Sean's Blog

Congratulations to Upland Flats Racing, trainer Ricky Hendriks and jockey Harrison Beswick on West Newton’s win in the Aiken feature. Purchased for £40,000 by Stroud Coleman and Clancy Bloodstock way back in 2019, the son of Kitten’s Joy won for the fifth time over hurdles. Bred by The Queen, West … Read More

Four years. Four long years. Different this year. Very different. A tear or two welled into my eyes as I hugged Candida Baker. And then George Baker. Outside Terminal 2 at Heathrow on a beautiful sun-filled Sunday morning. Four beautiful days at Cheltenham in the books (the liver and the … Read More

And there was one. Final day of the Festival. The British leapt off the canvas Thursday with five wins. Grey Dawning stalked Ginny’s Destiny, jumped sweetly and drew off to win the opener for Dan and Harry Skelton. Monmiral put Skelton’s former boss, Paul Nicholls, on the board in the … Read More

And that’s why they run the races. Willie Mullins winning three more yesterday, including his 100th when his son, Patrick, guided Jasmin De Vaux to win the Weatherbys Champion Bumper. But he didn’t win them all. El Fabiolo, bowing out after slithering on his belly at the fifth in the … Read More

One in the books. Davy Russell ducked under the rail to get closer for a selfie with a fan. They roared. And asked for three more. Phones came out like lighters at a concert. Out of the saddle a year, still a star. Paul Townend after a surgeon’s ride on … Read More

Well, hello old friend. It’s been far too long. Four years. Four long years. My first was 2002. Two years after I retired and one year after foot and mouth. I stayed in the Hunter’s Lodge, shared a two bunk-bred room with three others, the bathroom down the hall, galloped … Read More

Welcome to England. Somehow during a long Sunday lunch, I decided that it would be fun to ride out Monday morning and decided to tell everyone. Free help? They hold you to it. The knock on the door came early. Dress boots, borrowed leather leggings, a black skull cap, Barry … Read More

Nothing like a Saturday. Check out The Saturday Special. Winners are flowing. See you you tomorrow. In England.

It’s been four years. Hard to believe. I brazenly went to Cheltenham in 2020. Well, it wasn’t brazen, I had heard about something called coronavirus, thought about the risk and went anyway. In seven days, while at Cheltenham, it was declared a pandemic. Then it felt brazen. Stupid. Selfish. It … Read More