Barney's Blog

Season's greetings

Evening all, Barney McGrew – living legend – here again. We’re getting close to the start of the turf flat season, so I thought I’d better get blogging again.

It’s an exciting time with plenty of new faces to get used to and I have to say the two-year-olds look a nice bunch.

Naturally, they’re all in awe of me but I always do my best to give them the benefit of my experience.

I have to admit I’m still getting used to not having Gale Force Maya around – or Galey as I liked to call her. She’s gone off to stud and I miss her a lot.

That said, we’ve still got some serious firepower here at Denton Hall. Commanche Falls – or Commy as I like to call him - will surely be aiming for a Group 2 or even a Group 1 this year.

I’m also hoping Azure Blue – or Bluey as I like to call her – will bounce back to form after her setback just before the Nunthorpe last year. She';s already bagged a Group 2 so, hopefully, she can go one better.

It's a case of so far so good, with five winners on the all-weather already this year. Well done to Marcello Si for scoring twice, and Abruzzo Mia, Hale End and Stallone for also getting their heads in front.

All in all, I reckon we're in for another cracking season!

RIGHT, I've got a few gripes to get out of the way, starting with this new ‘Denton Hall of Fame’ feature they’ve started on the stable’s social media sites.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice idea to look back at some of the stable’s stars. So far, it’s included Mecca’s Angel, Mabs Cross, and Gale Force Maya. But what about me?

Surely, I should have been the first on the list! Look at the facts – 87 runs, 9 wins, £188,000 in earnings. And I've got my own blog!

Those amateurs who look after our website and social media don’t know their arses from their elbows if you ask me.

I’d better be next or there’ll be trouble!

GRIPE number two. At the weekend, we had members of the Denton Hall syndicate and Dods Racing Club here for a visit.

Lots of very nice people came – some better turned out than others, it has to be said. They had bacon butties and hot drinks, served by those nice humans Ian Davison and Peter Appleton. Well, to be honest, Ian wasn’t really doing much – it was Peter who was doing all the running back and forth to the kitchen. Puffed out, he was. Needs to do a bit more training.

Anyway, that was followed by all the members having a morning on the gallops before looking round the yard.

I noticed there was a little human, called Lydia Way, who came with a big bag of carrots. Commanche Falls seemed to get most of them – and I didn’t get a sniff!

I blame the adult humans for not educating their young uns properly. Apparently, her grandad, Paul Davison, is in the racing club. Well, he can bloody well get back here at the earliest opportunity, with his granddaughter, and bring me some carrots!

Cheeky buggers.

STILL on the subject of the visit by the syndicate members, did you see that picture of one of the stable staff, the nice Andrew Miller human, showing off a new two-year-old called Lightning Galaxy? Well, have a closer look - I’m bloody sure he was doing a Stan Laurel impression!

FINALLY, one of the syndicate members, who was here for the stable visit, was worried about losing track of his monthly payments.

After he'd scoffed his bacon sarnie, he scuttled over to see syndicate manager, Ian Davison, and said: “Excuse me, Mr Davison, can you check my balance?”

So, Ian pushed him over!

That’s all for now folks. Bring carrots.

Lots of love, Barney