No, Mr Bond, I expect you to ride

Anyone who knows me well will know that outside of work I have two major passions: horse racing and James Bond. The worlds don’t often collide, but in the run-up to last month’s Grand National, I asked the good people of Bond Twitter – a vibrant, argumentative and, above all, fun social media community – what Bond-themed name they would give to a racehorse.

Racing does crop up in Bond in 1985’s A View to a Kill, in which the utterly bonkers Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) owns and sells racehorses. Indeed some filming took place at Ascot and Chantilly: they did their homework well.

Naturally, the two horses mentioned in AVTAK – namely Pegasus and ‘the Ithacus colt’ – cropped up numerous times as name suggestions. Other more ‘serious’ ideas (names you might actually give a horse, I daresay), included Disco Volante (Largo’s boat in Thunderball) and Vesper Lynd (Casino Royale‘s femme fatale). Speaking of Bond girls and Twitter, the famous Fergal O’Brien account suggested Plenty O’Toole…

Beyond that, I suspect the suggestions may only make sense to Bond fans. Sadly, though not entirely unexpectedly, the Daniel Craig era didn’t turn up a single pithy suggestion – while Roger Moore’s turn as Bond produced a plethora of potential future runners. Here are some of the best, divided into era:

Sean Connery: Now Pay Attention; Positively Shocking; Pressing Engagement; Red Wine With Fish;

George Lazenby: The Other Fella;

Roger Moore: Attempting Re-entry; Butterhook; Call Billy Bob; Crocosub; Cucumber Sandwich; Double-Take Pigeon; Fancy That; Five Hours In Rio; Giftwrapped Lengthwise; Helpful Chap; Hover Gondola; I’ve Lost My Charm; Keeping The British End Up; Louisiana Sheriff; Monsieur Aubergine; Names Is For Tombstones; Property Of A Lady; Quite Revealing; Roger’s Oof; Same Time Tomorrow Mrs Bell; Sheer Magnetism; Some Kinda Doomsday Machine; Stainless Steel Delicatessen; Unloved Season; When In Egypt;

Timothy Dalton: Back End Of Horse; Just A Cello;

Pierce Brosnan: For Aintree James; Grow Up 007; I Am Invincible; Misogynist Dinosaur; That’s My Lunch; Xenia Oneightop.

Of course, Bond being Bond, we also had some slightly more risqué and, well, of-their-era suggestions. Horses you won’t be seeing on a racecard any time soon included Fetch My Shoes, Fill Her Up, Keep You In Curry, Man Talk, Slight Stiffness, Tart’s Handkerchief, That’s Not The Soap, and Very Sexiful. Moving swiftly on…

Huge thanks to the wonderful Bond online community for playing the game – and if you have any Bond-themed suggestions that didn’t come up, don’t hesitate to share them!

HorsePWR: Racing’s powerful answer to tough questions

Racing is at a watershed moment: recent years of bad press and protests have been threatening to drown out the good the sport does, however hard individuals may try to put out the message.

Until now.

The 2023 launch of Standing Up For Racing marked a turn in the tide of the industry challenging perceptions proactively rather than reactively, and the racing industry ‘fight back’ has now been cemented with the launch of HorsePWR, an online hub created by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Great British Racing (GBR) and the Horse Welfare Board (HWB).

HorsePWR is designed to provide the facts and, in its own words, “confront the tough questions head-on”. It sets out information about breeding, mid-career care and welfare, and life after racing – but crucially, it does not shy away from a discussion about risk in racing, including facts and figures around injury and fatalities.

“The scrutiny and protests around the 2023 Grand National made the industry acknowledge that it was not well-placed to handle the issues,” Robin Mounsey, BHA Head of Communications, tells First past the post. “We didn’t have the data and facts pulled together in a central place for people to learn about the sport, and we hadn’t done enough to proactively educate people about the welfare standards that that exist within racing.”

The BHA, GBR and HWB therefore began to work on a cross-industry answer to these problems, and the Jockey Club also got on board with funding the project. The campaign engaged over the year with industry bodies, owners, trainers, breeders and sports media.

“We embarked on that process with the view that the approach was bold and striking – and not everyone would agree with that,” Mounsey says. “But what we found was that we got universal buy-in. It showed that the sport both agreed with the campaign approach and saw the need for it. There is an absolute recognition that the sport’s social licence cannot be taken for granted anymore and that we have to educate people and tackle concerns head-on.”

The cross-industry realisation that this project is vital has been a key element of the first phase of the project: building the foundations of HorsePWR in time for a launch coinciding with the 2024 Grand National.

