Bailey's Blog

Plus 16 and dry when driving in.

Don't we just love talking about the weather.. Too Hot!!

When you arrive at the races do you see the odd jockey running around the racecourse?

Since Covid when the BHA banned saunas, you now see some jockeys wrapped up like they’re heading for a skiing holiday rather than a race meeting. Sweatsuits, woolly hats, jogging laps of the racecourse trying to lose the last couple of pounds before they ride later in the afternoon..

It cannot be ideal, especially as those who struggle have probably driven to the races for two or three hours with the heating turned up to tropical levels while dressed to keep warm!

Tough and surely their call for the reintroduction of saunas will be listened to?

We have our usual vet visit although there is hardly any horses in the yard.. I am sure he will not just walk into the office for a coffee.. that has been a dream for a while. but as usual I am sure Charly will find something for him to look at?

This weeks movers and shakers in the BHA handicap charts are.. Grey Sands down 3 on the flat to 58 .. Over hurdles..Driving Miss d'Azy down 2 to 86, Faerie Cutlass down 2 to 85, Kylenoe Dancer up 1 to 80 while Brendas Asking went up 5 to 118..  We have to wait until next Tuesday to see what the handicapper does to The Kemble Brewery.

The French Open is underway and Emma Raducana is already out while Katie Boulter scraped though last night.

A seemingly intoxicated Irish woman enters a casino.

The attractive young blonde is greeted by two male dealers, and bets $20,000 on a single roll of the dice. She then says, "I hope you don't mind, but I feel much luckier when im naked."

With that, she stripped from the neck down, rolled the dice and yelled, "C'mon baby, Mama needs some new clothes!!!"

As the dice came to a stop, she jumped up... and down excitedly squealing, "YES, YES, I WON!" She hugged each of the dealers, picked up her clothes and winnings, then quickly departed.

The dealers stared at each other dumbfounded. Finally one of them asked, "What did she roll?"

The other dealer replied, "I don't know, I thought you were watching?"

Moral of the story:..Not all Irish are drunks. Not all blondes are dumb. But all men, are men.

Plus 16 and dry when driving in. Another hot one..

It’s a long way to Kelso from the Cotswolds, but The Kemble Brewery made it very worthwhile by absolutely bolting up in the feature race there yesterday.

I do love Kelso Racecourse. It hasn’t been our luckiest track in recent years.. we’ve had a couple brought down at the first when favourite, so it was lovely to get back into the winner’s enclosure at such a friendly Scottish racecourse. They certainly know how to look after owners up there.

The happy Kemble Brewery team from Cheltenham who made the trip had a fantastic weekend, starting with a few “quiet” celebrations in Newcastle on Saturday night before the long day yesterday. One thing I do know about The Kemble Brewery team is that they know how to celebrate just as well in Scotland as they do in Cheltenham.

Most importantly, it was brilliant to see their horse back where he belongs. He’s always been talented but has had his issues. He didn’t take to fences and missed all last winter because of it, but he’s come back with a vengeance. That was TKB's 6th win from 11 starts.

We’ve even got one eye on a possible trip to Galway in July, although that may depend on what the handicapper does to him tomorrow.....Anyway, a great result and winner number four of the season.

Bangor on Saturday was not the world’s greatest journey. Apparently, a car had overheated and caught fire on the motorway, so everybody, including our horsebox ended up rerouting through the back roads. Not ideal, but we did at least see some stunning parts of England you’d never normally drive through.

Bangor really is an example of how a racecourse should be run. Even Paul Nicholls made an appearance.. his first visit there since 2006 and like everybody else he commented on just how good their owners’ and trainers’ facilities are.

The Kellar’s and I had a very enjoyable day. We were looked after brilliantly, and Faerie Cutlass ran respectably enough and will improve a great deal for the outing, so there’s plenty to build on.

It also reminded me of my last visit there when I drove David Bass to the races in my electric car.

I went in for lunch, leaving David asleep in the passenger seat. The only problem being that, in an electric car, once it locks itself, you’re staying put. So David woke up trapped inside and moved, that set off the alarm and there was David waving at passers-by while nobody took the slightest notice of him. Eventually he managed to get hold of me, which is not easy, because Bangor’s phone reception is about as reliable as a weather forecast. Anyway, I did finally let him out… just in time for his ride.

No runners today so a quiet day/lunch at home celebrating.... Mat is on his way down to Devon with his family for a weeks holiday. while Peter Kerr who runs all our KBRS heads to Spain for his belated honeymoon..

