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Plus 18 when waking in Gallipoli

We were delighted with Jeudidee yesterday at Uttoxeter when he finished 3rd. It was proper winter ground which was probably too soft for him but he will now qualify for a handicap mark..onwards and upwards..

Hello on the first day of Kim and Clare’s holiday, it’s Cornelius Lysaght here, in the saddle for Bailey’s Blog.

This has all reminded me of years ago when I phoned Kim at a weekend about the great Docklands Express and apologised for disturbing him on a Sunday, only to receive the very polite reply – something not guaranteed from one or two of the other big names of the 1990s – that no, it should be he thanking me as he never wanted to reach the day when the telephone stopped ringing, as it would indicate people had forgotten him. As if…so when he called asking me to be a guest writer on racing’s most-memorable trainer’s blog I, a freelance operator, was able to say much the same, three years now since being given my marching orders from the BBC…by, ironically, a Mr Gallop – though I’m not sure if he knows that in the office they call him ‘Barely A Canter’.

At Uttoxeter yesterday it was good to see Jeudidee running another good race, albeit in third this time, for John and Laura Garrett (aka Park View); what a good attitude he showed on the very soft going there, definitely bumping into a good ‘un, and being beaten thirteen-and-a-quarter lengths by Williethebuilder may well turn out in retrospect to have been more than respectable form. Uttoxeter also saw the final working day of ‘Bagsy’, Neil Painting, a racing stalwart for practically fifty years, best known as travelling head man to David Nicholson’s Condicote operation and for the last about twenty years in the weighing room as valet to countless jockeys. Having spent so long being responsible for washing David Bass’ – and Ed Cookson’s – and others’ underpants we can be sure he is more than deserving of the happiest of retirements. A notably large array of his jockeys, including several not riding at the meeting, were there for a pre-retirement race photo at Worcester on Monday (in front of the weighing room development that is looking better and better).

What else to tell you about: Nicky Henderson says Constitution Hill is staying over hurdles despite speculation that he might go chasing this season with an attempt at completing the Champion Hurdle / Cheltenham Gold Cup double – only ever achieved by Dawn Run – as the big target. At the moment apparently Nicky and Nico de Boinville are not convinced that his stamina would last out the three-and-a-quarter miles of the GC, so he’ll stick for now to trying to win another Champion Hurdle, which will clearly be no straightforward task as Willie Mullins is talking up State Man and Impaire Et Passe for the same goal. Constitution Hill is still only six and there’s plenty of time for him to have a go at Gold Cups in the future.

I’m sorry to read about the death of one-time stipe Rachel Tonks – always Miss RAR Tonks on the racecard – at the age of 76. For a long time she was part of the racecourse furniture and a link to a time before all the stewarding changes of recent years.  

Constitution Hill gets, of course, quite a few mentions in Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow 2023/24 which has thudded through my letterbox. Eight Thorndale Farm horses receive write-ups, two in particular – The Kemble Brewery and Trelawne – which I always think has pros and cons for the owners. Paul is famously shrewd so that’s a plus, but unfortunately everyone knows how clever he is so they’ll probably start a point or two shorter than you’d ideally like. It’s a great read, getting you right in the mood for the main part of the NH season – and, like me, Paul supports Everton so needs all the oxygen for life that you can muster for him. It can be bought here

Post-BBC life has allowed me to do a whole variety of more commercial work in racing, without having to get clearance every time from the impartiality police, and amongst the most enjoyable stuff has been working with Worcester and Hereford on racedays. I am hoping to maybe extend that work, but at the moment it’s hard to know where to pitch anything as we still don’t have the 2024 fixture list confirmed by the British Horseracing Authority. Even though it’s only mid-September you will have noticed that the evenings are fast drawing in, and it’s not just the freelance brigade that wants to know what’s going on – courses themselves need to be able to get marketing to racegoers who also like to plan ahead and, of course, organisers of the charity calendars want to get printing. At Doncaster last week I was assured by someone who’d know that the dates should – should – be known within the next couple of weeks, but they warned that some of the BHA’s controversial and costly plans, particularly when it comes to the ‘premierisation’ (if nothing else, it’s invented a new word) on certain Saturdays, have not all been sufficiently thought-through, hence the delay in releasing funding by the Levy Board. Let’s hope thinking caps have been screwed by now: everyone, particularly the smaller courses that could live or die as a result of these weekend changes, has a right to expect better from our regulator.   

If you haven’t yet seen the video linked below, I’d recommend it to make you smile. Alan Johns produced it with some of his fellow Welsh jump jockeys to promote a charity flat race in which they are all taking part at Chepstow’s Jump Season Opener on October 13 and 14 (yes, it’s only just around the corner) to raise money for the children’s charity Latch which has provided extensive support to Christian Williams and his family since Christian and Charlotte’s daughter Betsy was diagnosed with leukaemia. The jocks have done a great job – especially championship leader Sean Bowen with his faux-big headedness.