Baileys Blog

Plus 11 and dry when driving in.

It looks like we might have a dryer week after a wet (7mm) and windy day yesterday.

Fabulous racing at Ascot on Saturday. A full house and highly entertaining racing..

Talking entertaining..

Wolverhampton on a Saturday night might not have been on my radar too often. Even if Samatian did not win Norman Carter and I had a jolly night and enjoyed the racecourse’s Horizon Restaurant..

New Zealand beat India in India for the first time in 36 years. They (NZ) also won the Women's T20 World Cup final..

The US Grand Prix was also a good race to watch

I am sure by now you know when I am writing the blog.. so much so that John D sent this message across on Saturday....

‘Your blog today is almost a record for grammatical errors and all you need with your new Holland Cooper coat is a cloth cap with razor blades in the peak and you’d look like a pimp from Peaky Blinders’.. Be thankful John that the cap did not come wiith the coat!!..

Archie is a months break from cricket and yesterday he drove to Newcastle to stay with mates for a couple of days..You might wonder why that is of interest, but when he found that it was cheaper to drive there than go by train, even with a student rail card, you must wonder where we have gone wrong with our railways?

We have no runners today, but we will have a few more during the week.. Cheltenham starts this weekend and although we won’t have runners on Friday we hope to on Saturday. Their Showcase Meeting

Saturday and Sunday at Thorndale/Foxcote.. The Cotswold Team Chase..Sponsored by Newton..

Plus 13 and pouring with rain when driving in. 16mm so far

Unlucky racecourses.. Fakenham, Newton Abbot and Worcester..

More unlucky were the poor ladies who had to look after me at Holland Cooper.

Julie and India sensibly applied me with Champagne to get me to agreed to be dressed.. The outcome is on the right... It was quite an experience.. Please.. all for charity..their Racing evening  on November 5.. They are sponsoring a race night at Dunkerton’s, 

Clive Smith the owner of Kauto Star and others has died aged 82.

What an extraordinary Tattersalls sales season.. The yearling trade is just so strong

Saturday morning..

Tom Bellamy was in to ride out..

Debbie and Mike Wheeler were here for a morning on the gallops as purchased off the web site as a birthday present

Guy and Liz Prest ( Guy was my old assistant when I first started training in East Ilsley) won a Charity morning on the gallops for six people.. the team included Sarah, Will and Susanna Wyatt.

Marion Hudson and her son Charlie Dale were here third lot to see Wild Goose.

John and Mary Boulter were also here third lot to see their KBRS horse Reallyntruthfully. 

Cricket.. all over far too quickly..

I am afraid for all my yachting friends.  We don't look like winning the 37th America's Cup.

Brilliant racing at Ascot today..Champions Day

Talking racing we have tow runers today. Zmiinyi heads to Stratford and Samatian heads to the all-weather at Wolverhampton.. For our thougts please click here.

Sorry Vince B.. I forgot your birthady yesterday..

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

Apparently it is going to snow next week...

Which probably means that every single train will grind to a halt, all toilet roll will be panic bought, the whole country will run out of grit, and the newspapers will bring out the words  like SNOWMAGEDDON to describe half a millimetre of slush.. Can't wait!!

Plus 9 and dry when driving in.

Driving is what you do to get to Wincanton. How many times have I told you that it is the worst of all my journeys.. impossible to do in less than 2 hours..48 miles... It was though a beautiful day and the temp was touching 20 degrees..

Traffic problems for Shantou Express in his race yesterday which was not helpful. There will be another day for him, but yesterday it did not go according to plan..

Cricket...Not looking good for England

Friday morning..

Francis Brooke and Richard Pilkington were here second lot to see and discuss their two horses Chianti Classico and Draco Malfory.

Mary Dulverton was also here to see Heros De Romay.

Late morning I am being fitted out by Holland Cooper for their Racing evening  on November 5.. They are sponsoring a race night at Dunkerton’s, and the panel are being asked to wear HC cloths which might be interesting.

Those who are emailing us re the 5 to follow please sit still for a few days while we (Maya) get it sorted.. Counting is not one of our strong points as you can see when reading our home page.

We have no runners today..

After reading a poem at the Cheltenham Literature Festival that was inspired by a newly wed couple floating across his West Yorkshire garden in a hot-air balloon, Simon Armitage asked his audience if any of them had joined the Mile High Club.

To the poet laureate’s disappointment, no one confessed.

Perhaps they are more frisky in Dorset. “I asked this in Lyme Regis,” he said, “and every hand went up.”

Get your ....in..

Plus 12 and dry when driving in. That was a very wet day! 17mm yesterday

Wet at Worcester. Hardly summer jumping weather, but summer jumping was not what we wanted..thankfully it rained, and the ground was suitably soft for our first batch of winter runners.

