Both ends of the racing spectrum

The two meetings at which Richard Guest has had runners so far this week could hardly be further apart in terms of class, with three runners' participation in a pretty grim jumps card at Sedgefield on Monday followed by a trip to Glorious Goodwood yesterday. I know which of the two I prefer (clue: not Goodwood!)

BEAUGENCY gave Guest his 28th winner of the campaign when, for the second race running, having a strong pace off which to come. He was perhaps a shade fortunate, as Kippour, a runner from Spud Clark's burgeoning permit operation, was well clear when going wrong two out, but William Kennedy had such a lot of horse under him at that point that Beaugency would have at least served up a challenge to that rival if he'd not met with that misfortune. Beaugency has now recorded his first UK wins over fences and hurdles in successive races, and, as this was a Conditional Jockeys race, he will go unpenalised for this. On account of this - and due to the fact Gryffindor's website states the horse is only guaranteed to stay in their ownership until August unless the members decide to keep him on beyond that - Guest is likely to try to find another hurdle for the horse very quickly indeed. A probable next outing will be in a hurdle at Market Rasen on Sunday.

Apart from that, DAN DE LION came home seventh in the Selling Handicap Hurdle, beaten 33l by a horse rated 7lb worse than him. He is entered again at Stratford tomorrow, in a 4-7yo non-handicap seller which looks any number of times worse than this race, but he still doesn't look to me like a potential winner of even that. YORK RITE, meanwhile, blotted his copybook by dislodging Henry Oliver at the first fence of his race.

The heavy rain in Sussex came just in time for OOH AH CAMARA to take her chance in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Glorious Goodwood yesterday, and her 3l seventh place was a fine effort considering she was run off her hooves in a blinding pace until one furlong out. She was finishing to really good effect under John Egan at the death, and had this been a 5.5 of 6f race rather than the minimum trip, she would have been nailed on to finish high up the prizemoney. She remains one to keep in mind for autumn 2yo sprints (sprint handicaps if there be any?) as long as there's mud.

Richard Guest is clearly hedging bets where tomorrow's Stratford card is concerned. Seven horses have been declared, although some are unlikely to appear if the going tends to one extreme or the other (it's overcast here in Brum at the moment, but not significantly wet). DURBA, DAN DE LION, ASTRONAUT (novices' handicap chase this time), DONOVAN (timber again), lily-livered old GABLA back from his hols, XAIPETE, and hat-trick seeking COLLEGE CITY are all engaged.

Downside of Brancepethfan....

...is the catching up to do if I've been nowhere near a PC for a week! Here goes...


SOUTHWELL, HAMILTON & PONTEFRACT 15/7/05
=======================================

The grand old boy NOSAM only managed sixth place in his Handicap Chase, beaten 15l by a horse rated 2lb his inferior. The sluggish pace wouldn't have helped his cause. COLLEGE CITY, however, had enough of a decent pace off which to come, and, having made good headway turning for home, ghosted into the lead two from home and registered a 1.5l victory under Larry McGrath. A most pleasing aspect of the race was that he was evidently able to handle good, good to firm here, having prevously struggled to do so, but Richard Guest still thinks him a happier horse in mud. Whichever, having gone three seasons to register his second victory for the trainer he is now two from two, and might just be getting the hang of this game at six.

LES ARCS' race in the Scottish Stewards Cup at Hamilton was over almost as soon as it began, him having fallen out of the stalls under Tony Culhane and leaving himself too much to do over a trip already short of his best. He was staying on best of anything at the end and nabbed fifth, but was never in any danger of winning. At least he picked up a few hundred quid for his endeavours - ROAN RAIDER's first run for Guest in a handicap at Pontefract resulted in a listless 13th place of 14 runners.


MARKET RASEN, RIPON 16/7/05
=========================

The Richard Guest team was out in force at Rasen, as one might expect for the Summer Plate meeting, but with the feature race iteself now a 0-150 Class A handicap, he wasn't going to be able to smuggle a couple of just-into-the-110s-rated animals into the race. As it was, PEQUENITA, with her 120 rating, missed the cut by a couple.