The launch this month, from advertisements and billboards at racecourses to a big media promotion, has gained a great deal of in-industry traction, as well as the international racing community picking up the message. There is no doubt that word will soon reach those who engage with racing, creating advocates within the sport and its fanbase.

Phase two will see the campaign target the wider audience: those people who may be ‘undecided’ about racing but put off by anti-racing campaigns. Mounsey explains: “We want to reach the people who could be persuaded to go racing if they were more engaged with it, or if their concerns around welfare and the barrier that represents to perception is broken down.”

As for those people who will always be set against racing, with no amount of information changing their minds, they are almost at the heart of HorsePWR. It is the information – or sometimes misinformation – put out in the public domain or absorbed by this group that the campaign seeks to address.

“We have always talked about how much we love and how well we care for these horses,” says Mounsey. “It’s right that we do. And it’s something we should be proud of. But that’s not where the battleground lies. What people are concerned about is what happens when horses fall and if they hurt themselves. What happens when they’re injured? What happens to horses who are bred for the sport but don’t make it? What happens when they finish their careers? Does the whip hurt? The campaign is about answering those questions honestly and factually. That’s why the data is at the front and centre of the website: to give openness and transparency about the sport.”

HorsePWR is taking a bold, different and, above all, honest approach to answering the tough questions and silencing the critics. And Mounsey is confident that it will continue to grow and evolve, seeking to fill gaps in existing data and adding new information as it goes: “We want to present a complete, honest picture of racing to as wide an audience as possible.”

Visit the HorsePWR website to find out more

The race we need

Yesterday’s Grand National win had all the makings of a story for the history books. Eight year-old I Am Maximus followed up on a win in the 2023 Irish Grand National with a clear and comprehensive seven-and-a-half-length victory. It marked the first win in the race for jockey Paul Townend after 12 previous unsuccessful attempts, and trainer Willie Mullins’ first triumph in nearly 20 years (his last Grand National winner being Hedgehunter in 2005).

It’s been a hell of a year for Mullins, from the personal low of losing his beloved mother in February to the professional high of claiming the 2024 Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup and Grand National. He’s also leading the British trainers’ championship rankings.

With a dozen horses still in contention at the final fence and 21 of the 32 starters finishing the race, the 2024 Grand National has been hailed by audiences and experts alike as a classic renewal.

Nonetheless, there have been some rumblings of discontent. I myself would be lying if I said it was the most exciting Grand National I’ve ever watched – and I backed the winner. But it wasn’t the edge-of-the-seat stuff of past years, where every hedge would be a nail-biting obstacle for the runners.

The simple fact is that in recent years the myriad changes to the race have ultimately reduced the level of challenge that many associate with the National. Smaller jumps, a reduced field of 32 to reduce crowding, and slower pace through a standing start with a shorter approach to the first…such changes make it inevitable that there is less of a test and less of the drama that long-term fans of horse racing expect from the Grand National. It no longer feels like “anyone’s game”, where a 100-1 shot has as good a chance as the favourite.

However, racing in 2024 needs to go further than entertaining the long-term fans: the industry has, of course, to retain those fans but also to encourage a new young audience. Especially in the social media era, where protests from activist groups can be widely disseminated, the reality is that a world-famous race that is labelled dangerous to the animals involved simply will not fly any more.

I am one of many voices arguing until we’re blue in the face about the levels of safety and welfare in racing in the face of vociferous and often poorly-educated opposition. Sadly for the sport, many that oppose racing fall back on the same old arguments and statistics – and Grand National fatalities come at the top of that list.

Yesterday’s race saw the highest number of finishers since 1992, no fallers and – most importantly – no fatalities.

Will a Grand National ever pass without debate? It seems highly unlikely. It is a race that will never please everyone. Long-term followers of racing might find it is no longer the race we’re used to. Some may argue it’s not the race we want. But for the future survival of the sport, it is undoubtedly the race we need.

Grand National 2024 preview

This time last year, I had just picked up my wedding dress and was putting final touches to the Big Day when I sat down to watch the Grand National. Beautiful as our wedding day was, I’m not sorry not to be doing it all again this year – so much ADMIN. We have new and exciting challenges to face this year, and again the racing has provided a welcome break from paperwork and planning.

