 |
 | ||||
 |
|
| Richard's
Blog
29th September, 2010
Dave and Pauline Mason popped in this morning to see Naranga. He is an unraced four year old bought at the Breeze Up Sales by Anthony Bromley last December. He is an attractive, athletic type and he will run in Pauline's name.
Rueing I didn't back Ed Milliband to be leader of the Labour party as I was tipped off by a very good source a long time ago at 10-1.
He is on a very decent handicap mark and surely he will be winning for us before Christmas. He can race up to three miles with some cut in the ground and loves being up with the pace. He was unlucky to get beaten on the line at Plumpton over hurdles in his younger days. He has summer particularly well and once his summer belly has gone, he should be providing a lot of fun for his owners Linda and Emma Tomlin. 27th September, 2010 Whenever has been entered on the all weather at Kempton on Thursday and also at Huntingdon on Sunday. The ground was too soft for him over the weekend at Market Rasen and he must have top of the ground to be at his best. We will probably try him once on the all weather to see if he likes it or not.
On Saturday night I was invited to the Heros Ball near Wantage. Heros is a thoroughbred rehabilitation centre run by Grace Muir and I am a patron. The ball was very well organised and I had the pleasure of sitting with Jenny Pitman who was in great form. One of the auction items was a chance to watch the Jeremy Kyle show being filmed, kindly donated by fellow patron Jeremy. Amusingly Mark Pitman bid for the item and as someone commented “I don't know why he wants to buy it, I think he has been on it.”
Yesterday Joy and Jessica Reid, wife and daughter of jockey John, borrowed our yard to do some filming with conditional jockey Richie McLernon. Joy and Jessica are very creative and Jessica has a great voice and has also worked on television programmes such as QI and Sixty Minute Makeover – a gift she gets from her mother not her father.
It was good to see Richie McLernon ride a big winner on Saturday, he is a very good rider and rode Lucky Sunny to win at Uttoxeter for us last season.
Following a mornings work, Les and Linda Tomlin owners of Bobby Donald kindly took me for lunch at The Plough at Kingham. Lunch was excellent and the chef and proprietor Emily Watkins used to work for Heston Blumenthal and she also has the luck of being god daughter to my old boss, Henry Candy. The Plough has won lots of awards and it is certainly worth a visit. Just in case you were wondering if the pub was without celebrities, Alex James of Blur popped in. Alex is a really nice guy and is now a local cheese maker amongst other things.
23rd September, 2010 A straightforward morning on the gallops today, which is always a relief. Tom Siddall came in to ride out. He is a good man and a good rider and we hope to give him some opportunities this season.
Our bank manager Simon Keane popped in this morning. He is a Wicklow man and loves his racing and it's in our interests to give him a winner if we can.
We have found a nice home for Glad Big. One of our owners Jim Harris, his niece Rachel is going to give him some time off before riding him next spring and he deserves a good home.
Amore Mio is new to us this season. He was trained by Emma Lavelle before being purchased at the Doncaster May Sales this year. He is rated 122 and 125 over fences. He is a neat, enthusiastic type with the option of either hurdles or fences and is still a novice over fences. He has been purchased by Paula and Walid Marzouk, new owners to us who previous had a share in the top class chaser, Run And Skip.
There is a 25% share available in him so please let us know if you are interested, as I am sure he will be winning for us this season and will take us to some nice courses as well.
22nd September, 2010 The horses continue to impress in the sunshine and they gradually look to be stripping fitter. With Whenever entered at the weekend, he did a piece of work with Rapid Return this morning and all went well.
Owner Jayne Ford came this morning with Lucy Lawson to see Phardessa and Petroupetrov. Lucy used to be Michael Bell's secretary and organises our owners Robert Brown and Partners. Petroupetrov has won twice for them since they purchased him whilst Phardessa is on her way back from a tendon injury last year. Mark Hawtin, one of the partners in both horses owns the very useful Wigmore Hall with Michael Bell but he has performed too well to go jumping.