The only chance of scooping one of the two big prizes therefore lay with DONOVAN, who missed his chasing engagement at Worcester on Wednesday on account of the firm going but squeaked into the Summer Hurdle with bottom weight. And a fine race he ran too at 40/1, finishing only 8.5l adrift in sixth place of a winner rathed 20lb his superior. A first-time visor certainly helped, and had he not demolished the second-last flight when making his charge through the pack he might have made the frame. He is unquestionably in good heart right now and demands a look whether he is turned out over hurdles or fences next time.

BILL'S ECHO looked the likeliest of Guest's sextet to score a victory today, but came off worst in a three-way tussle for victory in the 17.5f Handicap Chase. It was a good performance, just missing out to a race-fit Pipe 5yo who was winning her third chase since March, and an Irish import lit up by his move to Malcolm Jefferson, so compensation should not be too long in coming.

Three Guest animals lined up in the Novices' Hurdle Series Qualifier; none of them impressed especially, although in fairness they had had one run over hurdles between them prior to the contest. DRUMOSSIE, who only beat one home at Perth on debut, earned Concertina Racing a few hundred pounds with his remote fourth, 25l clear of REPENT AT LEISURE in fifth who in turn had fellow debutant DURBA a further 56l behind him. Guest must think plenty of the last-named to have dared to put a £50,000 asking price on the horse, but this run did not give much encouragement that new owner Billy Maguire will be winning any of that back on the course any time soon.

There was one victory to report for the Guest operation, BEAUGENCY finally putting in a good, clear round over fences to give the trainer his third winner in as many days and the horse his first win over jumps in 12 tries over here. Paul O'Neill got after Beaugency on the turn for home and got a good tune out of him up the straight. His recent non-completions make him a less than convincing tool to follow up, but here at least was a bit of a reward for the perseverence of both Guest and owners Gryffindor with him.

Over at Ripon, the latest ex-Vicky Haigh animal to reappear, GENOA STAR, put in a career-best performance to date in the selling stakes, beaten the curious distance of a length and four necks back in sixth. She was done for pace a couple of furlongs out but ran on again, suggesting a slight step up on today's 6f trip might not go amiss.


CATTERICK, 20/7/05
================

With all these Flat horses suddenly at his disposal, Richard Guest made two sorties to Flat meets during wb 18/7 with an actual proper team of animals rather than just the one. Not that GENOA STAR, FIENNES or GLENVIEWS SURLAMI made the effort particularly worthwhile, all finishing out of the money. Genoa Star, quickly turned out again four days after her good Ripon run, was only about 1.5l adrift of the third placed horse here in a blanket finish for the minor honours. Her struggling to overhaul these rivals at the death probably had more to do with Fran Norton making too much use of her early on rather than a failure to see out the extra furlong her Ripon run suggested she'd appreciate.

His lowly rating precluding him from most handicap opportunities, Fiennes managed to get a run in the claiming stakes instead, and duly got walloped in ninth place by horses rated - in several cases - over three stone superior to him. Banded racing has to rank as a more credible option for him until he can get his rating up; as a point of fact he was due to go down another 3lb on Saturday 23rd, exactly the opposite of what connections wanted.

Incredibly, Glenviews Surlami had already had three trainers in her five races prior to this first appearance for Richard Guest - Miss I T Oakes in Ireland, Alan Berry and Vicky Haigh. Off a mouldy rating of 30, she is going to prove every bit as hard to win with outside of Banded company as Fiennes, although as a 4yo already campaigned at up to 1m 4f, maybe Guest is keeping her ticking over prior to a try-out over hurdles. She finished fifth of seven here, beaten barely five lengths and still on the premises until 1f out, but the form in this very poor Apprentice Handicap is proabably ultiamtely of very little value.