Cheltenham, as ever, provided a thrill-filled week off and gave us some interesting food for thought for this weekend’s big race at Aintree. Without further ado, here are my ten picks for the 2024 Grand National…

Corach Rambler: last year’s Grand National winner is carrying 13-lb more than in 2023, but is following up on a third place in the Cheltenham Gold Cup that trainer Lucinda Russell considered the perfect run before the Grand National;

Foxy Jacks: won the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in November for previous National-winning trainer Mouse Morris on good-to-soft going;

I Am Maximus: a well-handicapped runner from the never-out-of-form Willie Mullins yard, the eight year-old won the 2023 Irish Grand National and recently ran a blinder on soft-to-heavy ground to beat fellow contender Vanillier by 14 lengths;

Limerick Lace: a young contender at seven years-old, though this is no longer the curse it used to be. She likes soft going and has had three good wins in four runs this season, most recently in the Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival;

Mahler Mission: an unfortunate fall at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival scuppered a strong run in the National Hunt Chase, but likes the going and has been preparing for the National since a good second in the Coral Gold Cup in December.

Meetingofthewaters: another from the Mullins team, well-backed for this following a good win in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown in December and a pleasing third place in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham;

Mr Incredible: always in contention and second place in March’s Midlands Grand National on heavy ground. Another entry from Willie Mullins and sure to be a popular choice;

Nassalam: Welsh Grand National winner by an astonishing 34 lengths – enough said (although nearly top-weighted as a consequence);

Noble Yeats: the 2022 winner is top weight, but came a good fourth last year despite carrying similar so knows and likes the course;

Vanillier: last year’s runner-up has had the same preparation in the countdown to the 2024 Grand National, and is carrying nine pounds less than his rival Corach Rambler this year so likely to be a good contender.

Of course, there always has to be a ‘name pick’: mine this year is Coko Beach, which just so happens to have been almost exactly where we spent our honeymoon. And even as the race follows a more ‘predictable’ path than in past years, it’s still the race that is very much anyone’s game.

Nevertheless, a constant theme to the Grand National in recent years has been the changes made to the race – inevitably bringing it more closely into line with other National Hunt races throughout the year. In an attempt to make the race ‘safer’ (and pacify the nay-sayers), there will only be 34 runners. Further, the first fence has been moved and the start time pulled forward.

Such alterations are never going to shut down the criticisms of those who dislike the race – and certainly not the shouting of the animal rights mob. Nonetheless, the hope of all who love the race is that all the runners and riders come home safely.

Cheltenham Festival 2024: The week in review

It has hardly been the Spring week we might have hoped for this year’s Cheltenham Festival: grim weather and horses with sniffles have rather altered the face of the week. The under-foot quagmire and yard illness have led to some high-profile non-runners and the wholesale abandonment of day two’s Glenfarclas Chase.

Nonetheless, the stories continued to be written, with the four ultimate days of National Hunt racing showcasing jumping masterclasses and emotional additions to the history books.

Day One, Tuesday 12 March: Despite the Willie Mullins camp looking to dominate the week, an early gauntlet was thrown down by Rachael Blackmore and Henry De Bromhead as Slade Steel opened the Festival with a neatly-run victory in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Mullins wasn’t held off for long, however, with favourites Gaelic Warrior and Lossiemouth winning the Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase and the Mares Hurdle respectively. Elsewhere, Chianti Classico proved that pulling up at last year’s Festival was merely a blip as Kim Bailey’s seven year-old claimed the Ultima Handicap Chase.

The Big One: We didn’t get the much-anticipated showdown of Constitution Hill and State Man, but the latter had his deserved day in the (metaphorical) sun in the Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy. Another Mullins runner, the almost-unbeaten seven year-old led at the last and held on easily to win the feature race of the opening day by one-and-a-quarter lengths.

Day Two, Wednesday 13 March: It hardly came as a shock that Mullins horses won three of the six races on the second day of the Festival. Particularly impressive was Ballyburn, the six year-old showcasing an incredible engine as he won the Novices’ Hurdle by 13 lengths. It wasn’t total Mullins domination, however, with Dan and Harry Skelton claiming both the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle and the Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase.

The Big One: It was a repeat of day one’s opening triumph for Rachael Blackmore in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Hot favourite El Fabiolo made a bad mistake and pulled up, while his likely rival Edwardstone fell when two out. But Blackmore’s mount Captain Guinness didn’t put a foot wrong, running on to win by one-and-a-half lengths.

Day Three, Thursday 14 March: The Skeltons continued their strong form on Thursday, opening the day with Grey Dawning winning the Turner Novices’ Chase and old favourite Protektorat leaving the rest of the field behind in the Ryanair Chase. It was Protektorat’s first win since an astounding Betfair Chase victory in 2022 and he couldn’t have been a more welcome sight in the winners enclosure.

