Bailey's Blog

Plus 15 and dry when driving in.

As you know Mat went over to Ireland 10 days ago to the Tattersalls Derby Sale in Ireland.. Anyway Mat returned empty handed which was hardly surprising as the sale broke every record in the book. It really was quite staggering.

What I find so remarkable is that, despite all the talk of a difficult financial climate, a government in a mess and a country facing plenty of economic challenges, people are still prepared to spend extraordinary sums of money on unbroken three-year-olds.

The reality is that these horses probably won't run for at least another nine months. Many won't race at all next season. But the fact that the trade was so strong has to a positive for the sport of Jump racing

If you watch this video, it'll give you a real flavour of what went on at the sale. Quite staggering.

This is probably the last Saturday we'll enjoy a bit of peace and quiet at Thorndale.. Not something I really enjoy.. But... Most of our staff are back this weekend from their holidays, and on Monday the majority of the horses that have been spending their summer holidays in the fields down in Andoversford will start coming back into the yard.

They've all had a good, long break and, to be fair, they've done extremely well. But the flies are now driving them mad, the goodness has gone out of the grass, and they're more than ready to come back in and get on with life again.

We've also have two new members of staff joining us, so it'll be a busy and interesting few days as everyone settles into the routine.

As the horses come back in over the next week, I'll post plenty of photographs and updates on how they're looking..

For us, this always feels like the start of a new year. It's an exciting time, and now we can really start looking forward to the winter ahead.

A huge weekend of sport..

The Coral Eclipse today at Sandown.. one of the great races of the summer.. A O'Brien again??

Wimbledon carries on and the big two.. Djokovic and Sinner are through even if both wobbled for a while.

Iga Swiatek continued her Wimbledon title defence and Elana Rybakina is also through to the next round. Sabalenka into the fourth round.

The British Grand Prix tomorrow at Silverstone...Read all about it on the BBC

At last some good news in the cricket world.. England play Australia at Lord's tomorrow.. the Ladies final is a sell out..

Early Monday morning England take on Mexico in the FIFA World Cup.. Up early and good luck England..

If you are using Birdlip this weekend or the famous A417 then you need to click here to see and hear the latest news as there are closures this weekend and new openings next week..

And finally if you thought I was being rude about Mrs B yesterday.. It was very much tongue in cheek as she is a far better fisher than I am and she always catches fish when I don't! 

Have a great weekend and we will see you on Monday ..

Plus 13 and dry when driving in.

Back home after a week of fishing in Scotland.

Three great days on the Helmsdale with Johnny RK and then we dropped down the country for a further 3 days fishing on the Spey with Nicky and Sophie Henderson, Charly and Caroline Barrett, Willie and Caroline Jenks and Simon Marsh..

You have to admit, fishing is a very strange hobby. You spend hours standing waist-deep in a river while a long-suffering ghillie hovers nearby to make sure you don't fall over, drown, or more often than not make another dreadful cast, all in the hope of catching one of those elusive salmon.

Then, if you're lucky enough to catch one..which I haven't been for the last 21 days, you admire it for a few moments, photograph it before slipping it gently back into the river and thanking it for the pleasure it gave you during those unforgettable few minutes on the end of the line... Then you tell the stories of the one that got away or more importantly about how big it was!!

But that's only one way of looking at it. The real joy of fishing is being able to stand in a river in some of the most beautiful countryside imaginable, surrounded by stunning scenery, wildlife, birdsong and crystal-clear rivers. Everything around you is peaceful, and you are sharing that experience with someone who loves it even more than you which just makes it even more special.

For me, fishing is one of the finest ways to relax. I get enormous pleasure from it, even if my fishing stories rarely feature many fish. This trip was no exception. I extended my run to 21 consecutive days without catching a salmon, but we had a fantastic week with great company, plenty of laughter and no shortage of drink, stories or gossip!

I loved every minute of it, and so did Mrs B..who along with Johnny RK were the only ones to catch a fish all week...Pheromones? Although JRK does not qualify!

Driving South yesterday I was amazed to see so many combine harvesters were in action.. So early this year.?

Thanks Molly for keeping the show on the road while we have been away..