UTTOXETER, 21/7/05
=================

Richard Guest's one and only jumps raid of the week - can someone explain to me why we had seven jumps cards in five days last wek, and only two in total this, incidentally? - yielded a second, two fifths and two eighths from five runners. BILL'S ECHO acquitted himself best of all in the conclusing 2m Handicap Chase, outbattled over the last two fences to miss out marginally to Tonic du Charmil, a hitherto accident-prone Martin Pipe 5yo which has suddenly remembered how to jump. Your favourite and mine, XAIPETE, was weighted to get a bit closer to the winner than he ultimately did (18l behind in fifth place), and, having dropped to a double-figure rating for the first time in aeons only recently, may still need to be helped a couple more if that elusive eighteenth career victory (and seventeenth for Mason / Guest) is to be realised.

Earlier in the day, YORK RITE was left with too much to do from early on for the second race running, although in this instance it was his own mistake at the fifth fence rather than a slippery bend which undermimed his chance. PEQUENITA led until two out in the 22.5f Handicap Hurdle but was then simply picked off by rivals with more left in the tank. Her hurdles rating is now in the region of 20lb below her burgeoning chasing one, but I maintain she still needs to be campaigned on ground easier than today's good to fim to exploit this.

Finally, BALLYBOE BOY failed to build on his Cartmel victory of a week earlier when well held in eighth in the 2m Handicap Hurdle. Having to cut out the pace, the effects of last week's run, his 7lb penalty and a bad blunder halfway round all conspired to defeat him this time.


NEWCASTLE 23/7/05
================

For the second race running LES ARCS has misfortune at the starting stalls. At least at Hamilton he got a run, though. Today, in an £11,000+ first-prixe contest being shown live on Channel 4, he reared in the stalls, getting himself upset (was the first-time visor not helping, perhaps?) and William Cahill's feet momentarily pinned to the walls of the stalls. A withdrawal without coming under orders ensued.

Prior to this mishap, EUROPEAN DREAM and JORDAN'S LIGHT had offered little sign of promise in finishing eighth and eleventh in a 15-runner 7f Maiden Auction Stakes. Two of the Racing Club horses, FIENNES and REEDSMAN, contested the 7f Apprentice Claiming Stakes. FIENNES actually led until 3f out; were this a ploy to set up the race for his stablemate, it worked until 2f out, for having chased the leaders handily enough Reedsman could only find the one pace from thereon. He still managed a sixth place, though, his second-best ever finish in a Flat race in what ws his first run back over the level for just over a year.

Busy day, if they all run

Ultimately neither DAN DE LION, DONOVAN nor ASTRONAUT ran, the good to firm ground with firm patches at Worcester ultimately judged too jarring to risk the last two named. BELLA FIORELLA did take her chance at Haydock, but was left behind in the last furlong and finished seventh of the 12 runners.

Safe jumping ground was to be had at Cartmel, however, and BALLYBOE BOY finally came up with the goods to win the Novices' Handicap Hurdle under Larry McGrath, although he might have been a bit fortunate as Richard Ford's Parisienne Gale flattened the last flight and came to a near halt when leading. A win is a win, though, and this was Richard Guest's sixth from 16 runners at the Lakeland track this season alone.

The first appearance of a Richard Guest Racing Club horse proved anticlimactic, however, as FIENNES practically fell out of the stalls and trailed in 18th of 20 runners in the Apprentice Handicap at Doncaster. Without the benefit of a rise in the weights that a win or above-par run might have effected, he is going to go back to struggling to find opportunities, you would have thought. Guest scholars will have noticed that JAHIA, one of the few complete flops from his New Zealand purchases - largely because she could barely stay 6f, never mind a hurdles trip - came home second in this race, only her second start for P T Midgeley since leaving Michael Madgwick. Ouch.

Today should see another appearance from the wonderful NOSAM in the 2m 5.5f Handicap Chase at Southwell - the same race, I believe, Richard Guest won with GATORADE on his first appearance for the yard two years ago - as long as the ground doesn't get too fast. It was down as good, good to firm in places last I looked. COLLEGE CITY is also engaged to run in a 2m 1f Handicap Chase, trying to defy a 7lb penalty for his win last time out, but I personally don't expect to see him take part unless the heavens open or the track has watered a bit too freely.