The Big One: Although it would have been lovely to see Paisley Park take the Stayers’ Hurdle in a pre-retirement swansong, it wasn’t to be. Instead, it was a chance for Gordon Elliott to get on the Cheltenham scoreboard. Out-and-out favourite Teahupoo made up for last year’s disappointment with a comprehensive three-and-three-quarter-length win.

Day Four, Friday 15 March: In general, it wasn’t a day for the favourites, although several of the longer-priced winners were still fielded by the Mullins and Elliott stables. In the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, 33-1 Stellar Story fought hard to make up four lengths and beat The Jukebox Man by a head. Favourites L’Eau Du Sud and Dinoblue were held off by Absurde and Limerick Lace respectively.

The Big One: In the Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase, however, it was a different story: last year’s winner Galopin Des Champs went off favourite at 10-11 and cleared the bookies out. Though Gerri Colombe, Corach Rambler and L’Homme Presse fought hard, they were no match for the eight year-old star. (Yet another) Mullins horse, Galopin made a second Gold Cup victory look easy as he romped home three-and-a-half lengths clear of the rest of the field.

Story of the week: There weren’t any “fairytales” for me this week, but two achievements really stood out. Both, unsurprisingly, involved Willie Mullins. Jasmin De Vaux, ridden by Mullins’ son Patrick, stayed well to take the Champion Bumper on day two – a win that marked an historic 100th Cheltenham Festival win for Mullins. It therefore seemed appropriate that Galopin Des Champs’ win came in the 100th running of the Gold Cup.

The two “centuries” for Mullins came almost a month to the day after the death of his mother. The 94 year-old racing matriarch will surely have been looking down with pride on her son.

Cheltenham Festival 2024 preview

We’re mere days away from The Roar, as the four most famous days in horse racing kick off at 1.30 on Tuesday. With dwindling racecards and a lack of big names running in advance of the Cheltenham Festival, National Hunt racing needs this week to write some big stories for the sport. Here are my top twenty ‘ones to watch’ for the week:

Ballyburn: the first of my many Willie Mullins selections, coming fresh off two consecutive impressive wins at Leopardstown;

Banbridge: came back after a 275-day break to win the Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton in January;

Brighterdaysahead: a Gordon Elliott contender, the five year-old is unbeaten in her career so far – with the shortest finish distance still an impressive four-and-three-quarter lengths;

Captain Teague: a promising six year-old who’s never been out of contention in his career, always finishing in the top three;

Chianti Classico: another who has a nearly complete career of firsts and seconds, likely to make a strong showing;

Corach Rambler: winner of last year’s Grand National and the Festival’s Ultima Handicap Chase and, despite disappointing winter runs, will be hoping to make a mark here;

Dysart Enos: a personal favourite of ours from Fergal O’Brien’s stables, has six wins in seven starts and will be on home turf at Cheltenham;

El Fabiolo: last year’s Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase winner is coming fresh off a win in the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown;

Ferny Hollow: another Mullins offering, the nine year-old has come back from several long breaks in his career to win each time;

Galopin Des Champs: last year’s Gold Cup winner has remained consistent since, and won the Irish Gold Cup in February – a sure-fire favourite;

Ginny’s Destiny: last three runs have all been at Cheltenham and all wins for the Paul Nicholls-trained eight year-old, who clearly enjoys the course;

Hewick: the King George VI Chase winner is sure to be popular among punters, and will look to put last year’s Gold Cup fall firmly in the past;

Il Est Francais: the six year-old only had his first run on British soil in December, but added the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase to an impressive string of victories in France;

Jonbon: Nicky Henderson’s superstar has only ever been first or second throughout his career – he was beaten by a neck in the Clarence House Chase in January, so will be aiming for a first-place comeback this week;

Lossiemouth: another contender with six wins in seven starts, another Mullins horse, and another who’s won twice over hurdles already at Cheltenham;

Marine Nationale: fifth in the Irish Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown, but prior to that a series of comprehensive first places – including at last year’s Festival;

Springtime Promise: a recent addition to the O’Brien team, the seven year-old has had five straight wins since October 2023;

Stage Star: pulled up on last outing at Cheltenham, but has previously notched up several impressive wins and another Festival first place would be huge for the eight year-old’s Owners Group shareholders;

State Man: an absolute machine of a Mullins horse who keeps racking up the wins – last year’s Festival saw him beaten by Constitution Hill, but with Henderson’s horse ruled out of the Festival this year, State Man may be on course for another victory;

Wodhooh: a promising four year-old from Elliott, with five wins in five races – all since September 2023.

