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I only ask because before my more than decade break from following the sport those two were both top, top, tier trainers with large strings and loads of top classers. Now they seem to be operating at a level far below what I would have imagined especially Kim Grand National, Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham Gold Cup[/color:2j3fo7mp][/size:2j3fo7mp] Bailey
What a fickle business it is.
Fond memories of Oliver’s Cruising Altitude fond, fond memories.
Best wishes to Kim I have just enjoyed reading his blog. If only other trainers were so people friendly and open. That is one of the reasons the sport in this country isn’t thriving, the contempt many trainers have for the public. More Kim Bailey style openess please!
The extent of Bailey’s demise into mediocrity (and senility?) was highlighted by the footnote to the Mens Open race at the South Midlands Area Club Point-to-Point in February 2007, which stated:
The start of this race was delayed by ten minutes after the trainer of Lord Seamus (responsible for Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle & Grand National winners) forgot to fit the gelding with the declared cheekpieces.
Well Monkerhostin certainly came on a ton when he switched from Oliver to Hobbsy but Cenkos was not bad before he switched to Nicholls.
Oliver’s brother Simon had two winners at the Chelt Fest during his debut season as a trainer and he is doing even worse. At that level how do they make it pay.
Kim Bailey is a fine, fine trainer and you simply do not land the big three if your a second, third or fourth rater. It just doesn’t happen. Hat’s off to Kim for landing the big three. Total admiration for that great, great acheivement.
Grassy and myself once had a long discussion on the merits of Sherwood…
Well, when I say long we were mainly discussing an unfortunate incident with cheltenham, a spike, a wet pair of jeans and a sore head but anyhow
The outcome was unanimous – he is (or was) shite.
Although Rory’s agreement was far more respectful.
Oliver’s brother Simon had two winners at the Chelt Fest during his debut season as a trainer and he is doing even worse. At that level how do they make it pay.
I don’t think he is training seriously any more, he has another business and I don’t think he HAS to make it pay tbh.
He has 6 pointers in for his son this year, so he is obviously not worrying the bank manager.Kim Bailey is a fine, fine trainer and you simply do not land the big three if your a second, third or fourth rater. It just doesn’t happen. Hat’s off to Kim for landing the big three. Total admiration for that great, great acheivement.
Perhaps he had some good staff at the time. Can be the only logical explanation.
Smithy wrote:
Perhaps he had some good staff at the time.
You have hit the nail precisely on the head.
Kim Bailey’s rise and fall into mediocrity does seem to centre around his personal life and as mentioned in previous posts staff problems.An even greater career awaited him after all that success but the beginning of the end was when his stable stable jockey had an affair with his wife and the inevitable split occurred.Eddie Hales set up his own training establishment in Ireland.That was followed by a ghastly virus in the yard that Kim could never get rid of. Which was one of the main factors behind his moving out of Lambourn.
He has always been a very friendly, humorous and open person.I particularly enjoyed his columns,similar to Paul Nicholls, in the N.H season, in the racing post during his halcyon days as a trainer. His web site is well updated and informative making it one of the best of all the trainers on the internet.
He did a fantastic job with the young tear away Mr Frisk.Kim’s wife, used to have to lead him onto the gallops on her hunter, because he was such a head strong horse. He used to sweat up profusely prior to his races and then pull like an express train during the race. But still Kim managed to get the best out of him. He created a record time in winning the Grand National and another record when he went on to win, the then, Whitbread Gold cup in the same season,though you have to feel sorry for Durham Edition,second on both occasions.
Master Oats, Kim’s Cheltenham Gold cup winner needed a great deal of nursing. He wasn’t a natural jumper and between Kim, Norman Williamson and Yogi Breisner they managed to iron out the worst of his problems.But worse than that was Master Oats used to suffer from broken blood vessels despite this he was trained to win a Welsh National and Gold Cup by cantering him little and often.He was retired in 1998 through injury.
Alderbrook won the champion hurdle two days prior to Master Oats Gold Cup win.Alderbrook was unlucky not to go on and win a second champion hurdle.He now stands at Anngrove stud in Ireland.Horses come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, Docklands Express was on the small side, however, he managed to become a great chaser despite his lack of stature.
Oliver Sherwood’s slide seems to have occurred since his brother,Simon quit the saddle and Jamie Osborne retired,and took out a training licence. Though for the last few seasons he has hit a purple patch. He can achieve a very good strike rate for about 4 weeks but unfortunately he is unable to maintain it.But he lacks the classy horses he used to have with the likes of Large Action, The West Awake, Rebel Song, Aldino and Arctic Call.
…He can achieve a very good strike rate for about 4 weeks but unfortunately he is unable to maintain it….
An interesting post, particularly the point I’ve highlighted.
I wonder why that is with some trainers, is it feeding, basic groundwork in training, or what?
When Stan Mellor was training, his yard seemed to exhibit the same sort of symptoms – a month where nothing could go wrong, then many months of the horses running disappointingly (although maybe the stats prove otherwise).
I thought Tracy Bailey had an involvement with John Francome…she certainly was a very glamorous figure in racing round about that time…I love Kim Bailey’s daily blog and I’m glad to see him doing a lot better these days..whatever happens he doesn’t lose his sense of humour; I love his little anecdotes about the fat/thin farmer……
I thought Tracy Bailey had an involvement with John Francome…she certainly was a very glamorous figure in racing round about that time…I love Kim Bailey’s daily blog and I’m glad to see him doing a lot better these days..whatever happens he doesn’t lose his sense of humour; I love his little anecdotes about the fat/thin farmer……
We all remember Mr Frisk as headstrong, but after he retired from racing he became a decent eventer. I once saw him run at the old Northampton trials in Delapre Park. Went round one of the twistiest of tracks to the manor born, including a bounce off the bank and rails that would have put a Badminton winner to shame. He was seventeen at the time and my mate and me agreed that if he had taken to that game earlier he could have been an Olympic contender (not that we are eactly brilliant judges but we have seen some great eventers in our time).
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