Then the news that Graham Bradley had died brought our life very much back the normal level.... I knew he was not well, but at 65 far too young to go.. Brad was an exceptional jockey and the stories of his life and antics will fill many pages.. he was a very good man and certainly fun to be around..

One of my favourite racing stories involves Graham Bradley, Alderbrook and the 1996 Champion Hurdle.

Brad was originally booked to ride Alderbrook, but he made one crucial mistake. He overslept and failed to turn up to school the horse on the day Ernie Pick, the owner, had come to watch. Ernie wasn't impressed in the slightest and promptly decided that if Graham could not be bothered to get out of bed to come over the jump his horse, then would not be riding Alderbrook. Richard Dunwoody got the call instead.

As racing so often does, fate had other ideas.

Graham picked up the ride on the Jim Old-trained Collier Bay and, in one of those great twists of fortune, beat Richard on Alderbrook in the Champion Hurdle.

As he came back into the winner's enclosure, Brad caught my eye, broke into that familiar grin, pointed theatrically at his watch and simply smiled.

He didn't need to say a word.

Life's all about timing, Brad. And that was one of the best-timed reminders I've ever seen. We will miss you..

17 degrees and dry this morning. 

England vs DR Congo... 1-0 down after 7 minutes... very tense viewing as a spectator but luckily Kane equalised in the 74th minute and then sealed the deal by scoring an unbelievable strike in the 85th minute!

Mark the vet was in yesterday to do some gastroscopes along with his daughter Isabelle who is on work experience.. I had a new arrival yesterday..another ROR which now brings my collection of ex-racehorses up to 4!! Too many but I have told myself I have to stop now... this horse is one I looked after in training a long time ago when he was a baby and loved him, he retired last week and his owner asked whether I would have him.. seems I can't say no! I do love the challenge of retraining them and watching their progress.. Sea Of Fortune who came to live with me after he finished racing in April has been a complete superstar, gentleman to deal with in all ways and learning his new job very fast.. I am looking forward to competing him next spring.

Still quiet in the yard but everything is set for the horses to come back in in the very near future... stables jet washed and painted, rugs washed, grass strimmed, fences creosoted etc. not the most fun jobs but they are important!

Kim should be back with you tomorrow morning to update you on his fish-less fishing and travels around Scotland, and to relieve me of my duties, phew!

16 degrees and dry this morning. We had 3mm rain yesterday evening which was nice, but looks to be the only rain in the forecast with temperatures shooting back up to 28 + from this weekend onwards.

Mark and Rachel Burt called by Thorndale yesterday to see their horses in the field; Mydaddon and So You Know. Peter popped over to show them round the paddocks, all the horses have summered really well and we're looking forward to getting them back to work in the near future. 

Serena Williams battled hard but ultimately failed to beat Maya Joint on centre court last night... Serena's Wimbledon aged 44, playing at her 22nd Wimbledon and her first Grand Slam singles tournament since 2022... brilliant game to watch.
In World Cup news, Haaland scored the winner against Ivory Coast to send Norway into the final 16, as expected France beat Sweeden last night, securing their place in the final 16 too...we're all looking forward to watching England play DR Congo this evening, 5pm kick off is much more reasonable! 

Plus 14 this morning and cloudy, delightful.

A Lot going on in the world of sport yesterday... Day one of Wimbledon kicked off with world number one and defending champion Jannick Sinner surviving a five-set battle with Miomir Kecmanovic,  Sabalenka began her campaign cruising past Teodora Kostovic with a straight-sets victory, Djokovic had to dig deep to win his opening round match at his 21st Wimbledon against Wu, at the grand age of 39...but a tough day for the British as Jack Draper withdrew due to injury and Cameron Norrie lost his opening round match. England lost to New Zealand by 160 runs, not the high Ben Stokes was hoping to bow out on... as expected Enzo Maresca officially appointment new Man City manager, replacing the legendary Pep Guardiola.... big shoes to fill. 

We had one runner at Stratford, Driving Miss D'Azy looked a picture in the paddock winning another Best Turned Out award but unfortunately ran disappointly, she looked like she was running a big race three from home before pulling up quickly... it transpired she burst a blood vessel and will now have to find a new home outside of racing. A shame for Owner-Breeder Liz Ellis who's mare has never filled her potential, but she's a lovely horse and will of course fins a lovely home away from racing... a shame but we must do right by the horse. 

