Barney's Blog

Looking ahead to a golden season

EVENING all, Barney McGrew here again, in all my magnificence.

Well, it's that time again where the new turf season is almost upon us and I reckon we're in for another good season. I know you all look to me to cast an expert eye over the horses in the yard, so here are my thoughts.

I'm gonna start with my old pal Dakota Gold - or Goldy as I like to call him. He's 11 now - half my age - but he's been going up the gallops like a three-year-old.

I had my last run as a 13-year-old at Newcastle, and I was 12 when I won my last race at Thirsk under that nice Paul Mulrennan human. Lovely hands.

I, therefore, reckon there's still more wins to come from Goldy. Yes, he's not as quick as he used to be, but he's on a decent handicap mark and he's as enthusiastic as ever. Mark my words, we'll see him back in the winner's enclosure in 2025.

I also reckon we'll see a return to winning ways for Commanche Falls - or Commy as I like to call him. He had it tough last year because he was so high in the handicap but he starts the year off on a mark of 103 and that'll put him right back in the mix in big handicaps again. He's already won two Stewards Cups at Glorious Goodwood and I wouldn't put it past him to make it a hat-trick. Wouldn't that be nice?

Both Goldy and Commy are owned by three nice humans - Doug Graham, Ian Davison, and Alan Drysdale - and I reckon they'll be smiling through 2025.

Of the three-year-olds, I'm a big fan of Northern Ticker, owned by The Sekura Group, led by that cracking human Charlie Hill. Ticky, as I like to call him, is a bloody big 'un and he's really strengthened up over the winter. It wouldn't surprise me to see him go up the rankings.

It's too early to pick out the stars among the two-year-olds but they look a decent bunch, so fingers crossed.

We've also got some new faces among the older horses, and I particularly like the look of a four-year-old called Imperial Guard, who's joined us from the Andrew Balding yard. He's by the 2014 Two Thousand Guineas winner, Night of Thunder, and I like him a lot.

AS you all know, I love seeing the young ‘uns come through and I've made friends with a nice, sharp grey filly who's just been given the name Dolly Golightly.

Whenever she's passing, I shout "Hello Dolly", which she doesn't understand because she's far too young to remember Louis Armstrong, but it makes me laugh.

Anyway, Dolly Golightly is owned in partnership by Peter Appleton and Nick Turnbull, who runs a lovely place called Elwick Stud.

Peter has a great track record with us here at Denton Hall, having co-owned winners like Que Amoro, Azure Blue, and Arkenstaar with that very nice Anne Elliott human.

Well, I was chatting to Peter the other day and asked him how Dolly Golightly got her name, and this is the story, step by step.

1. Her dam is called Dolly Colman, a winner at Kempton back in 2012.

2. Dolly Colman's sire is called Diamond Green, who was trained in France by Andre Fabre.

3. There was a character in the movie Breakfast At Tiffany’s called Holly Golightly, played by Audrey Hepburn.

4. Tiffany’s is a famous jewellers, which links back to Diamond Green.

Peter’s wife, Linda, put all those ingredients together and came up with the name Dolly Golightly. Clever, eh?

Let’s hope she sparkles on the racetrack.

• Above, Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in Breakfast At Tiuffany's

MEANWHILE, news has reached me of another dramatic episode in the Denton Hall darts championships.

The Andrew Miller human challenged the Chloe Dods human to a game with a difference. He insisted he could beat her even if he played left-handed. He was so confident, he promised to work an extra shift of evening stables if he got beat.

Well, you guessed it, Chloe won easily and I hear Miller didn't take the result at all well. He's like that - sore loser.

WHILE on the subject of Andrew Miller and his beloved darts, I've had to revise the nickname I gave him in my last blog. All darts players have to have a nickname and, based on Andrew's surname of Miller, I chose 'Grinder'. After all, that's what Millers do - grind flour - and he's also built a reputation for grinding out results.

What I didn't realise was that Grinder is the name of a dating app for the LGBTQ community. Therefore, to avoid any misunderstanding, I've agreed to give him a different darts nickname. Older readers may remember Windy Miller, a lovable character from a children's TV programme called Camberwick Green (pictured below). Well, I've decided to call our darts-mad pal Andrew 'Galeforce' Miller.

IN case anyone's bothered, it's my 22nd birthday on March 26. I was a late foal but a quick developer.

I'm thinking of going out for a meal to celebrate - a few carrots in my field perhaps. All contributions welcome - I'd especially like a carrot cake.

ON the subject of eating out, I hear the Kenny Williams human was having a meal at the local pub the other night and, yet again, he showed himself up.

"How did you find your steak?" asked the waiter.

"Easy," replied Kenny. "It was right next to the spuds."

Well, that's all from me for another week, folks. Lots of love - bring carrots.