Baileys Blog

Plus 16 and dry when driving in. Foggy.

Last night I was glued to the TV. Tennis and Cricket.

Difficult afternoon with the bad light and rain for the first day of the Third Test against Sri Lanka at the Oval.. Ollie Pope hit a mighty century to give England a good start... The emotional highlight was watching Freddie Flintoff handing Josh Hull his England Test Cap

Gloucestershire beat The Birmingham Bears to reach next weekends T20 semi finals. It was the most thrilling cricket match I have watched for years. Gloucester defended a really small total..Brilliant stuff ..Good umpiring from our KBRS owners Steve O'Shaughnessy and Graham Lloyd..

Jack Dreaper what a great match, sadly Jack was beaten 3/0 it was gladitorial stuff to watch..

Ciaran Gethings and Tom Bellamy were in this morning to ride out.

The first morning of working our early winter horses.

Roddy and Iona Sale called in for a visit round the stables..Libby's mother Stacey Taylor was with us too.. Stacey was down to keep an eye on her daughter?

National Racehorse Week has started. We are open for two afternoons next week..

Paris Olmypics. Team GB has surpassed their medal total at Tokyo

There was a good article in yesterday’s Daily Telegraph on Nick Lowe.. If not behind the firewall it is a good read.

Talking good reads..

This is the latest statement from the IJF on Lauren..

“Following her fall at Worcester on Sunday, Lauren remains at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. She was unconscious for an extended period of time, and as would be expected after this, Lauren has now entered a stage termed Post Traumatic Amnesia (PTA). This means she is sleeping a lot of the time, with bouts of confusion, but can recognise and communicate with family members for brief periods.

Her parents Philip and Karen report that she is showing signs of improvement. They would like to thank the hospital team for their amazing care of Lauren, and are also extremely grateful for the overwhelming amount of support they have received.

It is likely that Lauren will have an MRI scan in the next few days to further assess her injury.”

I am sure Lauren would love to have a couple of Oasis tickets.. Could be difficult judging by all the hype..

I was sent this.. 'I have managed to get two tickets for Oasis in London but can’t go, Happy to swop for a freehold 3 bedroom Cotswolds cottage with two bathrooms !!! Or a million pounds!!

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

To finish.. Happy Birthday (tomorrow) to Harry Bailey's father in law, Hunter Smith.

Plus 17 and damp when driving in. Another start to the morning shrouded in mist. 15mm of rain yesterday.

Don’t we just love talking about the weather.. It was not good here yesterday afternoon. Rain, lightening and my internet kept crashing.. boring, especially when my mobile is on Wi-Fi calling..Sorry Liz (Ellis) that was probably the reason we had such an interrupted phone time!..

Liz was trying to name her homebred (Jack Hobbs/ Amazing D'Azy) filly and in the end I suggested she sent an email to Maya rather than tell what name she wanted.. At least that way she will have the horses name she wants, rather than the name of a restaurant in Barcelona running for her!

Talking weather...

The third Sri Lanka test match starts today The Oval.. God only knows why they have so much important cricket in September and frankly looking at the weather forecast they might not have too much play. If they do play and if they do pick Josh Hull to play then that will keep Archie on his toes as Josh is a good mate of his..

Public perception and this did not look good..

The Racing Post quoted my blog re Lauren Hawkins and her encouraging recovery.. The story ended with my comments on DB's music taste.. Yes, thanks for the messages and you are right, DB is entitled to listen to what he likes, but personally his music tastes, as you might expect are not my music taste.. It was written/said in jest like most comments with/about DB over the years..

Mrs B took me out last night... We have not been there for years and it was really rather good.

5 things I wish I had known 10 years ago..

Don’t Take Yourself So Serious....Yeah, yeah, you’re an individual, and people have to take you seriously, I get it. But at the end of the day, we’re all a bunch of ants trying to chase the same things. Lighten up.

Don’t Blame People...What’s point? Do you want to punish them? You don’t do that to people. Also don’t blame yourself — you’re only human.