We sent three horses to Worcester hoping that all three would win and that is exactly what they did. A great day for all involved including my new number one Tom Bellamy.

First up was Law Of Supply which was a really important win.. Andrew Lay asked me 2 years ago to buy him a chaser and LOS was what Aiden Murphy and I came home with.

Sadly, Andrew never met LOS as he was diagnosed with the big c shortly after and passed away before his horse ever ran.. Gut wrenching as he was a top bloke who had horses with me in my Lambourn days..

His wife Jane has kept the horse going which was very much Andrew’s wish and LOS now runs in the name of Andrew Lay’s Legacy..

Brilliant, he is now very much a family horse so you can imagine how special yesterday’s win was.. Andrew would have been clapping from above.. probably more..

Well done to Jane Lay, Gavin and Katherine Bumpass, Charlotte Hoad amd Jessica Watson.. Some team..

Clondaw General was like LOS was bought at the Cheltenham Tattersalls sales in February for Phil and Gill Andrews.

Phil and Gill Andrews are patient people, so we decided to wait to run him over hurdles after a good summer out.

CG is a beautiful horse who has pleased us from day one and yesterday he showed what he is capable of and although very much a chaser he is certainly capable of winning again over hurdles.

Neither Phil or Gill were able to be with us yesterday but were watching on their phones from abroad.. Delighted for them.. they have a lovely horse.

Half an hour later perhaps the most fancied of our three The Kemble Brewery came good in what looked a competitive novice hurdle.

Last season TKB won two bumpers and the went off odds on favourite at the November Cheltenham meeting only to finish 3rd..

But he so nearly ended his career that day as he returned to the unsaddling enclosure with an very nasty cut, all too near his tendon..

Time is great healer, and I am a great believer in fate and having another year under his belt was probably a really good call.

TKB is potentially very useful and the pub in Cheltenham that carries his name have a good one to Follow.. Phil Andrews is also very much involved..

I went all the way to Wetherby in the hope that Penny Perris would start her season off with a winner.. But it was not to be as Hurlerontheditch, although won the prize for best turned out was narrowly beaten into second spot.

Brian Hughes has never ridden me a winner and after yesterday he probably wont! Very frustrating for Penny P as her horse should have won at Warwick last season, but fell when about 20 length clear at the last and was probably very unlucky yesterday..

The drive up the M1 is not for the feint hearted as there are miles of 50mph!.. My day started in Banbury followed by a coffee with my old mate Johnny R-K.. All in all a very good day for all at Thorndale..

Thursday and our easy day!

Cricket is certainly interesting as is the America’s Cup as we clawed back two legs.

I am heading to Wincanton to saddle Shantou Express and for my thoughts please click here.

To end on a sad note.. David O’Connell (the breeder of Chianti Classico) passed away yesterday..

David took a fall about 3 weeks ago from a young horse. His initial injuries didn’t appear serious at first, broken pelvis and shoulder, he developed sepsis and had been in an induced coma for the past 2 weeks and sadly passed away yesterday morning.

Plus 15 damp and very foggy when driving in. A wet day ahead?

After working horses yesterday I went over to see my daughter and her three new girls and spent a few hours meeting them in their home..

Engrossing first days cricket for the second Test against Pakistan.. For the second day news click here

England out of the Womens T20 World Cup.. West Indies thrashed them!

Genersl Sir Mike Jackson has died. A remarkable man. A life lived to the full

Ciaran Gethings was in to ride out.

We have a busy day today. I am heading to Wetherby to saddle Hurlerontheditch while Mat is heading to Worcester to saddle Law Of Supply,  Clondaw General and The Kembel Brewery  ..For our thoughts please click here

An old man goes to the doctor. He complains that his wife can’t hear.

“You need to test your wife. Stand far behind her and ask her a question. Then, start going closer to her. You will see how close you’ll get when she hears you.”

The old man is happy that he can help his wife. He runs home. He sees that his wife is making dinner.

“Honey!” the man says standing 20 feet away.

“What are we having for dinner?” he asks.

The wife doesn’t reply. The man tries again. He stands 15 feet away, but there is no answer.  He stands 10 feet away and asks again. No answer.

Finally, he is 5 feet away, “Honey, what are we having for dinner?”

“I’ve told you four times! Lasagne!”

Great British humour..

Plus 11 and very foggy when driving in.

Hereford is thriving? Certainly looking by the number of people who attended their first meeting of the season.. It was not that long ago the racecourse was closed and looked like staying that way, so it is some good news for racing for a change.

Von Hallers ran a better race than she did at any stage last season to finish 5th, but she needs to come on from yesterday’s run and hopefully she will..

The last time Tom Bellamy rode for a winner for John Perriss was on By The Boardwalk at Market Rasen in 2016. I think!

