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KANDELIN: One of the many happy residents at Holdenby ready for the new season
photo: Mark Fettes

Caroline and Gerald Bailey's Open Day coincided this year with their 14th wedding anniversary, a date which at least one half of the Bailey partnership remembered that morning.

Those horses destined to run under Rules were paraded first, after which the Point-to-Pointers took centre stage, although several have yet to return to the yard after their summer break. Gerald being the shy and retiring, as well as forgetful (see above), soul that he is, left it to Caroline to relay all the information to the assembled owners and invited guests.

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Dermatologiste, who won three of her four outings between the flags last season, will run under Rules from Caroline's yard. Her owner Lavinia Taylor may have a Pointing replacement with Oponce, although his participation in the amateur game will depend upon how well he takes to Hurdling before the cut-off date of November 1.

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Many racegoers, if asked to name a horse to follow, would opt for Galway Jack, who recorded a very impressive hat-trick before the drying ground called a halt to his campaign. He was so head-shy when he first arrived in the yard that it took a month before he would allow a bridle to be put over his ears, but he has since become much easier to handle. He has been turned out at the Yorkshire home of his owner Margaret Moody, whereas the previous summer was spent at the Baileys, due to the fact that once out in their fields he refused to be caught! He will start in Opens, and if all goes well progress to Novice Hunter Chases.

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Margaret has another trio with Gerald, namely Kandelin, Pleasure Shared and an unnamed four-year-old by Kirkwall. Kandelin, "who used to be miserable in the stable but is now one of the happiest," said Caroline, may also be aimed at Hunter Chases, as might "the very naughty" Pleasure Shared, who could be better-suited to sub-3m contests.

"He has added considerably to our drop-pot," smiled Caroline. "He was getting the better of my staff so I asked Tom Messenger to come and square him up, and he promptly fired him off as well!"

In contrast, the four-year-old, who was bought as a foal by Margaret and husband Roy, has proved to be well-mannered and willing to please. He is jumping well in the school and has been hunting.

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There are several youngsters in the yard, one of whom is David Ingle's owner-bred four-year-old by Silver Patriarch. "He's the most difficult horse we've ever had to break!" Caroline declared, and she credited Tom McClorey and her head man Colin Potts with the excellent job they had done with him. He was taken to some small shows in the summer to get him used to loudspeaker noise. He has been given the stable name of Patrick, although whether with anyone particular in mind wasn't revealed.

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Another of the newcomers belongs to Gerald himself. Having told his wife that he was going to look at a cow that had just calved, he returned home with the news that the cow was fine, and he had bought a horse! The four-year-old son of Blueprint was the last horse which the much-respected retired trainer Bill Warner had on his farm, so understandably is known in the yard as Bill. He was broken in by former Point rider Ben Way.

Gerald also owns The Laodicean, who won a Bumper for Alan King. Which route he will go has not been finalised.

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Galaxia and Gunmoney will again be partnered by owner Richard Russell's son John. The former suffered a slight tendon injury on his only outing last season and has been fired. He is now in better shape than his rider, who has been off games since cracking a bone while riding out for Jamie Osborne, but he should be back in the saddle in a couple of weeks.

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The useful Chaser Arnold Layne was retired from racing under Rules after scoring at Warwick in March, but he may run between the flags as a schoolmaster for some of the Baileys' staff if he continues to show the same enthusiasm as at present. "It's all down to who is the nicest to me and who works the hardest as to who gets the rides," laughed Caroline.

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Another old favourite, Donald Will Do, could also be on the comeback trail in Points, but he has had four screws inserted in a cracked pastern so plans are up in the air.

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Big Ed, whose half-brother Little Ed won ten races between the flags, suffered a bout of colic when being broken and has taken a little time to recover. He ran over hurdles in the spring but was too weak to do himself justice. His owner-breeder Dennis Yardy is more interested in the flat than in jumping, so he is on the market.

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Long-standing patron Richard Bowers has two owner-bred four-year-olds in the yard. "Bruce," by Midnight Legend, is a half-brother to Pennytino but is a strong stocky sort quite unlike the mare. He is jumping well in the school and will start off in Maidens. The chestnut mare, "Polly," has been quite naughty, but, reported Caroline, she's a beautiful mover when she's relaxed. She may possibly be put away for another year.

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Early Wings, owned by Caroline's mother Pam Saunders, has been placed countless times but has as yet been unable to shed his maiden tag. He will once again be trying to get himself plus Pam's grandchildren, George and Lucy, off the mark.

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Gerald's son Johnny, who rode 17 winners in 2010/11, will take the majority of the rides, assuming that he's nice to his father, of course. Thankfully for the audience, Johnny, who is currently riding out for Ben Case, was wearing slightly more than the green leggings and pair of braces which he was sporting at Richard Hunnisett's retirement party in August.

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That function was such a sparkling occasion that Caroline has suggested to Richard that he should make a comeback in order that he might hang up his boots again in the same style. As Richard was heard to say "I hate the word retirement," it could be a question of ‘watch this space.......'

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Thankfully for the horses, a few of whom were somewhat spooked by the sight of an audience as they emerged from their boxes, somebody else who was more soberly attired at the Open Day was Sam Davies-Thomas, whose party outfit of bright green catsuit and gold boots would undoubtedly have traumatised them further. Sam did, though, point out "I'm still wearing green." (Dark green shirts of a considerably more tasteful nature being the issue for the Baileys' staff.)

The previous evening at the Midlands area dinner Sam had received Rowan Cope's award for the campaign's overall outstanding riding performance. Last season's successes have not gone unnoticed by other trainers, as he has been snapped up to ride by, among others, Sylvia Edmunds, whose Briery Star won the 2010/11 Mares' award.

Sam now has another string to his bow, as during the summer he won his first ever show-jumping class on another potential Pointer, the five-year-old Silver Patriarch mare "Paris," owned by Gerald with breeder Andrew Reid.

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Tom McClorey had a couple of rides last season and is hoping to get a few more chances this time, while making his debut will be Joe Carden, who has purchased Mandalay Bay from Chris Gordon's yard. The 11-year-old will be stabled locally with Jo Messenger.

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Among the horses still to come in are Hardwick Wood, who was formerly owned by Gerald and will now be a mount for Henry Gurney, whose schoolmaster Brigadier du Bois has been retired from racing. Henry, who has been working during the summer for Rowan Cope's marquee company, is currently looking for new employment.

Alice Vaughan-Jones's trio includes Wild Is The Wind, bought from the Hutchinson family, and there could also be three to come in from Countess Cathcart, among them Shillingstone, who has won both Opens he has contested with George Greenock.

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