Create Something...Not to leave a legacy, you won’t be here to see it anyway, but to be of use. Make music, write a book, build a table, anything. You’ll feel good about yourself, plus you give something back to people to use or enjoy.

Never Look Back Too Long...Reflecting on the past is only good for one thing: Learning.  

Take Action...Don’t just sit there, do something. Without action, there is no outcome.

1985 advert..

To finish.. Happy birthday to my brother in law Peter Mordaunt.

Plus 12 and when driving in..We seem embedded in a scotch mist this morning!

Mat went to Birmingham to visit Lauren Hawkins yesterday and was pleased to see how she looked.

Lauren has been moved out of ICU and into a ward and although still not fully conscious she does seem to recognise voices and mentioned the odd words. She is improving and although she has a long way to go the signs are positive.

Incidentally David Bass went to see her on Tuesday, and he too was pleased to see her progress.. apparently, he played her some of his ‘ghastly music’..

DB's heavy metal music would have had most patients picking themselves up and running out of the ward in shock!....DB has that effect on people!!

I must say again how wonderful the Injured Jockeys Fund and their Team have been to Lauren's family. Their support has been brilliant and hugely appreciated.

Thursday is our easier day and there has been a bit of picture hanging in the office and some cleaning..

Jack Draper what a star he is becoming.. Through to the semi finals without dropping a set..Jack takes on World Number one Jannik Sinner on Friday night.. 8pm.. you can guess what I will be doing..

13 more Golds in the Paris Paralympics yesterday.. Brilliant

Here are a few more things that I wish I knew 10 years ago!..

Lead The Way...When you find yourself in a situation where everyone looks at each other, it’s time for you to lead. You‘re a leader when you decide to become one. There’s no initiation or a title. Just a decision.

Money Isn’t Important ..It really isn’t. But you have to train yourself not to care about money. Don’t become too dependent on the stuff you own?—?otherwise, the stuff will own you.

Be Nice...I don’t mean you should be a pushover. You can be someone that doesn’t take shit and be nice about it. Just don’t insult people, think you’re better than them, or act like an idiot.

Learn Every Day...You’ve got to train your brain to stay alert. You don’t have to read a book a day to learn every day. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the people around you?—?be open to what they can teach you.

Rest Before You Are Tired...Even if you love your job, and every day seems like a holiday, you need to take time to rest. You’re a human and not an android, never forget that.

Don’t Judge...Just because people make different choices than you, they are not stupid. Also, you don’t know everything about people, so don’t judge them?—?help them.

Think About Others...Just be mindful, that’s all. We all have families, bills to pay, and our own issues. Don’t always make everything about yourself.

Give Without Expecting Something In Return...Don’t keep score. You will become a bitter person if you do that. Give solely for the joy of giving. If you get something in return, great, if you don’t, great.

There’s No End Game...We, as a species, just are. Don’t try to figure it all out. Enjoy your journey.

Enjoy Small Things...I like clichés because they are true. Especially this one. You know why? Everyone says they know it, but no one lives up to it. They just chase big things. Don’t Take Yourself So Serious

To finish Happy Birthday to staff member Hamish McGregor-Hurst

Plus 11 and dry when driving in.

There is no further update as yet on Lauren Hawkins..

Norman Carter and I had a most enjoyable afternoon at Southwell.. His horse Samatian looks like he is rather enjoying flat racing, he is learning quickly and ran well, almost too well considering it was his third run and therefore qualifies for a handicap mark as a result of yesterday’s run..

Norman was plotting races for when Samatian is allotted his mark next Tuesday.. Below 60.. Unlikely?.. Whatever we might be venturing away from Southwell next time.. Looks like the delights of Wolverhampton?

Team GB clocked their 30th Gold medal in the Paris Paralympics yesterday

Tuesday morning brought in Ciaran Gethings to ride out. We jumped a few..

David Carey was here second lot to see his horse Brandas Asking..David not be outdone by Vince Burmingham brought some of his local butchers finest bacon..

