due to last years covid ) was 20 minutes away..

Both owners are going to receive a bill for transport and staff costs, but the saving grace for them is that they don’t have to pay their jockey fees (which must be wrong)..

Yes a wasted day and I am sorry for Ciaran who should have been at Lingfield to ride Queenohearts but was retained to ride at MR for Stuart Edmonds and my two horses.. Racecourses need to make decisions earlier.. two inspection not 3?

John Perriss and I watched the race while having lunch on the way home.. we shouted, but to no avail..!

Enough said..

Saturday morning.

David Bass, Ciaran Gethings and Harrison Beswick were in this morning.

We had Sue and Graeme Brown here for a morning on the gallops as booked through CD Tours.

They were joined by Peter Jones, Mark Francis, James and Ruth Coxon.. And Stewart and Bev Wright who were here to see their KBRS horses Phantom Getaway, Charming Getaway and Tantoli..Gary and Tracy Betley were here to see their KBRS horse Phantom Getaway. David Molineux was here to see his KBRS horse Firth Of Gold..Breakfast for all after..

We have one runner today and two tomorrow.. First Flow runs at Ascot today. Tomorrow Two For Gold heads to Lingfield while Lady Of The Night heads to Warwick and for my thoughts on all their chances please click here.

Meat Loaf..

When Marvin Aday was 13 years old, he clumsily trod on the foot of his American football coach who, in the anger of the moment, turned on the overweight boy and called him a “meat loaf”. The jibe was taken up by his classmates and when he turned up at school the next day, the name had been daubed on his locker.

Recognising that there was no point in protesting against the innate cruelty of adolescent boys, Aday stoically accepted the nickname and set about turning it to his advantage, creating the brash, larger-than-life personality that would in adulthood make Meat Loaf one of the biggest-selling names in American rock music.

I recall seeing him live in Oxford many years ago ..

Mikey Elliot took a team of us to see him perform live in Oxford .. Great show.. I had missed a couple of nights sleep (not sure why??) and as a result fell asleep in row 2..Hard to believe I know, especially when you know how much noise Bat Out Of Hell made, but sleep took over..

I awoke to find the great man standing above my chair with sweat pouring down on me… yes it was an hugely embarrassing moment!!!.. Worse than being called on stage by Dame Edna Everage

Dont forget to go to the Cocklebarrow races tomorrow.. Pony races start the day at 10.30.. A must visit if you are in the Cotswold this weekend..It is a huge day out..

Have a great weekend and see you on Monday..

Minus 5 and dry when driving in..

Ludlow was busy and Bobhopeornohope finished 3^rd.

Moderate day for the two Brits in Melbourne.. Were you glued to the TV to watch our two top liners crumble? Perhaps Brits should stay out of AUstralia?

Todays is the first of 3 days of the inaugural Lingfield Winter Million meeting.. A new one and a big one.. Many thought they might lose the meeting due to waterlogged ground and although it will be bloody heavy and very tiring it is frost that could stall the first days racing…

So it is a case of inspections all round today to see if racing will go ahead.

Latest...Racing goes ahead at Lingfield and probably at Market Rasen where they are holding a second inspection..

We have three runners today .. Flirtatious Girl and Lots Of Luck head to Market Rasen and Queenohearts heads to Lingfield and for my thoughts on their chances please click here.

Graham Potts our vet was in for his Friday visit..

One of the great producer of vocal noises of my youth died last night.. Meat Loaf.. Bat out of hell.

Farrow and Ball have released a new colour.. Sue Gray

However it is a very light shade, which means that if spread too thinly it looks like whitewash..

To finish.. Happy birthday to my old mate David Manley.... I am sure he will be hard at it waxing up....The Candle Company..

Minus 3 and dry when driving in.

Plumpton has never really hit my boat, but for no other reason it is a long way, it can be a bad drive and I have not been very lucky there..

They try very hard to please (good prize money) and yesterday it showed when John and Penny Perriss arrived and there was no wheelchair access for the owners and trainer.. Dan Thompson their chief executive could not have tried harder to help us.. Just a shame that John's horse Rockys Treasure did not take a leaf out of Dan's book as RT tried for 2 circuits, but not 3…

A long way to go and a long way home.. we did not stay for lunch…. Good to see Gerard and Nicky Clinton who had a runner in our race.. A long way from Devon for them too..

