The Blog

June 30th

June going out in a blaze of sunshine. Windsor at it's sultry best last night, a massive crowd in attendance at this increasingly popular Monday night venue....

In the very very dim distant past, I used to pedal my bicycle over the Thames from my school to take in the first three races before heading back for 8.30 Assembly. It all very nearly went wrong one evening when I encountered a Housemaster in the betting ring and, rather than putting the head down and sloping away, I greeted him like a long-lost friend. I cannot explain why - but luckily this man, sadly dead not much later, was a complete legend and told me to get on the favourite when he should instead have been escorting me off to see the Head Master....

And I remember a grey horse of Guy Harwood's called Ray Charles winning at a sensible price - sending me back over the Thames with bulging pockets and the ammunition to buy my mates several settling pints in the school pub. An aside - but remarkable to think that as a schoolboy of 16, we could have two pints of beer during "break" at 11.00 O'Clock in the morning....!! That is where the slippery slope began.....

Downtown Brighton today. The BBC implying that it is going to be a scorcher - the number "32" sitting over the South Coast. Proper Wimbledon weather - although that roof thing is quite annoying as it ensured that I went to bed far too late last night. I am afraid I do not get Andy Murray - surly and boorish in marked contrast to the calm, understated elegance and style of Roger Federer. My colours firmly nailed to the Federer mast this week.... 

June 29th

Almost an Asian feel to the morning out there today - just gone 6, and the temperature rising by the minute. Reminiscent of my time in Vietnam....

Just the one runner over the weekend. Thistle performing much better at Uttoxeter yesterday than he had done at Fontwell recently. A drop back to 2 miles should do the trick.

A bit of an "airmiles" weekend - some Sussex action on Saturday , followed by a long drive to Gloucestershire (made all the more entertaining by an M4 incident) before heading back here at dusk.

And entries all over the place this week. Must dash - I need to get the head in that programme book and sort out a plan or two.....  

June 27th

No point in beating about the bush - yesterday was a crap day......

Valerie and I headed to Folkestone full of hope that a repeat of his Windsor Castle 7th would more than suffice for George Baker. He had come out of Royal Ascot in great order - but I was wrong to run him back so soon...

In the immediate aftermath of his excellent Ascot run, David Loder had told me to be very careful about running him back quickly - outward appearances can be deceiving. He was absolutely spot on. And I have learned a painful lesson.

But GB is still a good horse - he has shown that.  And he will now be freshened up, and I am 100% confident that he will put yesterday's poor run behind him next time out.

To add insult to injury, the M25 had become a Friday afternoon Car Park by the time we got back onto it. Fun, fun, fun.............. 

June 26th

Fantastic - I have worked it all out. I now know how I am going to make my fortune.....

A couple of Group 1's and the occasional Cheltenham winner are still very much on the "wish list". But the way to untold riches is to take the "Findlay and Sangster show" onto the international stage....

Harry and Ned with us for the day yesterday. I have never laughed so much. A constant, unabated stream of hilarious anecdotes. I think we will start off at the Wembley Arena and move on from there....

Paul Gardner (who had that memorable double at Newbury with Oliver Sherwood's Argento Luna and Lyes Green) here with his father Percy to watch their Boho Chic work. Anne Scott Dunn and Lizzie Prowting arriving in a champagne coloured Ferrari for lunch (coincidentally just as our conversation around the garden table had turned to fast cars...), my father-in-law Richard Evans with us as well, the team from the yard coming across the garden to listen to the next H tale, the day becoming one long seamless party....

A quick trip to Warwick races in mid-afternoon. MBE getting in a bit of a strop (he will be in a field for a week now to chill) and Double Moon stepping up massively on his debut run to finish a highly creditable 4th....

Back home for another anecdote or seven, one TV tuned to Wimbledon, the other to the racing, the party rolling on into the evening, the warmth of the day unabating, Patrick riding and falling off (???!!!) Barney's pony, a curry ordered at some point and consumed with hungry vigour by the assorted troops, H and Ned off down the drive back to Bath at just before 10.00.....

A lot of fun. A lot of laughs. Just not sure that the body could cope with that sort of day every day.....

A trio of GB's at Folkestone today. Nervous already, but excited after his Royal Ascot run and heading to the South East full of hope.....    

