#Kim Bailey

Kim Bailey: trainer of Pay The Pilot Four of the ten runners boast winning form at Hereford, including the Charlie Longsdon-trained Zestful Hope, who is unbeaten in two starts at the track. The most recent success came by six lengths from Walkinthewoods in November, and he is effectively only 3lb higher when Lilly Pinchin's 3lb claim is taken into…

Trainer Willie Mullins' nine-year-old returned to action with a win on New Year's Day at Tramore. He is one of 17 Irish entries for the Festival feature Dual winner Al Boum Photo heads 41 entries for this year's Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup. Willie Mullins' chaser could join Best Mate, Arkle and Cottage Rake as the fourth horse to record a hat-trick…

Chianti Classico: made it 3-3 over hurdles at Wincanton Saturday: Wincanton A fascinating 100-year story lies behind the red and cream silks owned by Sir Francis Brooke, and a new piece of history for the colours could be on the verge of being created by Chianti Classico, as he underlined his major potential with a third victory over hurdles. The…

It is the first afternoon of racing at Wincanton of the New Year and the ITV Racing cameras are in town showing three live contests on terrestrial television. Virgin Bet are sponsors of the entire card, with seven races underway from 12.20pm through until 3.50pm and our racing expert has taken a look at all the Wincanton action on Saturday. Kim…

KILLER CLOWN can scare a few better-fancied rivals in the Jewson Monet's Garden Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (3pm) as racing returns to Aintree Racecourse on Sunday afternoon. Emma Lavelle's seven-year-old may just come out on top for a slight shock win in the Grade Two feature at the home of the Randox Grand National. Last year's…

Simply The Betts: can he go one better after finishing second in the race last year? In a normal season, the Paddy Power New Year's Day Handicap Chase would be the most winnable of the major handicap chases around 2m4f at Cheltenham. That was the lesson from findings presented in these pages before the December Gold Cup on December 10, but the fact…

Saturday sees the 174th running of the Grand National at Aintree. The Charlie Longsdon-trained Snow Leopardess heads the betting but here we run through the entire field, in order of allotted weight. 1) MINELLA TIMES (Henry de Bromhead) Rating (out of 10) 6, weight 11st 10lbs Created history for Rachael Blackmore last year but he has only run twice…

The crowds are about to descend on Aintree - the Grand National is finally upon us. Bookies will hold their collective breaths at 4.15pm, hoping for one of the outsiders to storm to the front and be first past the post. All of the best jockeys have a horse. The departing AP McCoy is on the favourite, Shutthefrontdoor, while Ruby Walsh will be…

PAISLEY PARK is tipped to regain his Stayers' Hurdle crown in the feature race of day three at the Cheltenham Festival. The 2019 hero is back to his Grade 1 best this season and he can lift the Paddy Power-sponsored prize for jockey Aidan Coleman, trainer Emma Lavelle and owner Andrew Gemmell. Coleman was thrilled yesterday when Put The Kettle On…

Imperial Aura: won seven of his 17 races Kim Bailey has announced the retirement of stable stalwart Imperial Aura, after the nine-year-old broke a blood vessel when running at Haydock last month. A winner in seven of his 17 races, Imperial Aura was in his pomp from 2019 to the end of 2020, during which time he won on four occasions, including the…

In beating Galvin in the Northern Trust Company Novices' Handicap Chase in March 2020, he looked set to take high rank the following season. However, after victories in the Colin Parker at Carlisle and a Grade Two at Ascot he failed to complete in his next five races and having broken a blood vessel at Haydock last month, connections have decided…

Kim Bailey reflects on a day of "ruined" racing and modernising the sport Saturday's racing at Ascot was ruined by the unseasonal drying ground conditions. As a result, racing was not shown in a good light on terrestrial TV. A walkover and a two-horse race on a big racing Saturday really is not good enough. Paying customers want to see good racing…

The Randox Grand National is underway and racegoers have returned to the world's greatest steeplechase for the first time in three years. Punters have not been at Aintree to cheer on the Grand National runners since 2019, after the race meet was cancelled in 2020 and held behind closed doors last year. They braved rain and chilly temperatures on…

The weights for the 2022 Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse have risen by 5lbs after the top three in the handicap - Galvin, Conflated and Melon - were taken out at the latest scratchings' stage. There are now 78 entries remaining, with Henry De Bromhead's Chris's Dream now topping the weights at 11st10lb, for the Aintree showpiece on…