Plus 15 and dry when driving in.

It managed to hit 34 degrees in Mrs B’s car in Cheltenham yesterday.. 28 here and Mat said 30 at Worcester..

Hence Mat decided not to run Pethers Angel in the bumper as it had gone, good to firm in too many places in his opinion..But we did run Kylenoe Dancer who ran a blinder to finish 3rd. She jumped the last upsides in front and was run out of it in the last 100 yards.

It has been an extroadinary week for the horse sales industry. No shortage of confidence which is good to see. Records broken at Goffs at Doncaster and yesterday the breeze up market was strong at Tattersalls in Ireland too.

Tom Bellamy and Ciaran Gerthings were in to ride out..Bored and would prefer to keep up the routine even if only here for one lot.

We have one runner today at Bangor.. I will be there to saddle Faerie Cutlass and for our thoughts please click here.

Mat is heading to Kelso to saddle The Kemble Brewery there tomorrow and for our thoughts on his chances please click here.

Peter Burke who has shares in our KBRS horse So You Know is raising money for Epilepsy Society by walking 3 miles a day in June..

Peter's granddaughter Olivia has suffered from episodes of full seizures and short timelapses since she was about 2 years old.

Olivia who is now almost 22 years old, and sadly, despite the latest medication and testing, she is still suffering from regular episodes. She is in her final weeks at Cardiff University and tries to live life as normally as she can but all the time aware that a seizure can occur without warning, as it did recently when she fell in her room in Cardiff and hit her head on the bedside table.

So much of her future and that of fellow sufferers will depend upon the work carried out by the, which is why I am seeking your support for my participation in the "Walk 3 Miles A Day in June Challenge” to raise funds for further research.

Peter will be accompanied on his walks by Ted, his 3 year old Black Labrador, who has set up his own charity page...Just Begging - 3 dog biscuits per walk!!

The details of the challenge are shown below and if you would like to support Peter's efforts, please use this link to make a contribution.

Yesterday a woman called for an ambulance.

Operator: How may I help you?

Woman: I banged my toe against the coffee table and hurt it really badly.

Operator: And you want to call an ambulance for that?

Woman: No. The ambulance is for my husband. He shouldn’t have laughed…

Have a great bBank Holiday weekend and dont get toooo hot!

See you on Monday..

Plus 13 and dry when driving in.

Mat had an uneventful day at Doncaster yesterday and, remarkably, for the first time in a while, we came home from the sale empty-handed. Probably just as well as we have 4 already in the shop window to sell..

It’s actually been a week of firsts for me.. my first FA Cup final, first trip to Durham taking Archie out, and my first visit to the Chelsea Flower Show.

Kevin Clancy kindly invited Mrs B and I.. Kevin's his son Michael was exhibiting there, and we also bumped into Rupert Till who was also showing off his talents. I have to admit; I rather enjoyed it. Not sure I’m ready to swap racehorses for begonias just yet, but it was a very good day out.

We wandered past James Duran Webb's stunning drift wood sculptures and  David Beckham’s garden... I can safely say his borders looked nearly better than ours!.

We have two runners tonight at Worcester.. Their first meeting of the year..

Mat heads there to saddle Pethers Angel and Kylenoe Dancer For our thoughts please click here.

In a city park stood two naked statues, one female and the other male.

These two statues had faced each other for many years.

Early one morning, an angel appeared before the statues and said,.. “Since the two of you have been exemplary statues and have brought enjoyment to many people,.. I am giving you your greatest wish. I hereby give you the gift of life,.. You have 30 minutes to do whatever you desire.”

And with that command, the statues came to life, smiled at each other, ran toward some nearby woods and disappeared behind a couple of bushes.

The angel smiled to himself as he listened to the two statues giggling, bushes rustling and twigs snapping.

After 15 minutes, the two statues emerged from the bushes, satisfied and smiling. Puzzled, the angel looked at his watch and asked the statues,.. “You still have 15 minutes. Would you like to continue?”

The male statue looked at the female and asked, “Do you want to do it again?”

Smiling, the female statue said, “Sure. But this time you hold the pigeon down and I’ll shit on its head”.. 

Plus 13 and dry when driving in.

Brendas Asking won at Warwick yesterday. Winner no 3 for the new season..

Credit due for a really good ride from Aamilah Aswat on Brendas Asking. It wasn’t straightforward at all..they went a proper gallop on fast ground and things happened pretty quickly. She got boxed in a couple of times, had a bit of interference, but she used her brain, stayed brave, and gave the horse a very good ride.