I spent my weekend / Monday watching Lewis Capaldi play at Powderham Castle before heading back to my hometown in West Dorset, pootling around the hills on horseback before heading to the beach for some obligatory Moules Marineres!!! I forget how bad the traffic is down there, with all the roads nose-to-tail with holiday makers in their caravans, or grockles if you're from the West Country! It takes ages to get anywhere but sometimes I do miss the slow pace of life!

Not much going on in the yard this week, everyone making the most of the last bit of quiet before the horses start coming back in and we kick start again for the jump season proper.. always an exciting time! 

Plus 14 this morning, much cooler at last. 

Busy weekend for sport, the highlight being England beating Panama 2-0 on Saturday night to finish top of group L and moving into the knockout stages. The first half was relatively actionless, but the second half saw goals from Bellingham and Kane, making Kane the record holder for scoring most goals for England in the world cups overtaking Gary Lineaker's record.... is it coming home?

In cricket, the England vs New Zealand match at Trent Bridge was overshadowed by the announcement that Ben Stokes will retire from international duties after this series, ending his 15-year career in international cricket...having missed Englands second test against NZ due to being involved in an incident in a night club, Stokes returned to Captaincy for this third test which will now be his last... he will have played 122 tests for England, 44 as captain and winning almost 56% of his previous tests as captain... the best success rate for an England skipper in 45 years. 

Across the Irish Sea it was redemption day of Aidan O'Brien, who had a 1-2-3 the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, with Benvenuto Cellini redeeming himself after his controversial incident in the stalls at the start of the Epsom Derby where he was declared a non-runner, and Christmas Day (the eventual Epsom Derby winner) finished second.... yesterdays renewal was Aidan's 18th Irish Derby win. 

We have one runner today at Stratford, where Driving Miss D'Azy takes her chances. For our thoughts click here. 

 19 degrees and dry this morning but much less humid. 

Mat off to Greece for a week today with Evelyn and Sylvie which means we have peace and quiet!

Kim and Clare had to abort fishing yesterday and go sightseeing instead due to extreme rain meaning the rivers were too deep to fish... they even had to put the heating on! They were tourists for the day and visited Mey castle, hoping optimum fishing weather returns so it's not another fishless trip! Their weather was a far cry from what it was like here but hopefully we're over the worst of it... for now. 

Make Me Smile and Clondaw General enjoyed a nice hack through the fields yesterday before it got too warm, great to have Clondaw back riding out again after having a year off. 

Horses all enjoyed cool refreshing showers during evening stables, nice for the staff too! (Our horses are fans of their hydration breaks anyway!)

Charly called in to John Perris's to see how his horses are summering... they all look fab. 

England vs Panama tonight at 10pm in the New Jersey Stadium, New York... another chance for Mat to moan about the hydration breaks which are used for advertising, making each match have 4 quarters and spoiling the game!

I'm off to Dorset this weekend which is home for me to watch Lewis Capaldi at Powderham Castle.

Hope everyone enjoys a cooler weekend, see you Monday! 

23 degrees and dry this morning, another night where we didn't drop below 20.

Yesterday was another scorcher but today forecast to be the last day of heatwave ... phew. Record for June broken again yesterday, reaching 36.4 in Yeovilton, Somerset. 

The UK has gone into a heatwave frenzy... fire engines burst into flames, the NHS declared a critical incident in Norfolk and Norwich hospitals as the MRI scanners stop working, Scotland are gritting to stop the roads from melting and the first of the hosepipe bans have come into place.... 

Kim sent me an interesting article, questioning why today's heatwaves cause so much panic, when in 1976 15 consecutive days of plus 30 meant a blissful summer playing outside and getting on with it. Interesting, social media and the news causes so much anxiety amongst the nation. Science has progressed and the dangers of intense heat are more widely known granted, but the panic and anxiety felt by the nation can't be healthy!

The two-day Derby sale in Ireland has ended and the top lot sold yesterday for €400,000 to Mags O'Toole... Mat is back from his trip to the Emerald Isle so he can now moan about the heat too! We haven't come home with any horses... had a go at a few but they ended up being out of budget. They also visited a few nice horses dotted across Ireland, and update on that to come at a later date.