Well two for Paul Nicholls and with neither Nicky Henderson or the Ditcheat maestro having runners in the feature - he looks firm favourite to take a 13th Trainers' Championship. We had a winner for Ireland - one for Scotland - and one for Wales... Make sure you join Andy Jones and myself for all of the action tomorrow from 10am. The feature race…

Rule The World, a 33-1 shot who had never previously won a steeplechase and ridden by a 19-year-old who had not won over fences this time last year, clinched a dramatic 169th Crabbies Grand National on a cold and wet afternoon at Aintree yesterday to maintain the race's capacity to produce a fairy-tale result. The nine-year-old galloped home under…

2m4f (2m4f19y) Eileen Peacock Memorial Handicap Chase (Go North Monet's Garden Series Qualifier) (Class 4) (4yo+ 0-120) 1pt Win - Fix It All - 9/2 (General) singleSelection My first selection of the day is Fix It All in the 12:30 Newcastle. Fix It All was a three time winner over in France and came to the UK with a mark of 124. He didn't shine last…

Paul Nicholls: has defended British trainers The best quotes from the racing world this week. . . I thought it was a load of bull****, we run our horses where we think it's best for them. We're not frightened of anyone, we're not ducking and diving and trying to avoid running against each other. I didn't agree with a word of it Paul Nicholls hits…

First Flow: makes his seasonal reappearance for Kim Bailey First Flow bids for back-to-back successes in the Grade 2 Fitzdares Peterborough Chase on his first start since chasing home superstars Energumene and Shishkin in the Clarence House at Ascot in January. The ten-year-old bounced back from defeats in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and…

The Grand National Festival ends with the world-famous steeplechase today. The three-day race meeting at Aintree began on Thursday, continued on Friday with Ladies Day and will culminate for another year today. Come 5.15 pm on Saturday there will be 70000 on the racecourse for the Grand National and 500 million people watching the racing across the…

THE Cheltenham Festival ante post markets have been in full swing since March. Shrewd punters have been busy plotting and predicting how this year's races will finish. Irish trainers dominated last year and with the likes of Willie Mullins and Henry de Bromhead having such strong yards, it's no surprise many of their superstars lead the way…

Four National Hunt meetings make up the racing schedule across Britain and Ireland on Thursday. The first flag falls at Lingfield (12.25-3.35pm), followed in quick succession by Thurles (12.30-3.40), Taunton (12.40-3.50) and Kelso (12.48-3.28), with a total of 27 races for jumps fans. Thursday's nap made a pleasing start to his time with Roger Teal…

The Grand National isn't the most prestigious horse race in the world for nothing. It's an incredibly challenging course, featuring 30 jumps (16 fences, with 14 of those being jumped twice) on the four-mile and two and a half furlong race. But, while safety improvements have been made in recent years, the Grand National remains a challenging task…

ENTRIES have been announced for three of the biggest races at the Cheltenham Festival. And, much like last year, it looks like the Irish contingent could be set to dominate yet again. Henry de Bromhead, Willie Mullins and Co smashed the home team 23-5 in 2021. De Bromhead alone scooped the holy grail of the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold…

John McConnell's Fennor Cross stayed on strongly to land a decisive blow in the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle. In a race where the hurdles were removed in the home straight it was the winner's fellow Irish raider She Is Electric that was allowed to stride on with the rest of the field willing to bide their time. The gap was closed as they…

Shishkin and Energumene are on course for a mouth-watering rematch at Cheltenham on Wednesday with the pair among eight runners declared for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. The top-class duo served up one of the races of the season in January's Clarence House Chase at Ascot when the Nicky Henderson -trained Shishkin narrowly got the better…

A smashing renewal of this early-season feature and, having built up a solid record at this venue last term, STOLEN SILVER gets the nod to land the prize on return. He powered to the line when landing the Silver Trophy on his final start in April, and a 7 lb higher mark ought not prevent another bold bid. David Pipe's Umbrigado, on the back of a…

The Randox Grand National takes centre stage on the third and final day of the Aintree Festival - and what a race we have in store. The world's greatest steeplechase is woven into the fabric of the sporting year - an occasion when once-a-year punters get to pit their wits against the bookies, while more dedicated racing fans will look at the race…

