Kim Bailey reveals how some eventing input pays dividends on his yard
The evergreen (or white) Bristol De Mai won the Betfair Chase for the third time on Saturday. This exuberant jumper seems to save his best for Haydock and this well-known chase. I know his trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies will probably not agree with me, but with a record of five wins from six starts around Haydock, it rather stacks up as his racecourse to savour. It was, as ever, an excellent training performance to bring this nine-year-old back to his very best first time out.
Ground conditions at Haydock were pretty testing to say the least and the card was full of good performances, and although none better than Bristol De Mai, one has to say that Main Fact winning the Betfair Exchange Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle was another masterful piece of training; it was Main Fact’s ninth win on the trot.
{"content":"PGgzPuKAnEEgaG9yc2Ugb24gYSByb2xs4oCdPC9oMz4KPHA+QXQgQXNjb3QsIG91ciBJbXBlcmlhbCBSYWNpbmctb3duZWQgaG9yc2UgSW1wZXJpYWwgQXVyYSB3YXMgYXdlc29tZSB3aGVuIHdpbm5pbmcgdGhlIENoYW5lbGxlIFBoYXJtYSAxOTY1IENoYXNlLiBJbXBlcmlhbCBBdXJhIGlzIGEgaG9yc2Ugb24gYSByb2xsIGFuZCBqdXN0IGtlZXBzIG9uIGltcHJvdmluZy48L3A+CjxwPkxhc3Qgc2Vhc29uIGhlIHdvbiB0aGUgbm93LWRlZnVuY3Qgbm92aWNlIGhhbmRpY2FwIGNoYXNlIGF0IHRoZSBDaGVsdGVuaGFtIEZlc3RpdmFsIGFuZCB0aGlzIHNlYXNvbiBoZSB3YXMgaW1wcmVzc2l2ZSBvbiBoaXMgcmVhcHBlYXJhbmNlIGF0IENhcmxpc2xlLCBidXQgb24gU2F0dXJkYXkgaGUgYmxldyBhd2F5IHNvbWUgdmVyeSBnb29kIGhvcnNlcyBpbiB3aGF0IHdhcyBhIHNtYWxsIGZpZWxkIG9mIHZlcnkgc2VsZWN0IHJ1bm5lcnM7IERhdmlkIEJhc3MgaGlzIGpvY2tleSBzZXQgdGhpcyBob3JzZSB1cCB3aXRoIHNvbWUgbWFnbmlmaWNlbnQganVtcHMgdG8gc2V0dGxlIHRoZSByYWNlLjwvcD4KPHA+PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0iYWQtY29udGFpbmVyIGFkLWNvbnRhaW5lci0tbW9iaWxlIj48ZGl2IGlkPSJwb3N0LWlubGluZS0yIiBjbGFzcz0iaXBjLWFkdmVydCI+PC9kaXY+PC9kaXY+PHNlY3Rpb24gaWQ9ImVtYmVkX2NvZGUtMzEiIGNsYXNzPSJoaWRkZW4tbWQgaGlkZGVuLWxnIHMtY29udGFpbmVyIHN0aWNreS1hbmNob3IgaGlkZS13aWRnZXQtdGl0bGUgd2lkZ2V0X2VtYmVkX2NvZGUgcHJlbWl1bV9pbmxpbmVfMiI+PHNlY3Rpb24gY2xhc3M9InMtY29udGFpbmVyIGxpc3RpbmctLXNpbmdsZSBsaXN0aW5nLS1zaW5nbGUtc2hhcmV0aHJvdWdoIGltYWdlLWFzcGVjdC1sYW5kc2NhcGUgZGVmYXVsdCBzaGFyZXRocm91Z2gtYWQgc2hhcmV0aHJvdWdoLWFkLWhpZGRlbiI+DQogIDxkaXYgY2xhc3M9InMtY29udGFpbmVyX19pbm5lciI+DQogICAgPHVsPg0KICAgICAgPGxpIGlkPSJuYXRpdmUtY29udGVudC1tb2JpbGUiIGNsYXNzPSJsaXN0aW5nLWl0ZW0iPg0KICAgICAgPC9saT4NCiAgICA8L3VsPg0KICA8L2Rpdj4NCjwvc2VjdGlvbj48L3NlY3Rpb24+PC9wPgo8cD5OYXRpb25hbCBIdW50IHJhY2luZyBpcyBhbGwgYWJvdXQganVtcGluZyBhbmQgdGhhdCBpcyB3aGF0IHdlIHNhdyB3aXRoIEltcGVyaWFsIEF1cmEsIHdobyB3aWxsIG5vdyBiZSBhaW1lZCBhdCB0aGUgUnlhbmFpciBDaGFzZSBhdCB0aGUgQ2hlbHRlbmhhbSBGZXN0aXZhbCBpbiBNYXJjaC48L3A+CjxwPlRhbGtpbmcganVtcGluZywgRmlyc3QgRmxvdyBoYXJkbHkgZGlkIHRoYXQgd2hlbiB3aW5uaW5nIHRoZSBiaWcgdHdvLW1pbGUgaGFuZGljYXAgY2hhc2UgYXQgdGhlIGVuZCBvZiBBc2NvdOKAmXMgY2FyZC4gRmlyc3QgRmxvdyBpcyBhIHJlYWwgbXVkbGFyayBhbmQgU2F0dXJkYXnigJlzIGdyb3VuZCB3YXMgY2VydGFpbmx5IG5vdCBzb2Z0IGVub3VnaCBmb3IgaGltLiBUb255IFNvbG9tb25z4oCZIGhvcnNlIHdhcyBydW4gb2ZmIGhpcyBmZWV0IGVhcmx5IG9uIGFuZCB2ZXJ5IG11Y2ggb3V0IG9mIGhpcyBjb21mb3J0IHpvbmU7IGhlIHN0cnVnZ2xlZCBmb3IgYSBsb25nIHdheSwgYnV0IGNyZXB0IGludG8gdGhlIHJhY2Ugd2hlbiBEYXZpZCBCYXNzIGNvbmp1cmVkIHVwIGEgZG8tb3ItZGllIGp1bXAgYXQgdGhlIGxhc3QgdG8gc2VhbCBhIGdyZWF0IHdpbi48L3A+CjxwPlRoaXMgd2VpcmQgaG9yc2UgaGFzIGhpcyBvd24gdGVuZGVuY2llcyBhbmQgZm9pYmxlcywgYnV0IGhlIGlzIGh1Z2VseSBoZWxwZWQgYnkgZXZlbnQgcmlkZXJzIEx1Y3kgSmFja3NvbiBhbmQgR2lubnkgVGhvbXBzb24sIHdobyBjb21lIG92ZXIgcmVndWxhcmx5IHRvIHJpZGUgaGltIG91dCBpbiB0aGUgYWZ0ZXJub29ucy48L3A+CjxkaXYgY2xhc3M9ImFkLWNvbnRhaW5lciBhZC1jb250YWluZXItLW1vYmlsZSI+PGRpdiBpZD0icG9zdC1pbmxpbmUtMyIgY2xhc3M9ImlwYy1hZHZlcnQiPjwvZGl2PjwvZGl2Pgo8cD5Ub20gU3ltb25kcyBpcyBhIHRyYWluZXIgaGF2aW5nIGEgY29tcGxldGUgcmVzdXJnZW5jZSBzaW5jZSBoZSBhbmQgRGF2aWQgRGVubmlzIGpvaW5lZCBmb3JjZXMgZHVyaW5nIHRoZSBzdW1tZXIuIFRoZSBkaWNlIGhhdmUgY2VydGFpbmx5IHJvbGxlZCB0aGVpciB3YXkgYW5kIG9uIFNhdHVyZGF5LCBUb20gaGFkIGEgYmlnIHJhY2UgZG91YmxlIHdpdGggU29uZyBGb3IgU29tZW9uZSB3aW5uaW5nIHRoZSBDb3JhbCBIdXJkbGUgYXQgQXNjb3QgYW5kIExsYW5kaW5hYm8gTGFkIHdpbm5pbmcgdGhlIGJpZyBub3ZpY2UgaHVyZGxlIGF0IEhheWRvY2suPC9wPgo8aDM+4oCcT3duZXJzIG5hbWVzIHNob3VsZCBiZSBpbiBsaWdodHPigJ08L2gzPgo8cD5TYWRseSwgQXNjb3Qgc3VmZmVycyBmcm9tIHNtYWxsIGZpZWxkcyDigJQgYnV0IHRoZXkgZG9u4oCZdCBzdWZmZXIgZnJvbSBiYWQgcmFjaW5nLCBhcyB0aGVpciBjYXJkcyBhcmUgYWx3YXlzIGZ1bGwgb2YgdG9wLXF1YWxpdHkgZmFyZS48L3A+CjxkaXYgY2xhc3M9ImFkLWNvbnRhaW5lciBhZC1jb250YWluZXItLW1vYmlsZSI+PGRpdiBpZD0icG9zdC1pbmxpbmUtNCIgY2xhc3M9ImlwYy1hZHZlcnQiPjwvZGl2PjwvZGl2Pgo8cD5JIGhhdmUgYmVlbiBhc2tlZCBtYW55IHRpbWVzIGFib3V0IHRoZSBmZWVsIG9mIHJhY2luZyB1bmRlciBsb2NrZG93biwgYW5kIGZpcnN0