Jayne and Lucy are always good company and they were pleased with how their horses are progressing. Then it was down to the Horse and Groom for lunch, which is appropriate as it is where Jayne and her husband Duncan and I first met following them winning a morning on the gallops with myself and Richard Dunwoody.
Last night my secretary Jo and I were invited to Jilly Cooper's book launch at the Household Calvary Museum in Whitehall . As you will know, Jilly is a great lady and has mentioned me in her book, whilst Jo and Gordy also get a mention for helping her with details and research when she was writing the book. It was a fun party and owners Lizzie and Peter Prowting were both present.
Also a chance to meet Paul O'Grady, (this is for you Blackie), who many of you will know as Lily Savage. I asked him to send my regards to Brenda Gillhooley who I went to school with, who as comedienne, Gayle Tuesday shared a television series with him. Brenda now writes for Harry Hill and I think has won a Bafta so you can imagine what sort of school I went to.
We
have had a lot of good feedback from our owners day and the
hog roast appears to have gone down very well. Reminder again
for anyone who hasn't yet entered the Five To Follow competition.
Thankfully no loose ones this year but a there were a couple of misbehavers. Hopefully a few horses were sold as well and don't hesitate to look at the website for shares still available.
It is always the launch of our Five to Follow competition as well and don't forget to get your entries in as soon as possible. We had a quiz with the winner winning membership of the Adlestrop Club which was won by Charlie Brooke's mother, Caroline and we look forward to her visiting Adlestrop more regularly.
Yesterday we had our Adlestrop Club Golf day which was once again a great success. In the morning we had owners on the gallops to see their horses before heading off to the golf club.
Despite playing well and getting 38 stableford points, the competition was won by Adlestrop Club member Brian Kay. He won the prestigious Richard Phillips Birthday Golf Classic cup. Brian is used to adding up winnings as he is John Francome's accountant. The team event was won by Phil Surtees, his friends The Bear and Dirty Barry and ex International cricketer Andy Lloyd. It was appropriate that Phil won as his company GTH sponsored the prizes.
We also raised some money thanks to a raffle and auction and we look forward to putting an Adlestrop Club brick into Oaksey House in Lambourn (not through the window), and the excellent charity Gentlemens Night Out will also be benefitting.
In the evening it was back to Adlestrop Village Hall for a curry thanks to the Prince Of India, in Stow on the Wold.
It was good that John Francome turned up this year for the golf day and once again told us a typical Francome joke - A policeman goes round and knocks on a man's door. A fella answers it and the policeman says “it looks as though your wife has been involved in an accident.” To which the fellow replies, “yes I know but she has a lovely personality.”
No runners with no jump racing this week but the string are building up their cantering and are soon to go a bit faster.
On Monday afternoon I played golf with John Francome, owner David Simons and his friend Martin. David had kindly bought a game of golf with Francome and myself at our Cheltenham Preview night in March for a princely sum. Francome is always good company and the match ended in a draw despite Francome and Phillips going twenty lengths clear after the first.
Good to see Gentle Lord win for Tom Dascombe. He is a full brother to Gentle Guru and David Redvers and I share the dam, Soft Touch and were given a fair amount for him as a yearling. Tom bought the half sister by Lucky Story at Doncaster last week as well. Soft Touch is turning out to be a decent broodmare and we look forward to Fair Breeze winning for her soon.
Yesterday we took delivery of Thompson and Whichever. Thompson has had a holiday since his wind operation whilst Whichever, owned by John Williams owner of Whenever, has been given time to mature. Thompson certainly has the ability to win for us whilst Whichever is a very athletic filly and will hopefully be running in bumpers this season.
In case you were worried I hadn't had a lunch, I popped into The Horse & Groom with Thompson's owners the Hawleys yesterday and we discussed how much we were looking forward to going in there on a celebratory occasion, hopefully this season.