Good to see Sara Bradstock train her first winner at Hereford.. The sadly missed Mark I am sure was smiling with delight from above..

The Kemble Brewery had a visit to Laura Collett.. A reminder before he runs at Worcester tomorrow.. Law Of Supply schooled over fences as well..

We had our usual Tuesday vet visit and this week’s movers and shakers in the BHA handicap charts were..Brendas Asking up 7 to 110, Destroytheevidence up 5 to 135, El Rio up 6 to 122, Jeudidee down 2 to 105 while Samatain goes down 2 on the flat to 60

We took a few for an away day mid-morning.

Hilary Fitzsimons was here late morning to see her horse Wild Goose

We have no runners today..

The second Test in Pakistan started this morning. Pakinstan batting. For all the latest news..

Donald Trump 'quotes'..

“The Continental Army won the Revolution of 1812 by ramming the ramparts and taking British airports.”

“Drinking disinfectant will cure Covid”

“Journalists should give back their ‘Noble Prizes’”

“Covfefe!”

“Magnets don’t work under water.”

”Covid will be gone in two weeks … by Easter… by summer… it’s a democratic hoax!”

“Taylor Swift deserves execution for treason for getting 400,000 people to register to vote.”

“Many people have died who have never died before.”

Plus 7 and raining when driving in. 7mm

Monday morning and the start of a new week.. Plenty happening here this week too.

Chepstow allowed trainers to take a couple of horses to gallop yesterday morning early and we took Bobhopeornohope and Does He Know… This is such a useful move by racecourses although not many allow it to happen. Ireland allow it far more regularly that we do.

Not a great start for our chances of winning the America's Cup.

England's womens team beat Scotland in their latest T20 World Cup.

Mrs B and I had lunch with Martin and Kate Featherston-Godley yesterday along with Ken and Jilly Carter and Jeremy and Anna Deedes.. It was especially good to see Jeremy and Anna Deedes.

Jeremy has a ready interesting past, and he was a near neighbour of mine when I first started training in East Ilsley.. We also played a great deal of cricket together.

We have a runner, hopefully, later at Hereford.. I say hopefully as I am worried about the ground..Mat left early this morning to walk Worcester (racing there Wednesday) and Hereford...

If we run Von Hallers  then our thoughts are..please click here to find out.

Ian Reid sent this one over..

A dog and a cat are having an argument on who is the favourite with humans.

The dog says, "Humans like us more. They even named a tooth (canine) after us. Naming such an important body part after us shows that they like us more."

The cat smiles and says, "You are really not going to win this one you know."

Today would have been my Mother's Birthday...Biddy Bailey a lady who loved life and knew how to enjoy it.. x

Plus 7 and damp when driving in.

Chepstow..Well what a win from Destroytheevidence..

He was never a very easy ride last season when hurdling as they probably went one stride too quick for him, but yesterday he bounced out of the gate happy, ready and the slower pace helped him.

Jumping well, Tom Bellamy was able to bide his time.. Always in a good rhythm he came to take it up at the last.. Some will say that they might have been a tad lucky when the second horse made a mistake at the last, but I like to think DTE had enough up his sleeve... A very pleasing first run over fences in a race that Chianti Classico won last year..

Perhaps you might guess why he is named what he is..??..Of course.. after that win and on a Saturday morning after a night celebrating what do you do?.. Destroytheevidence!

Well done to Phil and Gill Andrews who are big supporters of Thorndale..

Tom Bellamy and Johnny Burke were in to ride out..

Tina and Austen Rowley and Ruth and Tony Fitzsimons were here for a Morning on the gallops followed by Breakfast.

Gary and Tracy Betley were here second lot to see their KBRS horse Phantom Getaway perform up the gallops.. Also here was Joe Goldring to see his KBRS horse Parc d’Amour.

Into sailing? America's Cup.. A huge week ahead for Team GB.. Something we have never won..

We have no runners over the weekend

There were two nuns from Keith Ellis..

One of them was known as Sister Mathematical (SM),

and the other one was known as Sister Logical (SL).

It is getting dark and they are still far away from the convent.

SM: Have you noticed that a man has been following us for the past thirty-eight and a half minutes? I wonder what he wants.

SL: It's logical. He wants to make love to us.

SM: Oh, no! At this rate he will reach us in 15 minutes at the most! What can we do?

SL: The only logical thing to do of course is to walk faster.

A little while later...

SM: It's not working.

SL: Of course it's not working. The man did the only logical thing. He started to walk faster, too.

SM: So, what shall we do? At this rate he will reach us in one minute.

SL: The only logical thing we can do is split. You go that way and I'll go this way. He cannot follow us both.

So the man decided to follow Sister Logical.

Sister Mathematical arrives at the convent and is worried about what has happened to Sister Logical.

Then Sister Logical arrives.

