The Blog

Christmas Eve.....

The weather appears to be relenting - but the only action for us will be at Wolverhampton on Boxing Day. Some turf courses, especially Kempton, appearing optimistic - others likely to follow Towcester into the abandoned file...

It just remains for me to wish you all (allegedly, there is more than one reader of this blog, and so the plural "all" is, I think, just about justified...) a very happy and enjoyable Christmas. Have fun !!!

December 23rd

For Barney and Tallulah, it is Christmas Eve eve....

Bizarre that Basingstoke appears to have borne the brunt of the snowfall. Reporters decked out in their finest anoraks with live updates from Hampshire's roundabout capital. Basingstoke. Dead dull, a mass of intricate one-way systems and industrial estates, middle England - and then, from nowhere, splashed across our newspapers and television screens. The inhabitants must be very excited - perhaps for the first time ever....

Declaration time in a couple of hours for Boxing Day's cards. Frozen tracks and variable forecasts ensuring that there will be several "first preference", "second preference" etc prefixes appearing next to horse's names in tomorrow's Racing Post. Our plans, like everybody elses, pretty fluid. And quite possible that we may all be scuppered by the weather - although the blonde one in the tinsel on BBC1 right now is hinting at a possible thaw on the way. We shall see...

C and I to London last night. The Cafe de Paris off Leicester Square for a delicious dinner and a night of cabaret. Boringly, we were committed to driving home. Freezing fog. A slow journey...

The heating here still a major issue. Barney has just appeared and is sitting, reading something called "Warhammer", in front of an electric heater, our sole source of warmth at the moment. Mick and his men here yesterday. A lot of shaking of heads. Talk of broken pumps, air in the pipes etc. Hopefully we will have central heating again before the spring - but I can guarantee that it will come at a price....   

December 22nd

An alarming clunking noise, some high pitched and irregular screeching, stone cold radiators....

It appears that our heating system has chosen an "interesting" moment to pack up. More snow overnight. The forecast implying that anything above freezing will be a bonus. Could be time for the Baker family to build an igloo....

With no runners yesterday, and with Bangor off today, we will have no more runners this side of Christmas. A thaw predicted for later in the week. And, as we all know, the weather in this country can change in an instant. We will be ready...

Candida to London with Barney yesterday. His Godmother Alice Fox-Pitt (Plunkett) takes a box at The Horse of the Year Show at Olympia annually. Leaving Tallulah and I to take on the delights of downtown Leamington Spa. "Planet 51" at the Apollo Cinema her chosen destination. A bucket of popcorn the size of her. Some indescribable blue and pink "slushy" drink. Followed by a table for two at Pizza Express (American with extra pepperoni for me, a more conservative Margherita for madam). And then some inspired (at times) Christmas shopping. A few secrets to be kept from her Mother and Brother for a day or three - I go 10/1 against us getting to Friday without at least a few of the beans being spilled....

A brilliant day with my girl. Full of opinions and ideas. And smiles and fun - and not a little cheekiness. An all too rare treat in our hectic lives. And all the more special for that reason alone..

Not many chances this side of the New Year, I fear, but it would be great to get to 40 winners for 2009. 39 so far. Ahead of my aim to at least improve by 50% on last year's total of 22. 2009 our first full calendar year. We have to be more than satisfied - especially as there are many Trainers out there who have been training for a decade or more who have never trained as many as 39 winners in a year. It has been a reasonable start. To raise the quality whilst maintaining the quantity is my hope for the months ahead....   

21st December

Bitterly cold. A biting wind. The heating in the house playing "silly buggers".....

A proper, deep covering of snow in Sussex where we spent the weekend. The countryside looking spectacular, the snow powdery, the skies crystal clear, the children hoping beyond hope for a "White Christmas". And the forecasters predicting another bleak day today...

We were the beneficiaries of the poor weather on Saturday with Ghufa recording his 4th victory this year at Wolverhampton's hastily organised replacement fixture. He now joins Sparkling Montjeu as our "winning most" horse - and I hope that there is still more to come. Saturday's trip of the extended 9 furlongs short of his optimum, but he is in such good form at present that he could win these contests over almost any trip. Another excellent ride from Matt - and much credit to C who rides Ghufa out every day and knows him inside out.

An interesting drive home to Sussex on Friday night, the main roads fine but the smaller ones hazardous. We stopped for tea on the way with our Owners Peter and Anne Scott-Dunn near Ascot -their drive almost impassable, but the children thrilled that we made it as they were spoilt with the most outrageous amount of scones, biscuits and cakes. And their father similarly spoilt as we headed back down the drive with some fabulous wine...