I'm just pleased Mat made it to and from Ireland without any disasters; flights, hotel, car hire etc all went swimmingly. Last time when he flew to Scotland he managed to mess up his boarding pass, phoned me at 6 something in the morning to blame me and then had a strop for the rest of the morning (poor Ciarán)... luckily Gatineau Park won and the flight home was fine, but I've now got the fear whenever I have to book something for him that involves public transport!!!

Luckily I'm not responsible for his holiday to Greece on Saturday, so he can blame someone else for that one!

Already 21 degrees this morning, didn't drop below 20 all night.. unpleasant. 

Kim and Clare are off fishing in Scotland and Mat is on his second day of the Derby sale in Ireland. He wore clothes appropriate for the weather we are having here, but said he could've done with a jumper when he got off the plane it was overcast and much cooler... I'm jealous!!

In this heat having animals is no fun. I rode at 5.15 this morning and it's still jolly warm.. a short hack was enough and then the horses stay in all day. No breeze means the horseflies are menacing too! Lots of washing off, lots of wet mashes for feed to keep them hydrated ... I really would rather it was raining!

All the horses at Thorndale have been having a nice cold shower during evening stables, Charly reports it also reached 36 yesterday afternoon.. nice and cool in the stables, so the horses are happy.. hard work for the staff though

Temperature records for June were broken yesterday, reaching 36.1 in Gosport, Hampshire yesterday, surpassing the 1976 record of 35.6. 

Day 1 of the Tattersalls Derby sale ... top lot sold for £370,000 to Joe Tizzard, averaging just over £61k compared to £53,261 last year.. almost 16% increase. 

Red heat warning now extended to cover Friday as well.. hope you're keeping cool!

Plus 21 and dry when driving in.

Blimey, it was hot enough yesterday..31.5 And it looks as though we’re in for a warmer one today.

Plenty of noise here at Thorndale this morning.. The sheep shearers are in town.

Tom Bellamy was in this morning to give Driving Miss Daisy a jump, and after watching Mrs B and I set off for Scotland, where we are spending a few days fishing with JRK on the Helmsdale, followed by NJH on the Spey. We travel back next Thursday, so with a bit of luck there’ll be a few fish caugh?... and returned!

Mat, meanwhile, has headed off to Ireland looking at horses at The Derby Sale and also he will be driving around Ireland looking at potential lease horses.. He is back Thursday night and then setting off on the family holiday to Greece on Saturday. 

Mrs B and I sat outside last night to keep cool.. listening to the birds and then counting them on Merlin.. 20 different species..

Missed the football... thankfully!

Ian Reid has impreccable manners..

His Lordship was in the study when the butler approached and coughed discreetly.

"May I ask you a question, My Lord?"

"Go ahead, Bernard ," said His Lordship.

"I am doing the crossword in The Times and found a word the exact meaning of which I am not too certain."

"What word is that?" asked His Lordship.

"Aplomb," My Lord.

"Now that's a difficult one to explain. I would say it is self-assurance or complete composure."

"Thank you, My Lord, but I'm still a little confused about it."

"Let me give you an example to make it clearer. Do you remember a few months ago when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived to spend a weekend with us?"

"I remember the occasion very well, My Lord. It gave the staff and myself much pleasure to look after them."

"Also," continued the Earl of Grantham, "do you remember when Wills plucked a rose for Kate in the rose garden?"

"I was present on that occasion, My Lord, ministering to their needs.

"While Will was plucking the rose, a thorn embedded itself in his thumb very deeply."

"I witnessed the incident, My Lord, and saw the Duchess herself remove the thorn and bandage his thumb with her own dainty handkerchief."

"That evening the hole the rose made in his thumb was very sore. Kate had to cut his venison for him, even though it was extremely tender."

"Yes, My Lord, I did see everything that transpired that evening."

"And do you remember the next morning while you were pouring coffee for Her Ladyship, Kate inquired of Will in a loud voice,

'Darling, does your prick still throb?'

….and you, Bernard, did not spill one drop of coffee?

That, Bernard, is complete composure, or aplomb."