There will be also some big-name favourites that I’d love to see back in the winners enclosure: Bravemansgame, Edwardstone, Noble Yeats, Not So Sleepy and Paisley Park, to name a few. On a personal level, my husband and I would love to see our friend Crambo come back a winner. And of course, all eyes will be on superstar Shishkin, after a patchy run was put to bed with a comprehensive Denman Chase win.

Finally, a pick for the James Bond fans, especially those of you who play a part in the fabulous community that is Bond Twitter: Nicky Henderson’s five year-old Aston Martini has to be worth a bet.

The road goes ever on and on…

…the road to the Cheltenham Festival, that is, and it seems year-on-year that this is all we can talk about between Boxing Day’s King George VI Chase and the second week of March. It seems that this is, in large part, to a real lack of quality in fields – both in size and runners – as owners and trainers chase success at the Festival. Wins there are both the racing gold standard and by far the most worthwhile prize pots on offer.

The problem, of course, is that the conversation becomes incredibly one-track, with the self-fulfilling prophecy that the Festival becomes the be-all-and-end-all.

With that in mind, I’ve looked back at some of the racing we’ve seen in the last two months –celebrating some of the best racing the audience can get outside of the Cheltenham Festival.

It’s not always easy in January: the third weekend of the month saw big races at Haydock, including the Champion Hurdle Trial, Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle and the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase called off due to frost, while the Ascot’s Clarence House Chase was run instead the following weekend at Cheltenham.

Notwithstanding the brutal weather conditions, many racecourses staged sparkling days of sport. In the Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton, Joseph O’Brien’s eight year-old Banbridge beat the 5-2 joint favourite Pic D’Orhy by one-and-three-quarter lengths.

Later in the month, Cheltenham had a mix of expected triumphs and surprising successes. The Cotswold Chase saw an unsurprising victory for Willie Mullins-trained Capodanno. And while old stalwart Paisley Park may have been favourite for the Cleeve Hurdle, 2022 Grand National winner Noble Yeats’ eventual success was hardly the shock of the century. In the Clarence House Chase, however, Elixir De Nutz went off at 22-1 but beat odds-on favourite Jonbon by a neck after the latter ran poorly and made several uncharacteristic mistakes.

This month has been a tale of domination that has been described – reasonably – as portentous for the Festival, as the biggest races have been claimed by the biggest stables.

Indeed, the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown might as well be renamed in honour of Willie Mullins. His horses stormed to victory in the Irish Gold Cup (Galopin Des Champs), the Irish Arkle Novice Chase (Il Etait Temps), the Dublin Chase (El Fabiolo) and the Irish Champion Hurdle (State Man).

Back on English soil at Newbury, the Nicky Henderson and Nico De Boinville dream team navigated Iberico Lord to success in the Betfair Hurdle, but the bigger story for the team was perhaps in the Denman Chase. Shishkin went off as 8-11 favourite but it was nevertheless touch-and-go to see if the star would live up to his odds, having in his last two races respectively unseated his rider and flat-out refused to race. We need not have worried: despite less than fluent jumping, he ran on to win by four-and-a-quarter lengths.

The weekend saw more satisfying comebacks: Pic D’Orhy put the Silviniaco Conti Chase defeat behind him as he beat a 2022 Festival winner, L’Homme Presse, by five-and-a-half lengths in the Ascot Steeple Chase.

Meanwhile, Newbury saw a welcome return to the winners enclosure by Edwardstone. The Alan King-trained ten year-old had an excellent 2022 season but faded over 2023, often finding himself runner-up to Jonbon. Any doubters were firmly put in their place, however, as in the Exchange Chase he jumped well and made all to storm to a 40-length win.

Such enormous feats may be less likely to be replicated at the Festival, where competitive fields will play host to the crème de la crème of racing talent. At just over two weeks out, we can now place all our energy and focus on predictions for the week…but that doesn’t make the non-Cheltenham races any less exciting or the winners any less worthy.

Racing 2024: Dates for your diary

The racing year has been rounded off in true style. On Boxing Day, Il Est Francais tore up the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase and Constitution Hill romped home in the Christmas Hurdle by 11 and nine-and-a-half lengths respectively.

In the King George VI Chase, Shishkin was making up for lost time and storming ahead when he stumbled just after two out, unseating Nico De Boinville. Although past winner Bravemansgame and favourite Allaho made valiant efforts, the whole field was surprised by Hewick coming from last to first. The eight year-old Oaksey Chase winner crossed the line one-and-a-half lengths ahead of his rivals to claim one of racing’s biggest prizes.