Supper last night with Michael amd Mary Dulverton.. Always fun...I sat next to Pippa Green who told me the sad new that David Harland, who I berated (very much tongie in cheek) last week, broke his leg yesterday.. David is meant to be going on holiday in about 10 days time..Sorry to hear David..

Thursday and our easy day.

We have just the one runner today at Ludlow.. Bobhopeornohope heads there and for my thoughts on his chances please click here.

Another day at the Australian Open..Andy and Emma in action this morning..

Novak Djokovic became the first professional athlete in history to be banned from a major sporting competition for not taking drugs..

Quote of the day..Who said...

'Nobody told me that what we were doing was aganist the rules.. '

To finish we have a new Owner of the month Joe Goldring

Plus 3 and dry when driving in..It looks like being dry all week…

Talk of watering at Ascot?

Exeter yesterday..Glancing Glory won best turned out and predictably finished 3^rd ..which is where she should have on all known form.

David Bass, Ciaran Gethings, Jay Tidball and Harrison Beswick were all in to ride out this morning..

We worked a few and jumped Imperial Hurricane, Equus Dreamer, Talk Of The Moon, The Edgar Wallace, Trelawne, Pay The Pilot, Lady Of The Night, Chazza, Two For Gold, Queenohearts, Captain Rose, Sayadam, Does He Know, Kyntara, Inflagrante, Percy Veering and Fair Frontieres.. Videos might appear here later - First Lot, Second Lot, 

Luke Healy was here for a morning on the gallops.

David and Shantha Shuttle were here mid morning to see their KBRS horse Does He Know.

Cotswold Film Company were here again this morning to finish off their filming.

Graham Potts our vet was in this morning as he was at Exeter yesterday..

A good day for the Brits in Melbourne yesterday.. The Australian Open tennis...Even Mat watched Emma..

We have one runner today at Plumpton.. Not racecourse I go to often.. Rockys Treasure runs there and for my thoughts on his chances please click here.

The second half of Richard Wilkin's joke..

Things Confucius Did Not Say:

War does not determine who is right; it determines who is left.

Man who fights with wife all day get no piece at night.

Man who drives like hell is bound to get there.

Man who stands on toilet is high on pot.

Man who lives in glass house should change clothes in basement.

Wise man does not keep sledge hammer and slow computer in the same room.

To finish.. Huge apologies to Fenella Tillier for forgetting to mention that it was her birthday yesterday.. Sorry Fenella.. Please forgive me..

Minus 4 and dry when driving in.

Sad news.. There was a fatal crash on the A436 yesterday.. The road from here to Birdlip was closed most of yesterday and was still early this morning.

First lot Bobhopeornohope and Queenohearts had a refresher course with Event rider Laura Collett..

Second lot Alan James was here to see his KBRS horses Voyburg, Chazza, Shinobi, Does He Know, Parc d’Amour, Tantoli, Fair Frontieres, Magical Escape and Phantom Getaway

Graham Cooper was here to see his KBRS horse Mikailovich.

Third lot we had about 15 members of the Racing press here to talk and admire First Flow..

They were here to report and drum up support for the supposed 2 horse race at Ascot on Saturday..The SBK Clarence House Chase.. A huge race. which FF won last year..

FF was unfancied last year and is certainly unfancied this time around in what is a far stronger race.. Only 5 horses entered and when you see what is running you can perhaps see why FF is unfancied.. BUT.. Who Knows we could surprise them.. Lets hope so..Sishkin and Energumene.. what have they done to deserve all the publicity!!

This weeks moves and shakers in the BHA handicap charts wwere Party Fuzz down 1 to 115 and Shanacoole Prince down 5 to 111, Voyburg down 2 to 101.

We have just the one runner today at Exeter.. Glancing Glory heads there and for my thoughts please click here.

The Australian Open..

This was sent my many.. including Disney and Godley..

The best thing for English Cricket is to try and find a way for Novak Djokovic to open the batting......

It took the Aussies almost 2 weeks to get him out !

Plus 1 and dry when driving in.

Oh don’t we hate disappointments and Party Fuzz was just that on Saturday at Wetherby.. Travelled well and stopped.. Yesterday morning we found that he had very sore shins.. was that what stopped him?

There might be a few sore shins in the England Test Team after a severe drumming in Hobart.. Headlines..'Dismal England batting line-up collapses in vintage style to lose fifth Ashes Test in Hobart'

Sunday and no runners..