June 25th

I know exactly where Paul and Rachel Beck live. We have been there a couple of times before. Two hours from here up the M6........

It was only when I hit the M1 at Nottingham that I realised I was going in completely the wrong direction. Doh !!  A quick sat-nav moment, a long if beautiful detour through the Derbyshire Peaks and we arrived at exactly the agreed hour - more luck than judgement etc....

Paul has all his horses home for the Summer. You could not imagine a more relaxed and contented gang. Happy fields full of dreams - the occasional horsefly the only irritant. Plenty for Paul to dream about for the Winter ahead....

Back home slightly quicker than we had journeyed up - best in life to take the direct route....

And then to Leamington Spa to meet the 9.25 from Marylebone. Harry Findlay with Ned Sangster, Guy Sangster's son, spending a few days with H on "work experience". Yesterday with the Fed on Centre Court, today with us. A bit of Warwick, a bit of Leicester, a lot of fun...

The three of us in the Chinese in Leamington till too late. And then back here for a beer or two and the DVD of Big Fella Thanks winning the coursing Derby at Clonmel a few years back. A running commentary from H. Some dog. Some victory. Some victory speech....!!

Too few hours in bed. I had planned to slip out to feed leaving the house to sleep but Ned wide awake and on hand to help. This "work experience" malarkey could catch on - I am a believer....

Breakfast on the go. H stirring as I write. Looking forward to the day ahead. I can guarantee that it will not be a quiet or a dull one....!!    

June 24th

Not a cloud in the sky, already warmth in the sun at 5.00 O'Clock, feeding the horses in a T-shirt and shorts - a scary sight for the horses I imagine....

More crossbar hitting yesterday down at Brighton. Steig travelling like a winner all the way but just unable to get past the stubborn and tough pacemaker. A fine effort - but sadly his swansong for us. A horsebox from Ireland on it's way to pick him up as I write, a fine home in Donegal his next abode. We have been lucky to have him around the place - a fine stamp of a horse, and I am sure he will do his new connections proud as he us. Just frustrating that he only won once for us - but at least he had that win at Brighton, important as it dragged us off that "cold list" (which, of course, I pay no attention to at all.....??!!)

And Music Box Express deserving of another win shortly after another big run to finish third. He went up 4 pounds for finishing second last time and that annoying handicapper fellow seems to have just got his measure, but hopefully his day will come....

Back in the depths of Winter, Julian Wilson had rung to ask me to take a G.Baker XI down to Newmarket to play the Trainers XI at cricket. Driving to play cricket in England under cloudless skies is a rare treat, lunch in the garden of the pub hit the spot, the pitch at Chippenham everything one expects of a true Summer scene....

The Newmarket XI inserted after a slightly "rigged" toss with W.Jarvis . Nick Gifford and Tom Goff (I have to admit, Tommy G, I am marginally surprised to be writing this) ripping out the top order (?), Uncle Blacksheep typically stingy in his 6 over spell, my ringer and all-round top guy Lou Vincent (Kiwi Test player) adding a touch of class to proceedings, O.Sherwood and Marcus Fernandez (he of www.mongoosecricket.com fame) taking a couple of spectacular catches, Charlie Hills keeping wicket fantastically tidily - all out 150. (Top scorer - proper cricketer David Simcock).

The G.Baker XI reply. Sherwood apparently "sledged out" by William Haggas (Haggas' version of events differing slightly from Sherwood's...!!), William Knight holding the innings together with an innings of  great responsibility, wickets tumbling pretty regularly, 45 needed off the last 5 overs...

Suffice to say that we may have struggled to get home if it had not been for the mongoose hitting of Lou Vincent who guided us home with somebody else who modesty prevents me from naming, especially as that straight six in the penultimate over effectively carried us over the line. Oh, okay then, that was me (we all get lucky at some points in our lives....)

A great day, a top game played in the right spirit, plenty of banter and sledgeing (the best bit being between scorer Wilson and fielder Haggas......) - we have been invited back next year, and I hope that this will become an annual fixture.   

June 23rd

A reasonable day at the office yesterday.....

