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Ashforth's Angles: Racing's Lazarus battles a knight

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Kim Bailey at Thorndale Farm

Kim Bailey: ‘prized open the coffin lid and stepped out’

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)  

 By david ashforth  6:01PM 27 JAN 2016 

“They never come back” – but they do, don’t they, sometimes? Take Lazarus or Kim Bailey, whose Battle Dust has a decent chance in the very long and probably rather slow 2.55 at Warwick.

In 1990, Bailey won the Grand National with Mr Frisk and in 1995 he won the Champion Hurdle with Alderbrook and the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Master Oats.

That season 39 different horses won a total of 72 races for the yard at a strike rate of 23 per cent, earning win prize-money of over £500,000.

That was Mount Everest but by 2007-08 Bailey was within reach of the bottom of the Grand Canyon, with just three winners from 131 runners. The dubiously named Good Old Days landed the biggest prize, £5,057 for winning a novices’ handicap chase at Ludlow.

Instead of standing on the landing side of Becher’s Brook, shouting “This way!” Bailey prized open the coffin lid and stepped out.

Last season he had 61 winners at a strike rate of 23 per cent, reminiscent of the good old days, and hauled in £337,000 in win prize-money.

To round things off, Darna gave Bailey his first Cheltenham Festival winner since Betty’s Boy won the National Hunt Chase in 1999.

In those days Norman Williamson played a big part, now it is David Bass who has forged a successful partnership with Bailey’s stable, based near Andoversford. It’s quite a heart warming story and suggests that, even if you haven’t backed a winner for three months, you still might.

Battle Dust might win the three and a quarter mile slog but so might Knight ofthe Realm whose breeding and performances suggest that a good long plod is what Ian Popham’s mount needs.

You are supposed to forgive and forget so it’s probably time to forgive Popham for having fallen on An Tarbh Og at Chepstow in December 2014 when he might have won at very long odds (Betfair) and would definitely have been placed at quite long odds. I forgive you.

So, presumably, has trainer Caroline Keevil who may have thought there was nothing to forgive in the first place.

Anyway, Keevil trains Knight ofthe Realm and Popham rides him and if he wins then Keevil, Popham and Mrs C J Dunn, who owns him, will all be jolly pleased. Knight ofthe Realm will probably be glad it’s over.

“They never come back” is suspect but it’s not as bad as “your money’s only lent.” You’ve just backed an unlucky loser and someone says, “your money’s only lent.”

No it isn’t, it’s lost, as proved by the betting shop cashier’s response when you ask if you can have it back, please. I’m not sure which is worse, that or “did you back it each-way?” when the horse you backed has just been beaten a nose.

While on the subject, would everyone please stop starting sentences with “absolutely” and stop overusing the word “legend.”

If Josephine Gordon wins on her first ride for Kevin Ryan, on Uptight (Southwell 2.10), that would be appreciated, too. Thank you.

 

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