A busy morning in the office was followed by a BBQ at home with Simon Claisse and Annabel England and son Elliot...

You might wonder BBQ.. The sun was shining so it was an opportunity to use son Harry’s Christmas present.. A meat thermometer.. excellent results..He should know as it is a must gadget down under..

Good to see Simon.. First time since his retirement from Cheltenham.. He is now a healthy looking ex clerk of the course.. stress free one too!

Harry went to watch Andy Murray fail to win the Sydney tennis Classic.. Murray was beaten in straight sets..

The Australian Tennis.. The Australian Open starts today without you know who..

Monday morning.. Maddie away..

I went to see David and Virginia Johnson today ..Lunch.. topics included..Virginia's horses  Glancing Glory and Inflagrante

After my call for jokes on Saturday..Richard Wilkin has sent these over

Things Confucius Did Not Say:

Man who wants pretty nurse must be patient.

Passionate kiss, like spider web, leads to undoing of fly.

Lady who goes camping with man must beware of evil intent.

Squirrel who runs up woman's leg will not find nuts.

Man who leaps off cliff jumps to conclusion.

Man who runs in front of car gets tired but man who runs behind car gets exhausted.

Man who eats many prunes gets good run for money.

Minus 1 and dry when driving in.

That was a very happy day yesterday…

A big team of support for hurdling debutant Galante de Romay at Huntingdon and they were certainly not disappointed with her third..

This lovely mare has really struggled to become a racehorse and many doubted that she would, but as they say 'patience is a virtue' and yesterday the seeds of a bigger future over fences were sown…

Thrilled for her KBRS owners The Galante Gallopers… They should have a great deal of fun with this mare..

David Bass, Ciaran Gethings and Harrison Beswick were in this morning.

Mary Dulverton was here second lot to see her horses Sayadam , Artic Saint, Hamilton Dici and Kyntara perform

Ernie Gaskin was here to see his KBRS horse Mikailovich

Stewart, Bev and Jac Wright were here to see their KBRS horses Charming Getaway, Phantom Getaway and Tantoli.

We have The Cotswold Film Company here all morning.. Filming for our new staff video..This is the old one..

We have just the one runner today at Wetherby. Party Fuzz heads there and for my thoughts please click here.

Nothing new or exciting in the 5th Ashes Test..

I am having a few complaints about the lack of quality in my jokes..

You have to love how the old ones change and make for a funny story!

Boris Johnson visited a village in Cornwall and asked the inhabitants what the government could do for them.

‘We have two big needs’ said the village spokesman.. ‘First we have a health centre but no doctor’

Boris whipped out his mobile phone, spoke for a while and then said.. ‘I have sorted it out.. A doctor will arrive her tomorrow.. What is you other need?’

‘We have no mobile reception at all in our village..’

Have a great weekend and see you on Monday..

Minus 4 and dry when driving in.

It was such a stunning day yesterday.. Not a cloud in the sky.. Cold, bright and with many more vapour trails..

A rather pleasant day spent walking Anthony Colburn's farm, with Nick Phillips, Richard Wills, Jim Rogers, Alex Robinson, Peter Caroe, Anthony Sheppard and Iona Sale..

I seem destined to be without staff in my office as although Sandie Wilkinson was in today.. she is away next week (working remotely).. Maddie has swanned off to Alicante for the weekend... We will cope!!

Form is everything specially when buying.. The point to point world is a mine field and with so many good horses appearing out of it, it can at times be very difficult to judge.. The horse that beat Constitution Hill in his point to point won a handicap hurdle yesterday off a handicap rating of 112..

The 5th Ashes Test started this morning In Hobart. A good start by England.. If only this was the first Ashes Test!!

We have just the one runner today at Huntingdon.. Galante de Romay runs there and for my thoughts please click here.

This week’s newsletter from Debrett’s offers advice on how to “apologise with integrity”, saying that a “bungled or insincere apology can inflame a situation rather than resolving it”.

Suitable for the present political climate..

You have to love this quote from H R Haldeman .. US Chief of Staff under President Nixon.

''Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, it is awfully hard to get it back in..''

Minus 3 and dry when driving in.

Leicester Racecourse was busy for Leicester.. Surely It can’t be because of their new Director Richard Clowes.. He only started this month..