The following day, Editeur Du Gite allowed Niall Houlihan to ride out his claim in style by winning the Desert Orchid Chase. Meanwhile in Chepstow, Nassalam absolutely crushed the opposition with an astounding 34-length victory in the Welsh Grand National.

So when are we tuning in for the big races of 2024? Here’s my annual run-down of dates for your diary:

January:

6 January: Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle, Sandown
13 January: Silviniaco Conti Steeple Chase, Kempton
20 January: Champion Hurdle Trial, Haydock; Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle, Haydock; Peter Marsh Handicap Chase, Haydock; Clarence House Chase, Ascot
27 January: Cotswold Chase, Cheltenham; Cleeve Hurdle, Cheltenham; Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, Cheltenham

February:

3 February: Irish Gold Cup, Leopardstown
4 February: Irish Champion Hurdle, Leopardstown
10 February: Denman Chase, Newbury; Exchange Chase, Newbury; Betfair Hurdle, Newbury
17 February: Ascot Steeple Chase, Ascot; Grand National Trial, Haydock; Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle, Haydock
24 February: Winter Derby, Southwell

March:

2 March: Greatwood Gold Cup, Newbury
9 March: Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle, Sandown
12 March: Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Cheltenham; Arkle Challenge Trophy, Cheltenham; Festival Trophy Champion Chase, Cheltenham; National Hunt Chase, Cheltenham; Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham
13 March: Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, Cheltenham; RSA Chase, Cheltenham; Coral Cup, Cheltenham; Queen Mother Champion Chase, Cheltenham; Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, Cheltenham
14 March: JLT Novices’ Chase, Cheltenham; Ryanair Chase, Cheltenham; Stayers Hurdle, Cheltenham
15 March: Triumph Hurdle, Cheltenham; County Hurdle, Cheltenham; Cheltenham Gold Cup, Cheltenham; Foxhunter Chase, Cheltenham
16 March: Midlands Grand National, Uttoxeter
31 March: Ryanair Gold Cup, Fairyhouse

April:

1 April: Irish Grand National, Fairyhouse
11 April: Betway Bowl, Aintree; Aintree Hurdle, Aintree; Manifesto Novices’ Chase, Aintree
12 April: Topham Steeple Chase, Aintree; Mildmay Novices’ Chase, Aintree; Melling Chase, Aintree; Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, Aintree
13 April: Grand National, Aintree
17 April: Ballymore Silver Trophy Chase, Cheltenham
20 April: Scottish Champion Hurdle, Ayr; Scottish Grand National, Ayr
27 April: Oaksey Chase, Sandown; Gold Cup Handicap Chase, Sandown; Celebration Chase, Sandown
30 April: Champion Chase, Punchestown

May:

1 May: Punchestown Gold Cup, Punchestown
2 May: Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle, Punchestown
3 May: Champion Hurdle, Punchestown; Jockey Club Stakes, Newmarket
4 May: Mares Champion Hurdle, Punchestown; 2,000 Guineas, Newmarket; Palace House Stakes, Newmarket
5 May: 1,000 Guineas, Newmarket; Dahlia Stakes, Newmarket
8 May: Cheshire Oaks, Chester; Chester Vase, Chester
9 May: Ormonde Stakes, Chester
10 May: Chester Cup, Chester
11 May: Lingfield Oaks Trial, Lingfield; Lingfield Derby Trial, Lingfield
15 May: Dante Stakes, York
16 May: Yorkshire Cup, York
17 May: Lockinge Stakes, Newbury
25 May: Irish 2,000 Guineas, Curragh
26 May: Irish 1,000 Guineas, Curragh
31 May: Epsom Oaks, Epsom; Coronation Cup, Epsom

June:

1 June: Epsom Derby, Epsom
18 June: St James’s Palace Stakes, Ascot; Queen Anne Stakes, Ascot; King’s Stand Stakes, Ascot
19 June: Prince of Wales’ Stakes, Ascot; Jersey Stakes, Ascot; Queen Mary Stakes, Ascot; Duke of Cambridge Stakes, Ascot
20 June: Ascot Gold Cup, Ascot; Hampton Court Stakes, Ascot
21 June: King Edward VII Stakes, Ascot; Coronation Stakes, Ascot; Commonwealth Cup, Ascot
22 June: Diamond Jubilee Stakes, Ascot; Hardwicke Stakes, Ascot
30 June: Irish Derby, Curragh

July:

6 July: Coral-Eclipse, Sandown; Lancashire Oaks, Haydock
13 July: Darley July Cup, Newmarket
14 July: Grand Prix de Paris, Longchamp
20 July: Irish Oaks, Curragh
27 July: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Ascot
30 July: Goodwood Cup, Goodwood
31 July: Sussex Stakes, Goodwood