John and Pat Lee were here third lot to see their KBRS horses Parc d’Amour, Moon Rocket, El Rio, Fair Frontieres and Does He know.

Big day for Jack Dreaper. .. quarter-finals of the US Open tennis..

Cheltenham literary Festival starts this weekend.

Talking Cheltenham..My owner who was looking for a house for the Cheltenham Festival has now found one, so thanks for all the offers..One came good?

10 things I wish I had known 10 years agao..

Struggle Is Good...Never say “I can’t take it anymore.” Say “Bring it on!”

Don’t Complain....Complaining is the biggest waste of time there is. Either do something about it, and if you can’t, shut up about it.

Spend Time With People You Love....That’s your family and best friends. If you don’t have a family, create one. Most people in life are only visitors. Family is for life.

Don’t Start A Relationship If You’re Not In Love...I’ve done this more than once. You kind of like someone and think: “We might as well give it a shot.” Not a good idea. You’re either in love, or you are not. Don’t fool yourself. It’s not fair to you and the other person.

Exercise Daily.....I didn’t get this until recently. A healthy body is where you have to start everything in life. If you can’t build a healthy and strong body, what CAN you build in life?

Keep A Journal.....No, keeping a journal is not for children. It helps you to become a better thinker and writer. “I don’t want to be a writer” you might think. Well, how many emails and texts do you send a day? Everybody is a writer.

Be Grateful....Say ‘thank you’ to everyone and everything. “Thank you for this beautiful day.” “Thank you for your email.” “Thank you for being there for me.”

Don’t Care About What People Think....We all die in the end, do you really think it matters what people think of you? Take More Risks, Don’t be such a wimp.

Pick An Industry, Not A Job....If you want to become good at something, you need to spend years and years doing that. You can’t do that if you hop from industry to industry. Pick an industry you love and start at the bottom. You will find the perfect role for you eventually.

Plus 17 and damp when driving in. 6mm of rain overnight

Thank you all for the kind messages re poor Lauren Hawkins.. I will pass on in time, but at present I am not able to enlighten you on how she is bar quote the statement that was released by the IJF yesterday...

’Amateur jockey Lauren Keen-Hawkins had a fall in the last race at Worcester Racecourse on Sunday and was taken by ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Lauren has suffered a serious head injury and is now in Critical Care. Her parents and partner are with her, and they kindly ask for privacy at this difficult time.”....We are praying for her and her family..

The Injured Jockeys Team have been brilliant.

Racing in France.. Runners take to avoiding a parked car by a fence!

Jack Dreaper.. Our new tennis star. Through to the quarter-finals at the US Open

The Gold's continue to come GB's way at the Paris Paralympics

Ed Bailey was here first lot to see the horses..

We had our usual Tuesday vet visit..Later than normal..PM.. No movers or shakers in this weeks BHA handicap charts.

We have a runner on the flat at Southwell this afternoon. Samatian heads there and for my thoughts please click here

I have a owner who is looking to rent a 4 bedroom house for the Cheltenham Festival in March.. 20 mile radius of the racecourse.. if you fancy letting yours out, or know of one, please let me know.

Saturday is the annual Moreton Show..Not to be missed.

Plus 19 and drizzling when driving in. Rain on the way..

What was a great day at Lord’s with Archie and his mates was ruined by the horrific fall that Faerie Cutlass had at Worcester.

Lauren Hawkings, who was riding FC, was knocked out and did not look in a good way. She was taken to Birmingham Hospital and was last night in ICU...We are all thinking of her and her family ..

Faerie Cutlass in thankfully fine .

I was not expecting to be using my 4 tickets to Lord’s yesterday as I was convinced that the match would not go to a fourth day. It did and understandably Archie and his 2 mates were really keen to go especially as two of them had never been to the home of cricket before

The train from Kingham was rammed and not helped by the fact that several Chelsea fans were already celebrating their hoped for win..