Much of this week has been spent organising for Sunday's owners day and after this you will be pleased to know the blog will be alphabetically going through the string discussing plans for the season, giving you an insight into a few new ones that will be running for us.
Penshurst Lad ran as expected at Sandown. He definitely needs a bit further and some better ground. Hopefully now he will have a handicap mark and he will be competitive in his races. He has schooled well over hurdles and will go juvenile hurdling this winter but we will look for a flat race for him in the meantime.
Penshurst Lad was ridden by Emmet McNamara who was champion apprentice in Ireland and is the son of trainer Eric McNamara. Eric is a good friend of mine and luckily for Emmet he looks like his mother. He has joined Ralph Beckett's stable and looks a jockey to watch.
I had an enjoyable evening at Simon Knapp's on Friday and my owner Sue Welch was in good form.
It is always nice to be invited out for Sunday lunch and yesterday Ian and Elizabeth Phillion kindly invited me for lunch. Their son Charlie loves horse racing and is a real anorak and has got potential bloodstock agent written all over him.
Monday morning and all is well with the horses. Preparations are starting for our owners day on Sunday so there will be a lot of mowing and strimming going on this week.
This morning we had an array of visitors who all commented on how well the horses looked.
I was sad to hear of the death of David Cameron's father Ian. I met him on a few occasions and he was a delightful man. Having no legs and one eye you would have thought he would have complained now and then but he never did. No wonder his son thinks right.
Off to Simon Knapp's tonight for supper. Simon is a vet to many trainers including Andrew Balding and Emma Lavelle and also has Her Majesty The Queen as a client. Also attending will be owner Sue Welch and other friends so looking forward to it.
Many thanks to the bravery of Uttoxeter ground staff member, Ruth Bailey, who held Eastwell Smiles's head above the water whilst course inspector and former jockey Nicky Carlisle, dug out the ditch. Two fire engines were called and thanks to the courage of the fireman who went underneath Eastwell to tie a harness onto him, he was sedated and eventually taken back to the racecourse stables. He stayed there overnight along with Gordon and travelled back this morning. Apart from a few grazes and bumps, he appears fine.
A freaky incident but luckily thanks to all at Uttoxeter, there appears to be a happy ending. The press have been on this morning asking about his well being as if he had won the Grand National but we will see how he comes out of it over the next few days.
Penshurst Lad has been declared for Sandown on Saturday. It is a pretty hot contest but after this race he will have a flat handicap mark. He has also been schooled over jumps and hopefully will be a useful juvenile hurdler this jumps season.
I was not at Uttoxeter to witness the drama as Paul and Yvette Dixon (Paul is chairman of the ROA) had kindly invited me to the Legends race at Doncaster . All the greats were there including Lester and Sir Peter O'Sullevan and they were all in great form.
The race itself was won by Charlie Swan who looks a little tubbier than he was - which is surprising as I know his wife can't cook. Graham Bradley has lost none of his style and put up a great performance on his 50 th birthday. My old boss, Graham Thorner looked pretty much as he did in 1972 when he won the Grand National, as he had no teeth then. Steve Smith-Eccles looks no older than he did twenty five years ago, but as someone pointed out, this is because he is so positive – especially when it comes to HIV.
Eastwell Smiles runs today at Uttoxeter in the three mile handicap hurdle and let us hope things go his way and he puts up a good performance.
This morning Peter and Anne Hepworth and Gill Hawkins came for a look around the horses. The Hepworths and Gill are great supporters, especially of The Adlestrop Club. The Hepworths were mentioned in The Telegraph last week by Marcus Armytage. In case you didn't read it, it concerned their horse Persian Sword trained by D Nicholson winning a handicap chase at Warwick and being presented with the ‘Jimmy George Gets Married Next Week' trophy.