There's a nice purse to be had at Hamilton tonight, with the latest renewal of the Scottish Stewards Cup over 6f. LES ARCS, now up to a career high mark of 88, takes his chance in this really competitive handicap, the £18,000+ first prize an obvious lure. He won't mind the going as long as it doesn't go to extremes, and he won over a mile here last June. Tony Culhane, who should have been on EUROPEAN DREAM last week before her defection, takes the ride tonight.

Ten minutes before this race over at Pontefract, and a few rungs down the ladder, well-exposed sprinter ROAN RAIDER tries his hand at a trip of a mile for the first time in two years in this, his first outing for Richard Guest. Formerly one of the large number of animals in owner Paul Dixon's portfolio and trained by Mark Polglase, he has been moved to Guest by Mike Tomlinson - latterly a co-owner of the horse but now seemingly totally in charge of him - and he's been doing some nice pieces of work at home (including during the Brancepeth Open Day). Fran Norton has the ride.

Uttox and Cartmel and Donny

I've just noticed that DAN DE LION did not take his chance at Uttoxeter today after all; no idea why not just yet.

As regards tomorrow's racing, Richard Guest has a runner at both Cartmel over the jumps and Doncaster on the Flat. BALLYBOE BOY will be looking to build on his slight improvement last time out when lining up in the 17.5f Novices' Handicap Hurdle which opens Cartmel's barbecue meeting (for which, incidentally, it has never yet not rained!). It's only a Class F and the opposition isn't great, so there could be a place finish in the offing if he takes to this singular racecourse. Larry McGrath rides.

Unfortunately REEDSMAN missed the cut in Cartmel's Selling Handicap Hurdle, a maximum field of 16 having been declared for which the bottom weight is rated 77 - Reedsman currently runs off 74. This would have represented the first outing of a Richard Guest Racing Club horse since the Club was re-ignited a couple of weeks ago. However, the delay is only temporary, because - praise the skies - FIENNES has finally managed to get into a race! He is one of a maximum field of 20 to line up for a pretty grisly 0-55 Apprentice Handicap at Donny, and for once there have been enough defectors from the original entry to let him in with his very lowly rating of 37. Time to test Richard Guest's assertion that this is as ludicrously low and totally exploitable a mark as he says it is.... the horse will be blinkered for the first time, but no jockey has been declared as yet.

Shoe-in at Worcester?

It has been chalked in for some time now, but tonight DONOVAN finally has a second attempt at steeplechase fences in a 2 mile Handicap Chase at Worcester, and I personally think it's barring accidents for him and Larry McGrath. He gets into the race off a mark of 84, compared to a current rating over timber of 109. That rating was given to him on the basis of one solitary run over fences in a handicap chase at Hereford fifteen months ago, in which he jumped awfully and was pulled up at halfway. However, this New Zealander had not fully acclimatised to UK conditions at that stage, and was having a pop over fences to try to salvage something from a very poor first season under Rules over here. Can't argue too much with the form he's shown since then, however, racking up four victories over a variety of surfaces and collecting over £25,000 prizemoney in so doing. In short, he hasn't run in as lowly a race as a Class F over hurdles for some time now, and after tonight I don't think he'll be getting into any further Class F chases either.

ASTRONAUT also makes an appearance tonight, his first since being acquired in a selling hurdle at Uttoxeter a short while ago. It will be much the best race he has lined up in for years, being a Class D Handicap Hurdle, but the going and 2m 4f trip should be alright. Henry Oliver rides him for Paul Beck.

Earlier in the day at Uttoxeter, DAN DE LION has yet another attempt at breaking his duck, this time in a CJ Selling Handicap Hurdle which looks no better or worse than most of its kind. Paul O'Neill takes the ride and 3lb off his back. The horse's owner Malcolm Niall Imray, incidentally, appears to be one of the Brancepeth staff, along with his relation (wife? sister?) Jane. Malcolm was doing a lot of the guiding-people-away-from-under-horses'-feet at the Open Day.