I was very surprised to see Nico and Serena de Boinville on the train.. They were taking their two girls to a play in London. Also on the train were John Boulter and Mary Scott who have a share in one of our KBRS horses Reallynthruthfully.

Lord’s was nearly empty on what was a stunningly warm day and with nearly a full days cricket it was well worth going to watch if you happened to be in the area and free. But ticket prices were ridiculous..

The cheapest ticket on sale yesterday were £80.. my 4 tickets which were purchased sometime ago were £140..

This really is not good enough especially as most Test matches nowadays hardly make 4 days..

If tickets were £35 for the day and under 16’s went in free then they might have had nearly a full house and the bars would have made money rather that sitting empty?.. There is no better cricket ground than Lord’s and it was really sad to see so few people there yesterday... Rethink needed

England won the Second Test..Some match for Gus Atkinson

Record breaking day in the Paris Paralymic Games

Big day for Jack Dreaper in the US Open Tennis

Monday morning

Kevin Clancy called in late morning to see his horses Two For Gold and Amazing Cleni.

This was a great advert..

Plus 10 and dry when driving in.

Heros De Romay returned to the yard yesterday looking well. Heros had been doing his pre training with Ginny Thompson.

Last night Lauren Hawkins organised a staff get together and a night out which started with all the team 10 pin bowling.

Mrs B, Archie and I met up with Cilla and Freddie for supper at The Frogmill.. Birthday celebrations.. The Frogmill was busy, and it was very good.

The cricket is almost over with England batting well and then bowling out Sri Lanka.. England bat again today although there is probably no need.. Gus Atkinson must love Lord's..

More Golds in the Paris Paralympics

Tennis. US Open. Novak Djokovic is the latest top play to be knocked out..

Plenty of money spent at this weeks yearling sales in Baden Baden and Goffs..

Saturday morning brings in Tom Bellamy and Ciaran Gethings to ride out

We have a runner tomorrow at Worcester. Faerie Cutlass heads there and for my thoughts on her chances please click here.

Friends Are Like Underpants:

Some crawl up your ass.

Some snap under pressure.

Some don't have the strength to hold you up.

Some get a little twisted.

Some support you.

Some are your favorite.

Some are cheap and just get bent out of shape.

And some actually do cover your ass when you need them to!!

Have a great weekend and see you on Monday

Plus 8 and dry when driving in..

Mrs B and I went over to see my daughter Pandora and Otto last night..

Panora is not in hospital, although her three little girls are.. They are doing well and will be in Basinstoke Hospital for about another 5 weeks.. Pandora is able to commute from her home to look after them which is good news for young Otto..

Friday and we have our usual vet visit.. For coffee??.. Sadly no.. we are doing gastro scopes..

What would England do without Joe Root.. Equalling 33rd Test Hundred yesterday at Lord’s..Joe Root joins Alastair Cook at the top of the table and he has many years of play ahead of him.. Why when you become Captain your batting goes out of the window. Ollie Pope is having a shocker poor chap.

We won our first Golds at the Paris Paralympic Games

Carlos Alcaraz beaten in the second round of the US Open tennis.. Jack Dreaper throuigh to the third round.

For those of you who live in the North.. I have been asked to talk at a Wheelchair Challenge Dinner and Auction at Kelso Racecourse on Saturday October 5th....

Guy Faber sent this one over..

A chap goes into a pub for a pint and notices a monkey sitting on the bar. 

The barman pulls him a pint and puts it down on the bar in front of him, whereupon the monkey comes over and pees in it.  He's certainly not going to drink that so he orders another one. 

The barman obliges and pulls him another one and puts it down on the bar in front of him, whereupon the monkey repeats its routine and comes over and pees in it. 

At that point the chap notices a piano player near the bar playing standard requests for the customers, so he turns to the piano player and says 'do you know the monkey's peed in my beer?' 

The piano player looked up and said 'I'm not sure - hum it for me and I'll tell you.'

To finish.. Happy birthday to one of our KBRS members and Mrs B's mother Cilla Wills.

Plus 10 and dry when driving in.