Thanks
to a trip to Tattersalls sales where Jimmy is marketing director,
the Hepworths finally met the man behind the trophy that Anne
has been polishing for the last fifteen years. What the article
failed to put in was that Jimmy had held his stag do at the
course on the day of the race, and was amused by the fact that
Persian Sword's trainer had had more to drink than the boys
on the stag party. Fair Breeze runs in the 4.30pm at Lingfield today. She is a half sister to Gentle Guru and ran respectably on her debut but will need handicap company before being competitive, so hopefully today she will gain more experience. She will definitely strengthen up over the winter and hopefully as a four year old, she will be winning races like her siblings.
Eastwell Smiles has been declared for Uttoxeter tomorrow. The race is a competitive one but he deserves to take his chance on the ground and over a trip that should suit and Sean Quinlan rides.
A busy weekend as ever and last Friday was the annual Phillips family jaunt to celebrate the extraordinary life of our father who died some twenty one years ago. He was a real character, very amusing and very bright and therefore it is always nice to reminisce now the years have gone by.
Each year we go to the grave with the company of many of my brother's ten children. My father was not a lover of flowers so in the past we have planted rhubarb and other such useful plants on his grave, which is something he would have appreciated. My mother who is 89 in December, not surprisingly is finding it increasingly difficult to walk and every year comes out with the same quip when approaching the grave “you might as well leave me here.”
My father was a great one for a walk and a drink. We walked Leatherhead to Mickleham and a pint at The Running Horses in his memory.
Saturday morning we had many visitors and the string looked well and their work load is gradually increasing.
On Sunday and Monday I was kindly invited by Mark Boothright, co owner of Giovanna to attend Peter Alliss's Pro Am golf tournament at Ferndown in Dorset . A team of Boothright, Phillips, Sam Thomas and comedian Adga Brown showed flashes of brilliance but were not consistent enough to trouble the judges. Sam Thomas can certainly hit a ball hard and off the tee, you would think it was Denman's arse up the Cheltenham hill.
Many celebs were playing and it always amuses me to see how celebs from your childhood have aged. Looking at Ed Stewpot Stewart, it was hard to believe he was ever young. Kenny Lynch now looks like Nelson Mandela whilst Roger De Courcey has shaved off his moustache therefore now we can see his lips move. (Have you met him Blackie?)
The highlight for this Tottenham fan was to meet Harry Redknapp. Thanks to one of his assistants Tim Sherwood, he knew that I was a Spurs fan and we discussed how I must get a Tottenham syndicate together as so many of my owners are also Spurs fans. If you know a Tottenham fan who would be interested in coming in on a horse, please don't hesitate to let me know.
This morning the rain had cleared and it was a sunny morning with the horses in great fettle. Les Tomlin came to see Bobby Donald go through his paces second lot whilst Jim Harris, part owner of Pak Jack popped in third lot. Les as you may know, had Elton John as his tea boy years ago when he worked in the record business. Jim is an equally interesting character as he was head of marketing for British Airways in the eighties when the company knew what they were doing. Jim and I always like to catch up on the political scene as we see eye to eye on most subjects.
Just in case you were worried, Jim and I popped to the Horse & Groom for a quick lunch before I left for Lingfield. It must be awful to have an ordinary job.
This morning has been spent schooling some of the younger horses. Sean Quinlan and Tom Siddall came in to do the job. It is good to see Tom back from injury and hopefully we will be able to give him a few rides this season.
Both jockeys were on duty yesterday afternoon for our cricket match against Malpas cricket club from near Newport . Last year we visited them to celebrate the centenary of their club and a team led by Roger Panting who is rugby correspondent of the Sunday Times, took us on at our local picturesque ground.
It was good to see two other jockeys returning from serious injury out on the pitch including Warren Marston and Mark Bradburne. Mark's brother in law, Marcus Armytage opened the batting which as history relates, normally leads to a tidy start. However on this occasion Fluffy got caught behind on the second ball.
Luckily Warren Marston and Faisal our Pakistani groom, turned the game around, Marston scoring 74 whilst Faisal hit personal best of 65.