I am really impressed with the way Aamilah’s race riding is progressing, so good to see it all come together. Well done to Brendas Asking and to Dr David Carey 'Not The Turf Club'..David Carey, Neil Adams and Nigel Hall, who I’m sure enjoyed themselves in Warwick last night. They usually celebrate at the nearest town that hosts the races....

Goffs Sales..

After a relatively quiet day for the unbroken three-year-old stores on Tuesday, yesterday’s prices showed there is still huge enthusiasm for good point-to-pointers. Big money, record trade which was up 47% from last year.. so plenty of demand.

It just proves the appetite is still very much there. And with day three today, it’ll be interesting to see if that trend continues, although most of todays horses that sell today are horses in training from UK based trainers.. Mat replaces me at Donny!..

I’ve always say that buying an unbroken three-year-old is a bit like finally having enough money to walk into a Rolls Royce garage and buy your dream car, only for the salesman to say, “Wonderful, but you can’t have the keys for 18 months, and we’re not even sure yet how good it’ll be.”

That’s the gamble with young horses. You’re buying the dream, hope and potential.

Whereas if you buy a horse with form in point-to-points or under Rules, it’s more like walking onto a used car forecourt.. you pay your money, turn the key and drive it away immediately... But..who is to say that you might not be calling on the services of the AA after!

We have no runners today..

Plus 9 and damp when driving in. 25mm of rain this week so far

Huntingdon was not a sucess. Driving Miss d'Azy effort rather petered out coming to the last and finished down the field. Liz Ellis arrived as the race was being run, due to an accident, while Keith was at Chelsea watching his team win

Tom Bellamy and Ciaran Gethings were in to ride out

Everybody was bright and early this morning as Mark Hudson, who owns Wild Goose, is staying at the The Ellenborough Park Hotel in Cheltenham and brought 20 people with him to have a look round the yard. They were here at seven o’clock this morning — and that definitely counts as bright and early.

Anyway, it was lovely to see them all and I hope they enjoyed their morning.

Day 2 or part 2 of the Goffs Sales at Doncaster.. Horses in training section..

The Racing Post has had an radical update..you will notice the difference when you do to the days races.

We have one runner today at Warwick. Brendas Asking heads there and for our thoughts please click here.

Mrs. Donovan was walking down O’Connell Street in Dublin when she met up with Father Flaherty.

The Father said, ‘Top o’ the mornin’ To ye! Aren’t ye Mrs. Donovan And didn’t I marry ye and yer Hoosband two years ago?’

She replied, ‘Aye, that ye did, Father.’

The Father asked, ‘And be there Any wee little ones yet?’

She replied, ‘No, not yet, Father.’

The Father said, ‘Well now, I’m going to Rome next week And I’ll light a fertility candle for ye And yer hoosband.’

She replied, ‘Oh, thank ye, Father…’ They then parted ways..

Some years later they met again.

The Father asked, ‘Well now, Mrs. Donovan, how are ye these days?’

She replied, ‘Oh, very well, Father!’

The Father asked, ‘And tell me , Have ye any wee ones yet?’

She replied, ‘Oh yes, Father!

Two sets of twins and six singles, Ten in all!’

The Father said, ‘That’s wonderful!

And how is yer loving hoosband doing?’

She replied, ‘E’s gone to Rome to blow out yer fookin’ candle!!!

Plus 8 and raining when waking in Durham.

Windsor last night Grey Sands ridden by Gina Mangan. Big difference to grass from sand.. Handicap drop and...

Doncaster Sales, or Goffs yesterday, really did show how much the market has changed. The prices have definitely dropped over the years and it’s nowhere near as busy as it once was. Yes, only two horses made over £100,000....overall it felt a very different trade.

That said, I was absolutely delighted with what we bought. I picked up two really special-looking horses, both by Poet’s Word, and I genuinely think they could be very nice prospects. Lot 88 cost £40,000 and Lot 101 was £25,000, which in today’s market I thought represented tremendous value. Yes you know already.. They are for sale!

After leaving the sales, I drove up to Durham and spent the evening catching up with Archie.

I’ll head back down to Doncaster this am..

We have one runner tonight at Huntingdon.. Driving Miss d'Azy runs there and for our thoughts please click here.

Plus 6 and dry when driving North.. Rain  overnight amounted to about 3mm

Loved it. Wembley and the FA Cup Final. It was a joy. I enjoyed every minute of it. 