Thursday morning.. Not winter yet?

Norman Carter was here second lot to see his ‘flat’ horse Samatian

Cilla Wills and Maeve Gold were here third lot to see Cilla’s KBRS horse Zmiinyi

The Paris Paralympic Games start today .. Did you watch the opening ceremony last night?.. Here is what is happening schedule wise

Important not to become down hearted as a trainer when you have that cold list.. Interesting article in todays Racing Post Help is on the way? Perhaps The Racing Post should ban the dreaded Cold List!!

The Lord's Test starts today.. England V Sri Lanka Ollie Pope in charge again..

Cricket celebrated its 400th anniversary on yesterday.

On August 28, 1624, Horsted Keynes played West Hoathly in the first recorded match in the sport’s history, though it was recorded for an inauspicious reason: one of the players died. While attempting to hit the ball a second time to avoid being caught, Edward Tye instead hit fielder Jasper Vinall, who died from the blow.

This sadly wouldn’t be the sport’s last fatality. Most notably, in 1751, the Prince of Wales was killed when the impact of a cricket ball burst a lung abscess. As the lyricist Tim Rice noted, this is the only instance in cricketing history of play stopping reign..

A passenger boards a holiday plane and settles in his allocated seat.

As he sits there alone, he becomes increasingly surprised that no-one else is boarding the plane.

He asks the hostess why this appears to be so.

She tells him ..."Don't worry, you have the whole plane to yourself. The large group going to the psychic conventionhave all cancelled at the last moment''

Plus 13 and dry when driving in.

Yesterday afternoon was spent watching Archie play cricket at Rockhampton.. It is his second X1 teams last match of the season..

Rockhampton is not a great fast bowler’s pitch as it is flat and dead (quote from Archie!).. Having said that it is unbelievably well maintained and a lovely ground.

Racing has always been close to cricket and Gloucestershire are doing their best to hold up the racing connection.

Yesterday’s match against Somerset had a very young player making his second X1 debut..Will Sweeting aged 14.. His brother Arthur (15) also plays for Gloucestershire and both are big players for Dumbleton..Dumbleton are through to the Voneous Village Cup Finals at Lord's on September 15.... Will and Arthur will be playing at Lord's and watched by a very proud father.. who is Simon Sweeting of Overbury Stud fame..

Driving there so regularly it is not hard to notice the amazing digging and construction work of the new road at Birdlip.. Truly staggering..It really will be impressive when it is finished..

Ed Dunlop has suffered the trainers dreaded nightmare.. Modern life styles causing troubles.. Of course we do worry and I feel very sorry for him..

I put CTV cameras in Alderbook and Master Oats's stables before their important Cheltenham week and all I saw on replay was one of my staff peeing in the corner of the stable..

Coming back to today....

Ciaran Gethings, Georoid Harney and Johnny Burke were in to ride out..

We jumped Grand Escaparde, The Kemble Brewery, Destroytheevidence, Faerie Cutlass, Shady Wadey and Guchen,

Vince Burmingham, Jane Perks, Lindsey Lewis And Millie Wood was here third lot to see Vince’s KBRS horses Campaign Trail, Phantom Getaway and Does He Know... Vince brought a wonderful selection of sasages from his local butcher. D.W.Walls.

Also here were Richard Fabian who was here with his daughter Rachel and her two children to see Richard's KBRS horses Does He Know and his half-brother by Sogann,  Shantou Express and Isle Of Gold.

US Open..I watched the last 2 hours of Dan Evan's epic match..Emma Raducanu was beaten... More Tennis

A bit of cricket humour..

During his spell for Somerset in County Cricket, Sir Viv Richards produced a legendary retort.

After playing and missing at successive deliveries, Glamorgan paceman Greg Thomas made the brave decision to give Viv some verbals as to the appearance of the ball.

"It’s red, round and weighs about five ounces, in case you were wondering."

Of course, the next ball was launched out of the ground by the West Indian legend accompanied with the following words: "Greg, you know what it looks like. Now go and find it."