Following some decent bowling by James Harding one of our stable lads, and Faisal, the locals looked likely winners. However it went down to the wire and Malpas won by three runs with three balls to go. A close match and fun was had by all and once again Phillips was not out and is convinced he would have scored a run had Warren not been bowled out in the final over.
2nd
September, 2010 Tuesday afternoon I paid my first visit to Oaksey House. This has been built in Lambourn in the name of the great Lord. The Injured Jockeys Fund is an amazing charity when you think what it can do and thanks to their generosity and many great owners, Oaksey House provides incredible facilities for retired and present stable staff and jockeys. Jackie and John Porter showed me around the facilities which were very impressive and you must make a visit if you can.
My main reason for visiting was to see the ‘Angel of Lambourn' and retired post mistress, Doreen Rackham. Doreen is responsible for some great deeds in the village of Lambourn for many years thanks to her big heartedness. She has organised football, darts, pool, every sort of competition you can think of over the years for stable staff and Gordy and I amongst the others have been on the end of her wonderful generosity. She knows the birthdays of every member of staff in the village and bakes them a cake. A remarkable woman.
Doreen won the ‘Pride Of Racing' award a couple of years ago and there has not been a more deserved winner. Oaksey house has accommodated her recently as she has been recovering from an operation to tackle throat cancer. She cannot speak at present and as John Francome said to her, that is his ideal woman. However her beaming smile is always there and it is great to see her recovering so well.
Another reason for a Lambourn visit, apart from visiting the saddlers to stock up for the new season but also to take Josie Symonds to visit Gee Bradburne. Josie has been riding out for us since she was 13 and is a determined type who aspires to be a jump jockey. I thought it a good idea to meet Gee, formally Armytage, as she has been there and done that and won at Cheltenham , Aintree and was one of the most successful female jockeys there has been. Gee is also a determined so and so and it was great to hear her pass on so much advice to Josie.
On Tuesday evening, Helen Nixseaman and John Rosbotham part owners of Pak Jack came to visit. The Horse & Groom at Oddington provided an excellent dinner for us and Helen and John both saw Pak Jack in action yesterday morning.
Following this it was off to the Buckinghamshire Golf course for the Coral Golf Day. Glorious weather added to a very enjoyable day where I went round playing some frustrating golf with Graham Cunningham and Ben Hutton.
Graham you will know from Racing UK , is a top fellow and won the longest drive on the 18 th which was quite appropriate as he had driven from Wigan to be there. Ben is an odds compiler for Corals, is 26 years of age, 6'7” and he has a job to find an anorak to fit him.
It may seem that I spend a lot of time mixing with celebrities (this is for you Blackie) but I had a very entertaining breakfast with Jeremy Kyle at the course in the morning. Sitting with his trainer Nick Gifford, we were discussing the joys of racing and he asked me how many winners I had last year. My reply of “ooh I can't remember” was followed by “HOW MANY WINNERS DID YOU HAVE LAST YEAR?” As I said to him, now I know how it feels like to be a pregnant lesbian from East London , with twelve tattoos, sixteen piercings and a boyfriend who is a violent drug addict.
|
|
Continuing
a series of going through the string, today's horse is Ata Boy.
Ata Boy is a four year old purchased at the Cheltenham Breeze
Up Sales last December. He is a full brother to Australia Day
and his full sister What A Charm came second in the Irish Caesarewitch
yesterday. Ata Boy is owned by Bunny Roberts, who has previously
owned the very decent Fiddling The Facts and Chauvinist in the
past. He will start off in a bumper but certainly has the size
and scope to jump fences and some of his homework has been very
pleasing. 
A
busy weekend with 150 people treated to a hog roast at our Owners
Day on Sunday. Pleased to say that everything went to plan and
the weather held out and there were a lot of positives about
how well the horses looked.  | |
|
|
© Copyright Richard Phillips Racing 2003. All Rights Reserved.