Mister Baileys

Mister Baileys was a bay horse with a prominent white blaze and three white feet, bred by Ranston Ltd. He was sired by Robellino, a son of Roberto who won the Royal Lodge Stakes and sired several good winners including Royal Rebel (Ascot Gold Cup) and Rebelline (Tattersalls Gold Cup).^[1] Mister Baileys was sent from Paradise Farm Stud in Dorset to the Tattersalls sales as a weanling in November 1992, where he was bought for 10,000 guineas by Paul Venner of G. R. Bailey Ltd, a company better known as "Baileys Horse Feeds". The horse was named to promote his owners' products.^[2] A year later Mister Baileys was sent to the sales again and bought for 10,500 guineas by the trainer Mark Johnston.^[3] It would appear that Johnston was paying for a share in the colt as he raced in the name of G. R. Bailey Ltd, while being trained by Johnston at Middleham, Yorkshire.

Mister Baileys made his first racecourse appearance in a maiden race at Newcastle in June. Ridden by Dean McKeown, Mister Baileys started slowly but moved into the lead a furlong from the finish and pulled away from his twelve opponents to record an impressive seven-length win.^[4] In July, he started 11/10 favourite for a minor stakes race at Newbury. McKeown was unable to find a clear run at a crucial stage and although Mister Baileys finished strongly after being switched to the outside, he finished third to Classic Sky, beaten half a length and a short head.^[5] Twelve days after his defeat at Newbury, Mister Baileys was moved up in class for the Group Three Vintage Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse. He was able to reverse the Newbury form, taking the lead two furlongs out and winning by two and half lengths from Prince Babar, with Classic Sky fourth.^[6] In August, Mister Baileys was a disappointing favourite when finishing sixth behind Turtle Island in the Gimcrack Stakes. McKeown dropped his whip in the closing stages, but Mister Baileys appeared to be well beaten at the time.^[7] On his final start of the season, Mister Baileys was ridden by Frankie Dettori in the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot Racecourse. He turned into the straight in fifth place before moving forward to take the lead a furlong out and being driven out by Dettori to win by half a length from Concordial.^[8]

Mister Baileys began his three-year-old season by becoming Johnston's first Classic runner when he ran in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on 30 April. He was ridden by Jason Weaver, who was also participating in his first Classic, and started at odds of 16/1 in a field of twenty-three runners. On the wide Rowley Mile course, the large field split into two groups, with Mister Baileys among the leaders of the group furthest away from the stands. Three furlongs from the finish he moved into the overall lead and held of the persistent challenge of Frankie Dettori on Grand Lodge to win in a photo-finish by a short-head.^[9] He was the first Classic winner trained in the North of England since 1977 and the winning time of 1:35.08 was a record for the race.^[10] Two weeks after his Classic victory, Mister Baileys was moved up in distance for the Dante Stakes over 10+1⁄2 furlongs at York. Starting the 7/4 favourite he appeared to have every chance in the straight but finished third, beaten 4+1⁄2 lengths by Erhaab.

In the Derby at Epsom, Mister Baileys started at odds of 14/1 in a field of twenty-five, with Erhaab being made the 7/2 favourite. Weaver sent the colt into the lead from the start and he went several lengths clear of the field at the turn into the straight. A furlong from the finish he was headed by King's Theatre and he weakened in the closing stages to finish fourth behind Erhaab, beaten just under eight lengths.^[11] His performance was praised, with many feeling that his effort over a distance which was clearly beyond his natural range was more creditable than his win at Newmarket.^[12] In July Mister Baileys returned to one mile for the Group One Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and started 7/4 favourite. He made most of the running, but faded in the final furlong to finish fifth of the nine runners behind Distant View.^[13] Before this race a half-share in Mister Baileys had been sold to the National Stud, and he was retired there following his defeat.^[14]

Shortly after his retirement to the National Stud, Mister Baileys suffered a near-fatal attack of grass sickness,^[15] which left him with fertility problems and other health issues. He stood at the Vinery Stud in Kentucky for three years before returning to the Whitsbury Manor stud in Hampshire, England. By 2003 he had become completely infertile^[16] and was gelded and pensioned to Venner's Petches Stud. He died in September 2009.^[17] He sired the winners of over one hundred races, but none at the highest class. His most successful offspring was the filly Bahia Breeze, who won a Listed race and was placed at Group level.^[18]