August:

1 August: Nassau Stakes, Goodwood
2 August: King George Stakes, Goodwood
3 August: Lillie Langtry Stakes, Goodwood
21 August: International Stakes, York
22 August: Yorkshire Oaks, York
23 August: Nunthorpe Stakes, York
24 August: Ebor Stakes, York

September:

7 September: Sprint Cup, Haydock; September Stakes, Kempton
14 September: Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown
13 September: Doncaster Cup, Doncaster
14 September: St Leger, Doncaster
21 September: Ayr Gold Cup, Ayr

October:

6 October: Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Longchamp
11 October: Sun Chariot Stakes, Newmarket; Fillies’ Mile, Newmarket
12 October: Darley Dewhust Stakes, Newmarket; Coral Sprint Trophy, York
19 October: Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Ascot; Sprint Stakes, Ascot; Long Distance Cup, Ascot; Champion Stakes, Ascot; Fillies’ and Mares’ Stakes, Ascot

November:

2 November: Gold Cup Handicap Steeple Chase, Ascot; Charlie Hall Chase, Wetherby; Breeders Cup, Santa Anita
5 November: Melbourne Cup, Melbourne
9 November: Badger Beers Trophy, Wincanton; Elite Hurdle Race, Wincanton
15 November: Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, Cheltenham
16 November: Gold Cup Steeple Chase, Cheltenham; Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle, Cheltenham
17 November: Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, Cheltenham; November Handicap Steeple Chase, Cheltenham
23 November: Coral Hurdle Race, Ascot; Betfair Steeple Chase, Haydock
30 November: Coral Gold Cup, Newbury; Fighting Fifth Hurdle, Newcastle

December:

7 December: Becher Handicap Steeple Chase, Aintree; Many Clouds Steeple Chase, Aintree; Tingle Creek, Sandown
14 December: Caspian Caviar Gold Cup, Cheltenham; International Hurdle, Cheltenham
21 December: Long Walk Hurdle, Ascot; Ascot Silver Cup, Ascot; Betfair Exchange Trophy, Ascot
26 December: Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, Kempton; Christmas Hurdle Race, Kempton; King George VI Steeple Chase, Kempton
27 December: Desert Orchid Steeple Chase, Kempton; Welsh Grand National, Chepstow

2023 has been a massive year for racing: Frodon retired and Frankie Dettori…didn’t; King Charles had his first Royal Ascot winner as monarch; and activists tried and failed to stop the runners, prompting the industry to hit back with everything that’s great about the sport. And personally, I got married. So, it was a pretty big year for us too.

Happy New Year, all: I wish everyone a healthy, happy 2024…filled with thrilling racing!

Oh, the weather outside is frightful…

…and it’s had a knock-on impact on December’s racing. Particularly bananas to the hardcore fans was the Fighting Fifth, traditionally run at Newcastle, taking place a week later than scheduled at Sandown. Even then, the weather and going was such that Nicky Henderson withdrew both Constitution Hill and Shishkin, with the result that only four runners competed for the Grade 1. It was exciting nonetheless, as Not So Sleepy definitively claimed the race in which he had shared a dead heat first place in 2021.

The same day up in Aintree saw mud-lovers embrace the heavy ground: Zambella won the Mares’ Chase by 17 lengths, before Chambard took on the Becher Handicap Chase field in a 13-length triumph. The 18-1 outsider carried the first-ever female winner of the race in the form of Lucy Turner, and he has now been given 40-1 odds for the 2024 Grand National.

Although the Kempton Christmas Festival kicks off on Boxing Day, the weekend before the festivities has showcased some excellent racing. Today’s Silver Cup Handicap at Ascot allowed Victtorino to follow up on success in November’s Gold Cup Handicap Chase.

Particularly exciting chez Bradford-Swire was today’s Long Walk Hurdle, also at Ascot. In a tight competition between some of the biggest names out there, six year-old Crambo took on a classy field and won by a short head over well-known hero Paisley Park. Crambo is trained by Fergal O’Brien and is one that we were lucky enough to meet on our recent visit to Ravenswell. Once again those personal connections shine through in a way that many sports audiences simply don’t get to access.