A fine run from Iguacu to be second at Lingfield. Finishing second is always a bit of an "if only" position - but this horse arrived with us with a lowly (very...) rating of 37  and so the team can be justifiably proud that he is being competitive off a mark of 48. He will be into the low 50's after this....

A frantic trip around the M25 to Windsor, Matthew weighing out with minutes to spare to ride Phoenix Enforcer into 4th place at 33/1 in the opener. The fate of all good each-way bets (4th), but full of hope that she can be winning soon. And Highland Storm showing in the last that he too can be very competitive at the right level....

Two, possibly three, down at Brighton this afternoon. Patrick, Valerie and Candida heading down there - I am taking the G. Baker XI to take on the Newmarket Trainer's XI at Cricket in the village of Chippenham. Sure to be plenty of sledgeing......

June 22nd

Past the longest day - I guess the nights start to draw in from this point on......

The sofa and the television won on Saturday. A fine afternoon of sport, the eye being drawn first to the drama of the Lions Test and then to the Royal Ascot action. The Lions unlucky (discuss ???), High Standing imperious for William Haggas and Harry Findlay, Art Connoisseur a revelation, Carraciola giving hope to all veterans.

And then to Worcester yesterday. Sparkling Montjeu making a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes but remaining my favourite horse on the yard - she has so much more to give, is on a continuing upward curve and will be something to behold when she starts jumping fences.

And a fine run, after well over a year off, by Mountain Beat in the Bumper. There were several fancied in the race - but down the side before the home bend, she had most of them well off the bridle. Fifth in the end - but a highly creditable effort and one which gives us much hope for the future.

To Lingfield today for the 4.45 - and then a "rush" (if that is at all possible...) around the M25 for the first and then the last at Windsor. Dinner at the Starlight Foundation charity event on the Racecourse - and home, probably, in time to get up and feed....

The paperwork mountain looking scary. Exhausted already... 

June 20th

The marathon that is Royal Ascot drawing to a close. Still undecided about attending today - no runners, but Barney Baker in particular lobbying for a Turf Club lunch. We shall see. A bit wet and miserable out there which might well be the deciding factor.....

Chicita Banana drawn on the wrong side in The Albany Stakes yesterday, and Ted Durcan gave her a hugely sensible ride once it became clear that she had no chance. He could have beaten her up to finish 6th or 7th - but no point at all with a progressive 2-year-old, and his post-race assertion that she would be winning valuable nurseries before the end of the season gives us much hope....

A fine lunch in the Weatherbys box with a fun and eclectic (as ever) crowd. Up to Tony Bloom's box to escort "Team Bloom" down to the paddock for the first. And then with Paul Roy to watch Ghanaati stamp herself as a bit of a superstar. And in his box, Oliver Pawle who has some fine jumpers and who has been kind enough to send us a horse - we had only spoken and texted before yesterday and so good to meet face to face. The Roy box covered with photos of the likes of Sixties Icon, Wilko, Dutch Art etc - I expressed my amazement that Hawkspring's victory in a Southwell seller appeared not to warrant a place on the "hall of fame"...!!

A couple at Worcester tomorrow. The 4-time winning legend that is Sparkling Montjeu, and Mountain Beat having her first run for us in the bumper. After the frantic maelstrom that is Royal Ascot, quite an alluring prospect to be returning to "normality"....   

June 19th

The first night at Ffos Las something to behold. Roars to rival Cheltenham as the action got under way, a massive crowd, a very fair track - just quite a long way home when you have a runner in the 9.20...

But this place's opening a far cry from Great Leighs. I was there for that "Racecourse's" first meeting. Ffos Las is different gravy altogether. We will be back....

Peter Hughes, Ghufa's Owner, had Dai Walters' box for the night and entertained us royally. Before racing, a chance to have a quick walk out onto the track ("quick", because the wind off the sea was pretty challenging), a couple of drinks with Tim Vaughan and Dave Nevison, Royal Ascot on the big screen (Yeats a legend - but Patkai the pretender to his crown), my only error being a plate of "cockles and lavabread".....

Lavabread, apparently a local dish, appeared to be pulverised seaweed slopped on top of some cockles. I love cockles. But not with this funny green slime all over them. Live and learn....

Back to Ascot today. Lunch with the Weatherbys. Chicita Banana in the first. The end of this exhausting week in sight. Some week....