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Barry Hills is transferring his license to his son Charlie following the Ebor meeting.
Greatly enjoyed his biography last year and his name has appeared on racecards throughout my interest in the sport so it’s sad to see him go. never a trainer I could get right from a punting viewpoint but a top practitioner with a fantastic record.
- Total Posts 17718
I think Charlie’s been pretty much running the show effectively since his father’s serious illness, but it will indeed be a nostalgic day no longer to see B.W.Hills’s name on the racecards. A fine trainer, especially for those of us with strong Cheshire connections. Chester won’t be the same without him. And what a shame the Derby always just eluded him.
Indeed Pinza – Rheingold was probably his best ever horse, quite early in his career too, but he trained some very good ones.
Was delighted for him when Ghanaati won the Guineas,having battled his illness for so long.
I remember the interview with Channel 4,he was genuinely delighted for and thankful for Al Maktoum’s support.- Total Posts 17718
I read Frankincense and More expecting some enjoyable tales. Overall it just reinforced my impression that Flat racing is a freemasonry of inside information and sod the punters, just shut up and lose gracefully. I am by no means suggesting criminality there nore even artful rule interpretation. Merely what a hard school it is and how the old guard give nothing away. Like many racing books it’s great if you like reading about other people winning loads of money.
There’s a quote in it: ‘At heart this is a game of intrigue and fascination. It is respectable skullduggery – you don’t have to cheat with them but the way people run horses perhaps over the wrong trip or at the wrong time is all part of the skill. This shouldn’t be a game designed for idiots.’
They reprinted in the Racing Post, which surprised me as it was about the most piss-cold-water thing you ever could say about racing and the Post’s editorial staff are forbidden to be negative or piss-taking.
The quote should be posted up in betting shops.The flyleaf of the book said: ‘No-one in the game carries more respect.’ Looking at the paltry response on here I wonder if that can be true.
Oddly enough I did find him a fascinating character while reading the book.- Total Posts 17718
The flyleaf of the book said: ‘No-one in the game carries more respect.’ Looking at the paltry response on here I wonder if that can be true.
Oddly enough I did find him a fascinating character while reading the book."Respect" and "Love" are different qualities. Barry Hills doesn’t have the high profile within the Sport of, say, Henry Cecil or Dandy Nicholls, so people aren’t quite so affectionate about him.
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