Very pleased with the debut of Royal Torbo (ISR) on Friday night - and very happy that the gathering crowded around a TV in Israel were similarly encouraged. Lack of EBF eligibility for this horse dictated that his debut was over a trip too short - but he will be seen to better effect over further, and gave us all hope that an Israeli bred winner could become reality in 2010.

A quiet week on the runners front. Nothing this side of Christmas. Plans for Boxing Day to be made in a minute. As ever, the weather will be in charge.....   

Friday 18th December

Bleak out there. A biting wind. Snow on the ground. A hard frost.....

Freezing out on the gallops yesterday atop our exposed hill. Not much to stop the wind. Jo Mann with us to watch her Midnight Legend horse, Mountain King, take on the hill for the first time. He did it well. And we survived the "ordeal" of watching him do it. 

Harellie supposedly heading to Uttoxeter later. They inspect at 8.00. My gut feeling is that they will struggle to race - but we shall see....

And Royal Torbo heading to Wolverhampton for his debut tonight. Great to finally get Arik and Betty Rayzner's colours onto the track. "Eric", as Torbo is nicknamed on the yard, had an unpleasant experience back in October when cutting his mouth in the Wolverhampton stables just before he was due to work on the track. Luckily, the damage was no more than superficial, and he made a speedy recovery.

Because he does not have EBF eligibility, options are limited, and ideally we would be starting him off over further. But he is ready for the experience - and I know that there will be a decent gathering around Paul Alster's television set in Israel to watch his debut...

Sparkling Montjeu a little "stuck in the mud" down at Exeter yesterday. But this willing horse will bounce back from this mid-division run, and I am sure will be winning again before long.

Lunch for C and I yesterday with C's parents, our nephew Hector and our sponsor Andy Luckhurst (BBT). Andy has supported us from day one, was with us at Wolverhampton when we had our first winner, and has been incredible. BBT also sponsor the golfers Messrs Rock and Broadhurst.

The children are supposed to be meeting, weather dependent, Father Christmas at Ascot today. A very kind invitation from Johnny Weatherby to lunch in The Ascot Authority Box. But judging by some of the pictures being shown on my TV right now, I am just not sure how much turf racing will survive. I guess a bit of snow should not be too much of a problem for Father Christmas...   

Thursday 17th

"Colder - Further snow expected" The words of the delightful weather girl just now. Something to look forward to....

Pretty bleak and misty out on the gallops yesterday morning. Peter Treadgold, all round Racing accounting guru, with us to watch a lot, and to dispense some of his wisdom which I had garnered for the first time at The British Racing School on the Trainer's Course. I hope that we will be seeing a lot more of each other over the years ahead...

To Bangor, through some horrible weather. None of the snow being talked about around the country - just damp and cold, chilling to the bone.

Revived by an excellent Chicken and Ham Pie (proper chicken, proper ham - why is it that these products are always so much better the further one heads away from the metroplis ? Answer - because the people making them and dispensing them seem to care, unlike some of our more urban tracks where the food comes off some faceless treadmill of mediocrity).

And further enlivened by the run of Heredias. A decent second, albeit in a different county to the well-backed and effortless winner. Still a little on and off the bridle, but another step forward from this German-bred, and he definitely has races in him, probably under both codes...

Great that Wayne Hennessey was able to get away from Molineux in time to see the race, along with his parents Paul and Diane. And my car boot literally filled up with presents for us and the team from the Hennessey family. And, with a fantastic looking piece of pork from my good mate Robert Lewis added to the gifts, I returned home with a much heavier car than I had left in. Fantastically generous - and much appreciated. The tack room will be filled with sweets, chocolate and biscuits in a minute....  

Wednesday 16th

Bitterly cold. Freezing. And that is inside....

And a pretty bleak forecast. It may well be that the allweather "betting shop fodder" provides the bulk of the action this side of Christmas.

To London yesterday. Several familiar faces at the bar of the Turf Club. And lunch with Owners Richard Farquhar, Ed Benson (both Prime Contender) and Jim St Johnston (Director of our business, Owner of Friendly King, Kummel Excess etc). Some fine banter, plenty of laughs, a glass or two raised to Kummel Excess' victory on Monday and to Prime Contender's return to action in the New Year....

Jim used to work for Dutch firm ABN Amro. He was telling us how he laid Holland to his colleagues for the European Cup of 2000 - to not insignificant sums. To which I asked the incisive question, "So, were there lots of Dutch people who worked with you ??"  Doh....

A busy work morning yesterday before I hit the M40. The forecast prompting us to press on with working several ahead of a possible freeze-up. The horses in great condition, warm and fed a lot,and looking fantastic in their coats. And continuing to win "Best Turned Outs" by the day...

I will continue to sponsor those races at Wolverhampton that do not have a "best turned out" into the New Year. The response to the "George Baker tenner" has been fantastic, and maybe other Trainers, Jockeys, Bookmakers or Exchanges might be tempted to follow suit around the country, in a small but tangible way showing appreciation for the unsung and hard working heroes and heroines of this game....