I have moaned over the years about Leicester as a racetrack....Not the course, as it is fair, when raceable; but the way they looked after owners.. Well that really is in the past, because they have come up trumps in looking after their base players, the owners..So top marks in that direction..Excellent lunch with Mark and Melinda Laws.

Yesterday’s down side was the sun.. something we have not seen much of recently, but it seems to be that when the sun shines at this time of year some racecourses just down tools when it comes to jumping..

Yesterday all the back straight fences were taken out because of low sun.. well all bar the water jump which they can’t bypass..

Ciaran Gethings who rode Shanacoole Prince commented that he, or rather the horse, made a mistake at that jump as he could not see the fence take off area?.. If taking out fences because of low sun then surely the water jump needs to have a bypass area too?

I have said only a couple of weeks ago when Warwick took all 5 of their fences out on their back straight that something needs to be done for owners and trainers who don’t wish to run their horses because of the changing race conditions..Plans are a foot?

Shanacoole Prince was probably not worried about not jumping fences, but he was certainly run off his feet in the mile and quarter flat race that ensued after jumping the second fence..

Thursday morning and an easy one..

The substitution window is now open for our hugely popular Five To Follow competition.

This will allow you to make two changes to your team which I think a few people will have to as some of our big players retired. If you have an error message on the lineup, this is because that player is no longer available for selection.

We have personally guided trip with Bean Benson around Dunkertons Cider Factory to the winner..tasting and lunch to boot?

Talking prizes.. Cocklebarrow Races are offering a 10% discount for their January 23rd meeting to anybody who buys through this web site..Discount code is C04324.. Click here to buy..

You know 10 years from now there is going to be a standardized test with a math problem that says..

’’If Matt was exposed to Covid on Tuesday and had no symptoms four days later and he got it from Susie who caught it at a party three days before Matt tested positive five days later, how likely is Matt’s little brother going to test positive on an antigen test if he tests two days after Matt tests positive?’’

Minus 3 and dry when driving in.

Second with Thruthelookinglass at Exeter.. Can you imagine what I said after…..?

Delighted for his owners and breeders Keith and Liz Ellis..(That is not what you expected me to say!)

Anyway a huge well done to Keith and Liz as they were keen to go down the breeding route when they retired Amazing d'Azy ..

Infact Keith asked Aiden Murphy and I to buy a mare who they could race and then breed from.. Hence Amazing d'Azy was bought at the Cheltenham sales..

I recall the story of Keith telling Liz that he was popping out for a while and then drove to Cheltenham to buy her. Keith drove home as if he had been out to the pub!

Thruthelookinglass, who is their first baby, ran well for a long way in his bumper a month ago at Exeter and frankly we were not sure how he would cope with the heavy ground and first time over hurdles yesterday..

He was green and showed that he was not sure what he was doing, but the penny dropped and he ran a blinder..

Yes I hate second, but to see Liz’s face after her horse finished second is why I do this job..

Liz was understandably over the moon and rightly so as breeding you own horse and seeing it run is a very exciting moment.. Although I have to mention that there was a moment I thought she might jump the rails and handbag the jockey who nearly brought her boy down at the first!!

I went to Exeter yesterday not really sure what to expect and I came home knowing that I had three sets of happy owners..

Voyburg struggled on the ground but tried and finished third. Voyburg had a huge turn out of owners who enjoyed their day, and as one said, if your horse is placed and competitive then that is half the battle..while Percy Veering at least looked more of a racehorse over hurdles..

'Hope' is why we do this racing game and all went home last night full of it..For once 'second' was just about acceptable!!

Wednesday morning and David Bass, Ciaran Gethings and Harrison Beswick were in to ride out..

Nick Brown and Paul Wells were here second lot to seetheir horse Queenohearts.

Joe Goldring and Caitlin was here third lot to see his KBRS horse Firth Of Gold.

Racing lost two old timers over the last few days. Ivor Herbert and John Hassett..

We have just the one runner today at Leicester.. Shanacoole Prince heads there and for my thoughts please click here.

Talking thoughts..

A date for your diary.. Cocklebarrow Races are to held next Sunday January 23rd..

In the old days it was called the Heythrop Point to Point, but woke means it is now a day at the races in the countrtyside and a very good one too..

Sadly it looks like I will be missing one of my favourite days out as , all being well, I will heading to 'unleafy' Lingfield for the huge weekend of jump racing..The Winter Million Festival..