Finally, Richard Guest also has one runner under The Other Code at Haydock, with another ex-Vicky Haigh 2yo, BELLA FIORELLA, lining up in a Median Auction Stakes. No obvious reason to suspect she is going to improve on four well-beaten efforts to date, but Frankie McDonald - good value for his 3lb claim - is a useful jockey booking.

Catch-up

It occurs to me that the Brancepeth results of the last ten days or so have not been reported in these pages, so herewith a necessarily quick run-through;

WORCESTER and PERTH, 29/6/05
==========================

The ground was officially good but probably running a bit softer than that, which should have played right into the hands of JIMMY BYRNE in the CJ Novices' Handicap Hurdle. Unfortuately he belted one of the French hurdles (never a good idea) when making his move down the back straight the final time, and could never finish closer than fifth in the end.

HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW and WHAT'S A FILLY both contested the Novices' Handicap Chase, the latter making her debut over fences. She showed no immediate aptitude for the larger obstacles, pulling up at halfway, whilst her stablemate was a well-held seventh. The ground may not have been as fast as he liked.

PEQUENITA did have her ground, but she pulled up halfway round in the Class C handicap hurdle, and looks to have done quite enough for the time being after seven runs since the end of April.

Meanwhile up at Perth, BALLYBOE BOY put in his best effort since joining Richard Guest in the 2m 4.5f Novices' Handicap Hurdle, although a 10.5l beating in a Class E event is hardly world-beating form just yet. The stable dodgepot YORK RITE was comfortably beaten on his first run for three months, although in fairness slithering badly on the bend after just four fences did for him before the race had begun in earnest.


PERTH, 30/6/05
=============

DRUMOSSIE, now evidently part of Concertina Racing's ever-increasing portfolio, pulled up no trees at all in finishing last of fourteen finishers in the novices' hurdle (his UK debut). Mark you, Concertina had to endure a thin first season with DONOVAN as well and, four wins and a sack of prizemoney later, that seems to have been patience well rewarded. Having won a classified event at Worcester in May when uncharacteristically held up at the back, Larry McGrath attempted the same tactics on APADI in the Handicap Chase here but was done for speed on this much sharper track and came home well held in fifth. The rain-softened going would not have been entirely suitable.


UTTOXETER, 5/7/05
================

Once again advertising the virtues of keeping some of your swamp donkeys on the go during the summer months in anticipation of occasional deluges, heavy rain turned Uttoxeter's fast ground into good to soft, and with it gave COLLEGE CITY and WHAT'S A FILLY a much greater chance in the 2m Handicap Chase. This College City duly took with both hands, although his stablemate was arguably going better when firing Henry Oliver out of the saddle two from home.

Despite being in his fourth season at Brancepeth, this was only College City's second win - the other being in a heavy-ground selling hurdle at Newcastle - and Guest's first win at Uttoxeter since CERESFIELD landed a CJ Handicap Chase 21 months ago, despite dozens of attempts since. Doubtless the winner's none more sporting connections the Kenny family - a large assortment of husbands, wives and kids all decked out in versions of the horse's yellow and brown silks - will have enjoyed victory as much as they always do. It also gave Barry Keniry a first win for Guest with his second ride (the first was on LORD DUNDEE at Rasen last summer). Although good mates for a long time, opportunity has not presented itself for Keniry to ride too often for Guest, and he only got the call here after Larry McGrath fell sick.


DONCASTER (Flat), 7/7/05
====================

EUROPEAN DREAM and JORDAN'S LIGHT were both due to have their first runs for Richard Guest since being acquired with the Vicky Haigh operation, but the former failed to line up (circumstances unconfirmed). Jordan's Light finished 6.75l back in sixth place in this 7f Novice Median Auction Stakes for 2yos, but never looked like landing a blow at any stage. Mickey Fenton was the rider, his first ride for Guest. Tony Culhane was supposed to have partnered European Dream.