Turning to the Big Race of Christmas, the King George VI Chase, there are currently six runners on the card. It’s a small field but is the epitome of class and experience. The Boxing Day line-up as it stands:

Allaho: unbeaten since 2021, including a win in the Ryanair Chase at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival;

Bravemansgame: last year’s King George winner, subsequently claiming second places in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Charlie Hall Chase and Betfair Chase over 2023;

Frodon: an aging warrior who doesn’t have the recent class of his fellow contenders – but a crowd favourite who won the King George in 2020 and is famous for brave comebacks;

Hewick: fell at Cheltenham but made a comprehensive return in the Oaksey Chase at Sandown in April;

Shishkin: an incredible horse – when he runs! This year has seen an astounding triumph in the Ascot Chase, as well as a second at the Festival in the Ryanair Chase…but he refused to race in the 1965 Chase in November;

The Real Whacker: most recently pulled up at Cheltenham, but had a Festival victory when holding off Gerri Colombe to win by a short head.

Here’s hoping for a thriller of a race and a safe return for all runners and riders. Happy Christmas everyone!

Ravenswell reset

In between the top-notch National Hunt racing weekends and the Christmas preparations, I promised myself (and a few others) that I’d find the time to sit down and write a quick post about our recent trip to Fergal O’Brien’s stables at Ravenswell Farm in Gloucestershire.

It’s not the first time I’ve been, but it was a first visit for my husband. Matthew has previously gone with me to visit Oliver Sherwood and ever since has been keen to do another stable visit. Shockingly, he had never done a day at the races (which seems a lax pre-marriage check on my part), so we decided to tie our visit in with the Cheltenham November Meeting.

O’Brien and his team always emphasise that the stable is open to welcome visitors: as well as owners, they welcome people who are struggling with mental or physical health and wish to spend some time around horses, families with young children, and people who want to learn more about racehorse care. In short, if you want to visit a racehorse, they’re your people. The only real pre-requisite to turning up is that you do so with an offering of cake for the team.

So having done a Friday night stop-off for cake in Waitrose (it’s really better manners to home-bake, but we were coming straight from work…), we crashed at a Premier Inn in Cheltenham to be ready to be up early to watch the horses ride out.

We managed to get up, ready and breakfasted in time to arrive between the first and second strings, getting to Ravenswell by around 7.30. This is still what we childless office workers would call ‘the crack of dawn’ for a Saturday morning, which feels very churlish given that the O’Brien team had been up for hours at that point in fairly grim autumnal weather.

The ever-ebullient trainer himself greeted us and had us make ourselves at home with tea and cake before we headed out to the gallops with various other visitors. Even on what was a fairly grey day, the sight of the horses schooling on the flat and then over the jumps was a deeply uplifting sight for the soul. It is fascinating to watch how the stable staff and trainer know every inch of each horse and can comment on performance, health and temperament from even the smallest alteration in gait.

Having watched the schooling, we were then free to roam the stables. The operation at Ravenswell is big but the atmosphere is of one big family. The stable staff, up from the early hours cleaning, mucking out, feeding, riding out…wash, rinse and repeat…, are cheerful, polite and welcoming, and their absolute adoration of the animals they look after shines through. Loiter by a ‘favourite’ of theirs and the anecdotes will flow: a clear sign of the fact that the horses are far more than a job to them.

It’s easy to see why: on the racecourse, these animals are powerful, magnificent athletes. Up close, however, they are inquisitive friends who love a chin scratch and who, given half a chance, will get their nose into your pockets to investigate if you might have a polo in there for them. It is impossible not to fall in love with each and every one (even when they’re nibbling your jacket).

This has been a long year – full of wonderful highs, but also with plenty of stresses and difficulties.

Over the past two months, I have found social media particularly hard. On Twitter, I took a stance on a subject that is very important to me but that is universally divisive, and though I did so with my eyes open, I still wasn’t mentally prepared for the comments and attacks.

Having got through that, I somehow ended up on the receiving end of vitriol from someone who disagreed with my opinions on James Bond (yes, really). Foolish as this undoubtedly sounds – and is – it resulted in three weeks of an obscure account bombarding me. At one point, in a three-day period, she tweeted about me nearly sixty times. While this behaviour is as laughable as it is toxic, it becomes exhausting and upsetting when conducted so obsessively and relentlessly.

Sometimes a step away from the toxicity of social media discourse is entirely necessary to preserve one’s sanity.

Being outside, being around animals and completely removing myself mentally from such stresses is my way of resetting. Closing the computer and visiting Fergal and the team was the personal restart I needed to power through to the end of the year.

We can’t thank them enough for the welcome they gave us, nor can we wait for our next visit. In the meantime, we’ll be following the magnificent O’Brien horses as they head to the racecourse…with a special place in our hearts for those four-legged friends we shared nuzzles with.