What wasn’t quite such a joy was the journey. I trained up from Kingham and as expected standing room only all the way and I was surprised how many women wore kaffiyeh scarves, clearly heading into London for the marches and demonstrations.

We met up for a quick lunch before driving to Wembley, with Keith Ellis at the wheel. Great seats and, in the end, a very good game.

The first 20 minutes were a bit like watching a game of Battleships, but once it warmed up it became a proper contest. The second half was excellent viewing and Man City’s goal was absolutely brilliant, even Keith admitted that.

We stayed for the trophy presentation and then headed back to the car. What really struck me was the atmosphere. The feel-good factor around the ground, everybody was friendly, smiling and in good spirits. Plenty of singing and chanting.. It really was impressive.

The only slight downside, which was again expected, was the journey back to Paddington, which felt a bit like leaving the  Cheltenham Festival 45 minutes after the last race..painfully slow and absolutely rammed. But overall, a cracking day out and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you Keith..

Excellent lunch yesterday with Anthony Sheppard and Iona Sale.. Guests bought 4 shares in this coming winter's potential novice chasing star JukeBox King ..You can too

Doncaster Sales for a couple of days.... Goffs store sales today.. unbroken 3 year olds..

Jannik Sinner who won the Italaian Open is continuing to write his name into the record books at a pace rarely seen in the modern men’s game.

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina battled to a third Italian Open title following a thrilling three-set win against Coco Gauff in the final.

We have one runner tonight at Windsor. Yes flat racing. Grey Sands heads there and for ourr thoughts please click here.

From Saturdays Times..as note by John Disney..

I was told recently about the late peeress Lena Jeger who neglected to note who she was with on the long table. She told colleagues at the meal that all the people she had slept with were now dead.

A voice piped up and said “What about me?”

Jeger gave this noble lord a look and said: “You were dead at the time.”

Plus 9 and dry when driving in.

Ciaran Gethings was in to ride out.

WE jumped Kylenoe Dancer, Driving Miss d'Azy, Court In A Storm and Faerie Cutlass.

We have no runners over the weekend

I received a rather interesting text from Keith Ellis a couple of days ago saying that he had a 'spare ticket for today’s FA Cup Final'.

My first thoughts, quite honestly, were that it was probably a scam. Then I thought perhaps he’d actually meant to have been send to Mat.

Anyway, I replied fairly quickly saying: “Yes please — absolutely.”

I’ve never been to an FA Cup Final and, as you all know, my football knowledge is hardly encyclopaedic, but Keith's invitation to Wembley for such an occasion was far too good to turn down.

When I spoke to Keith afterwards, I said I was amazed he hadn’t invited Mat instead. Keith replied jokingly that after Mat had been up with him last week when Nottingham Forest beat Chelsea, he simply couldn’t face another afternoon of Mat gloating over the fact that Chelsea might not beat Man City!

So today I’m off to Wembley with Keith and David Grier for what should be a brilliant day. I’ve never been before, it’s definitely one for the bucket list, and I genuinely can’t wait

On that happy note have a great weekend and see you on Monday.

Plus 3 and dry when driving in.

Faerie Cutlass and Pethers Angel had an away day..

We have our usual Friday vet visit..

After Cornelius Lysaght told me about his tipping slot on Track Radio, I have rather, unexpectedly, become hooked on the station.

Quarter to eight in the morning is far too late for me to listen to Cornelius regularly, but yesterday afternoon I stumbled across Mark Pugatch’s afternoon show.. Drive Time 4-7pm

Now Mark, apart from all his football work, is also an 'owner' here with Jukebox King, and I have to say, his programme makes very good listening to while driving. Great music, good chat, a bit of football, a bit of racing, Cornelius was heard again and this time talking about The Dante.. Yes properly entertaining.

Clearly a man of many talents… although we all probably knew that.

Stephen Cannon and Kevin Clancy are down in the area, and I will met up with them for lunch at The Old Butchers in Stow on The Wold to discuss the (bright) futures of Manaa Lises and Five Aces.. Ever hopeful that it is still there after yesterday’s huge Stow Fair..

A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a town he planned to visit on his holiday.

He wrote: I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well-groomed and very well behaved. Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room with me at night?" 

An immediate reply came from the hotel owner, who wrote:

SIR: "I've been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I've never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware or pictures off the walls. 

I've never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly. And I've never had a dog run out on a hotel bill. Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at my hotel. 

And, if your dog will vouch for you, you're welcome to stay here, too."