STRATFORD and PERTH, 10/7/05
==========================

Two runners at opposite(ish) ends of the country, but no joy with either. HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW found nothing for pressure when asked to go on in his 2m Handicap Chase at Perth, eventually finishing 21.25l adrift in eighth on ground which should have suited. He does not look as promising over the bigger obstacles as he did over timber earlier in the season. BEAUGENCY, meanwhile, made it two failures to finish on the spin over the fences when falling at halfway in his 2m 5.5f Novices' Handicap Chase at Stratford. He's been out of the contest too early on in these last two races to say how he would have fared, but with no wins from 11 in this country now, he's becoming expensive to follow.

Tom Halliday

Brancepethfan is shocked and saddened to learn of the death on Sunday of Tom Halliday, the 20 year-old conditional jockey attached to Sue Smith's yard. He was killed after his mount, Smith's inmate Rush 'N' Run, appeared to roll over him in the immediate aftermath of a fall at the third last flight of a hurdle race at Market Rasen. He never regained consciousness after the incident and news of his death had already filtered back to the jockeys' changing rooms before the end of racing, leaving all present totally devastated.

Halliday's first ride under Rules was for Richard Guest around fifteen months ago, partnering Red Marsala in an amateur riders' handicap hurdle at Ayr. He later turned professional and had ridden four winners in total before his untimely and tragic accident. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this terrible time.

Brancepeth Open Day

I’ve just this minute come back from no lesser place than Brancepeth Manor Farm, which today saw the staging of an Open Day on behalf of Carrie Humble’s admirable Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre. You won’t have seen any mention of this on Brancepethfan before, and with good reason – I only found out about the thing when channel-hopping yesterday, and just caught an announcement during the only 60 seconds or so of Channel 4 Racing I watched! Never mind, a crowd of around 300 of us did turn up, and enjoyed the dry, sunny weather, if not the accompanying strong wind which never seems too far away in this exposed part of Co. Durham.

As usual, Richard Guest and his team proved themselves to be most congenial and accommodating hosts, with field upon field of happy, healthy horses overlooking proceedings and bearing testimony to his sympathetic, close-to-nature handling of them. It was good to see the likes of ONE DAY and LORD DUNDEE, for so long out with injury, on the list provided of horses out in the fields and seemingly back on their way to full fitness ahead of new campaigns in the near future.

A resume of the Open Day’s most significant events follows;


RICHARD GUEST RACING CLUB

Briefly operational last autumn, this has been relaunched primarily as a fundraising outlet for the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre. An initial five horses – FIENNES, MERSEY MIRAGE, REEDSMAN, VALERUN and WHY THE LONG FACE (the last-named therefore released from the ownership of Richard Guest’s former chauffeur Mike Rogers) – will represent the Club on the racecourse, wearing the same silks the Club used before, which also double up as those of Guest as an owner-trainer.

Any winnings earned at the end of each year in excess of the horses’ training costs will be passed onto the TRC. Club members won’t get any prizemoney themselves, but a number of free owners’ passes will be made available for each meeting at which a Club horse runs, allocated to members by means of a draw as soon as overnight declarations are made. The first runner for the Club will be REEDSMAN, who impressed sufficiently in the gallops exercise this morning.


HORSES FOR SALE

Although Club animals for the time being, all five horses listed above except for Reedsman are also regarded as available for sale at present, along with the former Australian pair DURBA and GUERILLA (neither of whom attracted a sale when advertised on http://bloodstock.tv , but are probably better acclimatised animals now than then anyway); the former Penny Overy-owned MOSCOW LEADER, who is fighting fit after recovering from an injury sustained at Market Rasen last autumn; the former Bob Johnson-trained UPSWING, who will be partnered by Kenny Johnson irrespective of whoever ends up owning him (an eminently sensible move); and two of the recent purchases from the Doncaster Sales, JODANTE and SHANNON’S PRIDE, who are both slated to run in handicap chases this season.