This was First Flow and David Bass beating, amongst others, Ruth Jefferson's Waiting Patiently in the Grade One Clarence House Chase at Ascot. The nine-year-old built on his success in Wetherby's Castleford Chase over Christmas by defeating reigning champion Politologue in last month's Grade One Clarence House Chase at Ascot. First Flow was the…

David Pipe seems fairly sweet on Umbrigado (left) The fingerprints of the Pipe family are all over the Paddy Power Gold Cup and there is hope Saturday's showpiece at Cheltenham (2.20) can find its way back to their Devon yard. Legendary trainer Martin Pipe won the race a record eight times before handing the licence to his son David, who struck in…

There were plenty of high spots to look back on over the two afternoon jumps cards. Brian Hughes may want to shun the limelight but there's no doubting he grabbed it at Carlisle, partnering four winners, three of which were for his main supplier, Donald McCain. There was Scottish success there too for Maid O'Malley for the Stuart and Sam Coltherd…

Frodon and Enrilo: Paul Nicholls-trained stablemates head the market for the Badger Beer Testing ground at Down Royal forced Paul Nicholls into rerouting stable legend Frodon to this valuable handicap from the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Chase. The three-time Grade 1 winner had been trained specifically for the Down Royal race that he landed 12…

Entries have been revealed today for the £160000 Paddy Power Gold, the highlight of The November Meeting at Cheltenham (Saturday 12th November). Staged over two and a half miles, the Premier Handicap Chase was inaugurated in 1960 and is the first big race of the Jump season. Sponsor Paddy Power has three 7-1 co-favourites - French Dynamite (Mouse…

Saturday horse racing tips feature selections from a huge day of racing including the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland, flat racing at Doncaster and top-class jump racing at Wincanton and Aintree. talkSPORT have gone through the race cards and form so you don't have to, with betting tips across all the racing from the UK. Israr won last time out not only…

Two of the crown jewels in the West Country racing calendar are combining for the first time this weekend - with a star-studded equine line-up helping the region take centre stage. The idea of creating the "double" was a Jockey Club initiative that has seen Exeter's Haldon Cup Day move from its traditional Tuesday slot to a Friday, joining it onto…

Day four of Royal Ascot is here - but who do our top tipsters fancy most? By Paul Kealy Odds: 15-8 Mawj destroyed her field by nearly five lengths on her debut at Newmarket, looking pretty special in the process. She's a half-sister to Modern Games, who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last year and the French 2000 Guineas in May, and she could…

Tuesday's horse racing tips feature selections from the jumps at Warwick and flat racing on the all-weather at Southwell. talkSPORT have gone through the race cards and form so you don't have to, with betting tips across all the racing from the UK & Ireland. First time out since having a wind surgery in July and has progressed nicely over fences…

We look at facts and figures surrounding the Grand National and one of the nation's biggest horse racing fans - the Queen. 1 Queen Elizabeth II has been riding since she was 4 years old, when her father King George VI gave her a Shetland pony named Peggy. 2 The Queen Mother was an avid National Hunt Racing fan, Princess Anne and her daughter Zara…

In its second year, British Racing's nationwide celebration of the racehorse will see more than 180 locations up and down the country open their doors to over 11000 members of the public between 10-18 September. Run by Great British Racing, with principal funding from The Racing Foundation and The Horserace Betting Levy Board, National Racehorse…

Punters and all racing fans are likely to be glued to their screens this weekend as huge races are set for the off, but nothing will quite capture the fans like the Clarence House Chase at Ascot on Saturday. The four runner race wouldn't usually appeal as much but the battle between the two along with the outside chances of First Flow and Amoola…

Paul Nicholls, who won a 13th British trainers' title in the spring, has been relatively quiet in the early stages of the season but has made a solid start with his select summer squad. Looking at the data since 1st of May (so as not to include the 2022 Punchestown Festival in the tally), Nicholls has sent out only 68 runners in the jumps sphere -…

Japan Racing Association (JRA) has been confirmed as the first international supporting partner of National Racehorse Week. In its second year, British Racing's nationwide celebration of the racehorse will see more than 180 operations up and down the country open their doors to over 11000 members of the public between September 10-18. Run by Great…