Asked, after his Imperial Aura’s impressive win in the Northern Trust Novices’ Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, if he had been worried about one particular challenger in the race, Kim Bailey wryly replied: ‘Of course I was worried. I’m a racehorse trainer.’ Trainers now have a lot more to worry about. When we finally
The socialite MP Chips Channon once noted in his diaries his feelings about an after-lunch snooze in parliament’s Library: ‘It was,’ he said, ‘a true House of Commons sleep. There is no sleep to compare with it — rich, deep and guilty.’ With racing by then almost the only spectator sport available, the 60,000 a
Every time the Cheltenham Festival looms, I recall a remarkable experience. It was already 25 years since Dawn Run’s recovery from a seemingly impossible position to win the Gold Cup of 1986, becoming the only horse ever to add victory in our greatest steeplechase to a triumph in the Champion Hurdle, when, for my Festival
Few jumpers have a better record at Ascot than the Paul Nicholls-trained Cyrname. He triumphed in the Betfair Chase at the Berkshire course in February 2019 by 17 lengths with three Grade One winners behind him. It was at Ascot in November, in an enthralling duel, that he ended the mighty Altior’s record of 19
I was once at a racing dinner in York where a distinguished clergyman in attendance was invited to say grace. ‘I won’t, if you don’t mind,’ he told our hosts. ‘I would rather not draw the Almighty’s attention to my presence here.’ There is a slight whiff of rascality about the racing scene which deters
Racing’s New Year began well with the award of OBEs to both Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls, showing that they do get some things right at No. 10 and the palace. It would have been monstrous for either of our two best jumps trainers to have been left out when the other was honoured. We