Some of these may have already gone by the time you read this, but if not, the asking prices for each are as follows;

Guerilla; £ 55,000
Durba; £ 50,000
Why the Long Face; £ 25,000
Shannon’s Pride; £ 22,000
Jodante; £ 18,000
Moscow Leader; £ 15,000
Valerun; £ 10,000
Upswing; £ 8,000
Fiennes; £ 5,000
Mersey Mirage; £ 4,000
Un-named 4yo gelding by Pasternak out of Half Irish; £ 25,000
Un-named 4yo gelding by Jendali out of Carly-J; £ 15,000

NB Please do NOT mail Brancepethfan with sales enquiries regarding these horses; this is a fan blog only and I have no means of communicating any interest in them to the Guest operation.


GALLOPS EXERCISE

Durba, Fiennes, Guerilla, Mersey Mirage and Reedsman all took in a piece of exercise, work rider Ciaran pleased enough with the last-named to confirm to Guest that the boss should let the horse take his chance at Uttoxeter on Tuesday. In addition, there were pieces of work from a trio of horses on the way back and due to feature in entries in the next few weeks, namely FREE WILL, NORTH LANDING and SOVIET SOCIETY; also from winning chaser BILL’S ECHO (after he had dumped his work-rider Bev early on, Guest’s 76 year-old father having ridden him with no such misfortune previously!); newcomer to this stable ROAN RAIDER; and two un-named 2yos (an Intikhab colt and a Swain colt).


HORSES PARADING

The two un-named 4yos, plus Jodante, Moscow Leader, Upswing, Valerun and Why the Long Face all paraded (along with a very unruly – and admittedly only half-broken – but stunning 2yo grey Environment Friend colt), but it was the mixture of stable stars and old favourites which got more appreciative gasps from the audience. Guest himself partnered RED MARAUDER, 15 years young and clearly enjoying his dotage at Brancepeth Manor Farm; followed by NOSAM, also 15yo but still in active service and an absolute gent to the child half his age to whom he was giving a ride.

LES ARCS (some race in Dubai), TYNEANDTHYNEAGAIN (John Smiths and Midland Nationals), RED STRIKER (John Smiths National), OUR ARMAGEDDON (all the big 2m 4f Cheltenham handicaps) and XAIPETE all followed, Guest describing himself as “the only person yet to have given up on Red Striker” before confirming the horses’ respective targets as indicated in the brackets.

Star of the show, however, was undoubtedly DESERT ORCHID, generously supplied for the day by owner Richard Burridge – now of course represented at Brancepeth by BLACK SMOKE and CHAOS THEORY (and previously (and briefly) by the delinquent ZAPATA HIGHWAY), though both of those horses were absent from Brancepeth today and are presumably enjoying their holidays back home with Burridge). He was kind enough to share a few memories with the audience during the chat session as the dazzling 26yo grey paraded round, describing Dessie as a “complete tart” where days like this are concerned, and the horse was still patiently allowing photos to be taken of himself with families and individuals well into mid-afternoon.


CHAT

As well as Richard Burridge’s reminiscences and Carrie Humble’s praising of Richard Guest’s commitment to the quality of equine welfare both during and after his horses’ racing careers, Guest himself confirmed the setting up of a satellite yard for his Flat horses in Bawtry, near Doncaster. Given the number of her horses now appearing under Guest’s name, it might be more accurate to describe the yard and its assets as bidded for and acquired from previous incumbent Vicky Haigh, but finer details are awaited on this. Suffice it to say that all of Guest’s Flat operations will move there in the next 12 months or so.

I must say hello to the two gentlemen from the FLY BY NIGHT SYNDICATE with whom I had a nice chat whilst touring round Guest’s stables as the Day drew to a close. I hope you enjoy an upturn in fortunes with BALLYBOE BOY soon, chaps; although he’s not covered himself with too much glory so far, his run at Perth on Wednesday back over hurdles ought to have served as a confidence booster, and let’s hope there’s a small fast-ground chase for him some time soon.