SM: Sister Logical! Thank God you are here! Tell me what happened!

SL: The only logical thing happened. The man couldn't follow us both, so he followed me

SM: Yes, yes! But what happened then?

SL: The only logical thing happened. I started to run as fast as I could and he started to run as fast as he could.

SM: And?

SL : The only logical thing happened. He reached me.

SM : Oh, dear! What did you do?

SL : The only logical thing to do. I lifted my dress up.

SM : Oh, Sister! What did the man do?

SL: The only logical thing to do. He pulled down his pants.

SM: Oh, no! What happened then?

SL : Isn't it logical, Sister? A nun with her dress up can run faster than a man with his pants down.

And for those of you who thought it would be dirty, say two Hail Mary's!

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

Minus 2 and dry when driving in.

Exeter is probably one of the best jumps tracks in the country. Nearly 2 miles round and a big course in every sense of the word. It is a true test for any jumper to jump around there and their fences are probably the biggest in the country, but they are also the best presented to the horses.

Yes, big fences but they have a good belly to them which is more rounded than on most racecourses and therefore more inviting..

Exeter have a great team and a new clerk of the course in Jason Loosemore who is very forward thinking..

Forward thinking is what we have with Magical Escape who ran well for his first attempt over fences to finish second.

ME jumped slightly novicey at the odd fence and was slightly slow at the second last that probably cost him the race but having said that it was a good experience for him and he will improve massively for yesterdays race.

Staggering Tattersalls Book 1.. The third day yesterday added more heavy money!

Let’s talk cricket.. What an extraordinary Test.. Root and Brooks were magnificent and the Pakistan collapsed.. England WIN.. but not at Football..

Rafael Nadal retires.. True sporting hero.. Wonderful to watch.

The Royal Mail has apparently been more than snail mail.. So on that note if you have not received your horses in training brochure for this season please let me know.. I am talking about owners and those who have since asked me for one..

Also the 5 to follow now has all the horses on the list when apparantly a few were missing.. Sorry!!  You will just have to make an extra entry!!

We have one runner today at Chepstow Destroytheevidence heads there and for our thoughts please click here.

My thoughts..

Your 'normal' day is someone's dream, so be thankful every day..

Plus 7 and drizzling when driving in. 5mm overnight..

Now that really was a good day in the office yesterday.

Ludlow double.. we like that.

Firstly, well done to Nathan Andrews who rode his first ever winner on Brendas Asking. Yes of course, I am equally thrilled for his owners Dr David Carey (not The Turf Club)

Nathan came here as a result of an advert and having spent a couple of years with Gordon Elliott felt that after about 16 rides and no winners he was going nowhere and although he enjoyed working for GE he felt it was probably time for a change. Hence, he applied for the job here at Thorndale.

At his interview I told him that of course he could come  to work for us, but not to expect rides unless I thought he was good enough..5 weeks after starting he had his first ride and first winner… Well done Nathan.. Nathan works hard and listens.. And yesterday he did nothing wrong.

Brendas Asking's win was a huge win for David Carey, Rob Ellis, Nigel Hall and Neil Adams as Ludlow is their local track.. Deserved..

To cap the day Court In A Storm bolted up in the bumper and looked very impressive.. He has great owners.. This Horse Is For Sale Partnership.. Yes, You guessed it..I own him, and he is as the ownership suggests.. FOR SALE!

CIAS is very well bred and has loads of ability, but he has been slow to come to hand.. Patience is a virtue and he will keep on improving as he gets older.. He jumps for fun and really is a cracking type of horse..

He is as I said, for sale, although not at the price Nicky Henderson's new horse bought in France at the weekend..

CIAS's price is minus several noughts and not starting with a one..I am not asking stupid money as I want to keep him..otherwise he will head to the sales? If you are interested to find out more, then please either ring me on 01242890241 or Peter Kerr on 07901763643 or email peter on peter@kimbaileyracing.com....

Talking sales..

More staggering prices at Newmarkest's Tattersalls Book 1 yesterday..

Joe Root is now officially the best batsman England has ever had judging by the fact he has scored more runs in Test matches than anybody else.. He is the best..

The clippers were heard in the yard for the first time last night..The horses coats are growing and winter is coming. Time to keep the clippers working to keep control of the horses coats..

Thursday morning.. Derek and Sian Eaton were here to see their KBRS horse Campaign Trail.

We have one runner today at Exeter. Magical Escape heads there and for our thoughts please click here.

An English lawyer was sat with his Irish client.

‘Marty’ he sighed, ‘Why is it that whenever you ask an Irishman a question, he replies with another question?’

‘Bollocks. Who told you that?’ asked Marty.”

To finish.. Happy birthday to Martin Jones who break all my youngsters in and also happy birthday to my Travelling Head girl Leigh Pollard