IEkgbXVzdCBzYXkgdGhhdCB3ZSBhcyBhIHNwb3J0IGFyZSBpbmNyZWRpYmx5IGx1Y2t5IHRvIGJlIHJhY2luZy48L3A+CjxwPldlIGFyZSBhbHNvIGluY3JlZGlibHkgbHVja3kgdG8gYmUgYWxsb3dlZCB0d28gb3duZXJzIHBlciBob3JzZSB0byBhdHRlbmQuIEhvd2V2ZXIsIGNvbXBhcmVkIHdpdGggdGhlIG5vcm0sIGl0IGlzIG5vdCBhIGdyZWF0IGV4cGVyaWVuY2UuPC9wPgo8ZGl2IGNsYXNzPSJhZC1jb250YWluZXIgYWQtY29udGFpbmVyLS1tb2JpbGUiPjxkaXYgaWQ9InBvc3QtaW5saW5lLTUiIGNsYXNzPSJpcGMtYWR2ZXJ0Ij48L2Rpdj48L2Rpdj4KPHA+T3duZXJzIG9mIG91ciBob3JzZXMgYXJlIHRoZSBwZW9wbGUgd2hvIHBheSBvdXIgd2FnZXMsIGFuZCBmcmFua2x5IHdpdGhvdXQgdGhlbSB3ZSB3b3VsZCBhbGwgYmUgbG9va2luZyBhdCBlbXB0eSBzdGFuZHMgYW5kIHNtYWxsIGZpZWxkIHNpemVzIOKAkyB3ZSByZWFsbHkgc2hvdWxkIGRvIG1vcmUgdG8ga2VlcCB0aGVtIGluIHJhY2luZyBieSByZWNvZ25pc2luZyB3aGF0IHRoZXkgZG8uIE93bmVycyBzaG91bGQgaGF2ZSB0aGVpciBuYW1lcyBpbiBsaWdodHMgYWZ0ZXIgYSB3aW4sIGFuZCB0aGUgdHdvIFNreS1iYXNlZCBjaGFubmVscyBuZWVkIHRvIGRvIG1vcmUgd2hlbiB0YWxraW5nIGFib3V0IHRoZSB3aW5uaW5nIGhvcnNlcyBhbmQgcmVjb2duaXNlIHRoYXQgdGhlIG93bmVyIG5lZWRzIG1lbnRpb25pbmcuIElUVuKAmXMgY292ZXJhZ2UgaGFzIGJlZW4gcmVhbGx5IGdvb2QgYXQgaGlnaGxpZ2h0aW5nIHRoaXMgc2lkZSBvZiB0aGUgc3BvcnQsIGJ1dCB0aGUgb3RoZXJzIG5lZWQgdG8gZG8gdGhlIHNhbWUgYmVjYXVzZSB3aXRob3V0IG93bmVycyB3aGVyZSB3b3VsZCB3ZSBiZT88L3A+CjxkaXYgY2xhc3M9ImluamVjdGlvbiI+PC9kaXY+CjxwPlRoZSByYWNpbmcgYmFuZHdhZ29uIG1vdmVzIG9uIHRvIE5ld2J1cnkgYW5kIHRoZSBMYWRicm9rZSBDaGFzZSwgb25lIG9mIHRoZSB0b3VnaGVzdCBsb25nLWRpc3RhbmNlIGNoYXNlcyB0byB3aW4uIEF5ZSBSaWdodCBpcyB0aGUgY3VycmVudCBmYXZvdXJpdGUgYW5kIHdob2V2ZXIgd2lucyBpdCB3aWxsIGhhdmUgYSBsYXJnZSBwb3Qgb2YgZ29sZCB0byB0YWtlIGhvbWUuPC9wPgo8cD5JVFYgd2lsbCBkbyBqdXN0aWNlIHRvIHRoZSBiaWcgcmFjZSB3aXRob3V0IGNyb3dkcyB3aXRoIHRoZSBleGNlbGxlbnQgRWQgQ2hhbWJlcmxpbiBsZWFkaW5nIHRoZSB3YXkuPC9wPgo8cD4K"}
Ref: Horse & Hound; 26 November 2020
You may also be interested in:
Credit: Wheatman Photography
H&H’s racing columnist appreciates racing’s continuation under the second lockdown
Credit: Wheatman Photography
H&H’s racing columnist discusses racing’s return, its supporters and being lucky
Bristol De Mai ridden by Daryl Jacob on their way to winning the Betfair Chase at Haydock Racecourse in 2020.
Credit: PA
Library image.
Credit: Getty Images
The £40 million loan provisionally announced for British racing is part of the Government’s £300 million Sport Winter Survival Package
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