To Bangor today. Wayne Hennessy hopeful that Mick McCarthy will not have a long training session today so that he can get to the track to see his horse Heredias run. The Molineux training ground not much more than a long hour from Bangor - great if he can make it...

Whilst I am "having a lovely time" on the way to Bangor, Candida and Valerie will be heading to London to meet somebody called Robbie Williams. They both seem reasonably excited by the prospect....!!

December 15th

Named at the bar of The Turf Club by two of our longest and best supporters, Jim St Johnston and John Breslin. And yesterday Kummel Excess getting her head in front in my mother's colours. Part owned by sister Muffy, Mum, Jim, John, Ivan Newton Edwards and me, this tough little daughter of Exceed and Excel was given another good M Davies ride....

She will almost certainly have a breather now before coming back for the turf in the spring, and fully deserved this first win after a couple of near-misses.....

Iguacu too keen for his own good, the lack of pace his undoing. But he has done us proud over the past few months and heads home now for a holiday at his Owner's Derek and Cheryl Holder's house. He will be back in the spring with a dual purpose campaign in mind. And when he was dropped home last night, Court Wing was picked up to replace him in his stable...

A few new additions in recent days. Some of the yearlings are now with us, and a couple claimed in recent days are Trade Centre (for Sir Alex) and Bubbly Bellini (for sale - Christmas present ??). They both have proven form to a decent level and will be back in action shortly. Fantastic that Sir Alex now has four in training here. With Freddie Flintoff, Wolves keeper Wayne Hennessey, Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke also on board, we will pretty soon be able to hold our own "Sports Personality Of The Year" down at The Antelope. And no, Matthew Davies, you will not be winning it just yet......

No runners today. Back to London. And back to the bar where Kummel Excess was named. I wonder what I can name there today.....????   

December 14th

What a shame !! The X Factor is over.....

A pretty frantic weekend. Owners aplenty here on Saturday morning to watch their horses work - and then to Cheltenham for lunch with Paul Beck and Tim Vaughan ahead of the Boylesports Gold Cup. Naxox not exactly doing his bit to tee the day up perfectly by running poorly at Southwell - but he did not go a yard on the surface and he will not be going back there. He definitely has races in him....

From Cheltenham to Derek and Cheryl Holder's beautiful Worcestershire house for their Christmas party. And a chance to properly celebrate the recent victories of Court Princess and Iguacu. Both extremely satisfying for the team. Court Princess had only very limited form when she came up our drive, and Iguacu had a rating of 37 (a difficult mark to get anywhere near a run in a race, let alone winning 2 which is what he has now done for us). Hopefully, there will be more to come from both horses....

And lunch yesterday with Anne and Jane Starkey. A relaxed and happy gathering - and some absolutely delicious Roast Pork. Barney Baker's favourite. And great to be at a table with the children for the first time in too many days. Too much time recently spent away from them - but with the holidays nearly upon us, I am really looking forward to spending more time with them, even if that entails bringing them with me to the delights of downtown Dunstall etc...

Bed last night before the X Factor started. Perfect. Feeling marginally recharged this morning - but a quick glance at the diary has changed all of that. Another hectic week beckons....

Saturday

Boylesports Day at Cheltenham. It would be great to have a runner. But we will have to make do with Southwell this time. Naxox running for Paul Beck and Freddie Flintoff - I doubt it took long for Paul to decide to head to Cheltenham to watch his runners there rather than head to the flatlands of Nottinghamshire.....

C and I heading to Cheltenham. As ever, compelling racing and an excellent card....

I got it wrong with Major Maximus yesterday. He did not especially like the Southwell surface, but the trip was too short anyway, and he will be seen in a much better light upped to 7 furlongs or even a mile. Soon...

Frankies Restaurant off Knightsbridge yesterday for "An afternoon with Marco Pierre White." An eclectic table. C and I, Dean (of "James, Dean and Partners") and Alex Atkins, Daniel and Paola Jefferies (part owners of Divy), Geoffrey Burnand (part-owner of nothing - yet..... Good morning, Geoffrey !!), Jimmy Brecknock (Best man twice - owner of nothing - yet......), Charlie Methven (part owner of Wingull) and Ma Baker (part owner of Kummel Excess and an Invincible Spirit yearling).

Good food, excellent company, decent banter - and London in full on Christmas mode. The excitement for Barney and Tallulah ratcheting up a notch or two by the day....

A proper frost yesterday morning. Enough to ensure that the dreaded tractor failed to splutter into action. A thick fog. Owners here to peer into it and learn not a lot. But some excellent pieces of work giving hope that December will continue to be a fruitful month for us.....