horse

"A real legend to everyone here.  When we moved to Whitsbury over a year ago most people thought he wouldn't be coming, but I put him on the last horsebox heading south and you should have seen people's faces when he walked off the box.

He'd been disappointing before the move but a change of scenery has done him good.  After two good seconds he won four of his next five handicaps - that tally is five from six if you include the charity race at Goodwood, which I most certainly am - and went from a mark of 57 to his current rating of 79.  He's gone from strength to strength and the plan will be to start him off over 7f.

He'll be having plenty of foreign jaunts this term, because we are only half an hour from the Channel ferry.  I intend running more in France as their prize money is considerably more lucrative.  I've been impressed with how Tom George has done so well in France with his team and I'm hoping to take a leaf out of his book - I'll cetainly be studying the French fixtures in the coming weeks."  RACING POST WEEKENDER QUOTE

UPDATE 23/04/12  George Baker made his seasonal debut at Doncaster's opening turf fixture, running well under William Buick before flattening out in the final 100 yards. He will come on plenty for the run and is ready to go back to the races, weather permitting. He needs Good ground at worst.

UPDATE  04/05/12  Drawn 11 around Kempton was always going to be a big ask. And so it proved. For a stride or two halfway up the straight, GB looked to be closing on the leaders. But Frankie was not hard on him when his chance had gone. Back to the turf, and probably a drop to 7 furlongs. 

UPDATE 29/05/12  GB back to Goodwood last Friday, where he did not get the run of the race. The slow pace did not help, and then he got a couple of bumps up the home straight. But Frankie expressed the view that the horse remains in good form, and I am sure that he will continue to perform with credit on his favoured good ground through the summer.

11/08/12  A good 5th at Ascot preceded the charity race at Glorious Goodwood. Edie Campbell again doing the steering and, whilst unable to repeat last year's victory, no disgrace in finishing 4th. GB will be out again towards the end of the month on good ground.

BACK IN THE WINNERS ENCLOSURE - GB, finally, showed his true form when winning well recently (Nov '12) under William Buick at Kempton. Ground conditions have consistently been against him all year, but this was more like it. GB had hinted when 4th on his penultimate run that he was on the way back, and so it proved !! A great turnout from Popbitch.com who have leased GB - their first winner, and a night to remember.....