Testimonials

2024 Testimonials

The breakfast stable tour at Kim Bailey's stables was a truly enjoyable experience for both Delyth and I. Despite having four runners declared at Bangor on the afternoon of our visit, Kim and his team had an abundance of time for ourselves and all others who attended the visit. From arriving to departing the visit was thoroughly enjoyable and very informative; the unseen side of racing! The stories that Kim told over breakfast will live long in the memory. The visit is a must for any horse racing fan. 

2023 Testimonials

Just wanted to let you know that we've really enjoyed our visit despite the awful weather!! We were made very welcome, loved watching the horses on the gallops and the breakfast was superb!

The visit to Kim's stables was fantastic we really enjoyed ourselves. We will try and find another one next year. Also the help you gave us helped everything go smoothly, on the day so thank you for that.

2022 Testimonials

Loved every minute of it. Kim, Clare and the Thorndale Farm team were fantastic, so friendly and hospitable. Learn't so much about what goes on from buying, choosing, training and racing the horses. Kim has got a fantastic set-up there, very professional and knowledgeable on everything. Would highly recommend the tour.

The tour was very informative and relaxed and we were made to feel most welcome. I can’t say that there was any room for improvement, both Chris and Fergal were informative and interesting and I know my Dad really enjoyed being back around horses. He is an avid race fan so this was an ideal gift for him! Totally fab. Thank you.

Loved it. We were taken good care of. We saw the gallops, the all weather gallops, the training jumps, the stables and lots of horses. Plenty of time in the stables. All the staff were very friendly. A was a bit difficult to find and we made our own way into the owners’ room, but once there all was well. We enjoyed the breakfast, ample, and talking to the other visitors. We would go again tomorrow.

I just wanted to say we had an absolutely fantastic day at Fergal O'Brien's stable, we thought it was superb. Thank you again, only took two years (due to COVID-19) but well worth the wait.

Fergal and all of his team were very welcoming - there aren't many top trainers who would make you a cup of tea themselves! Getting up close to the horses, seeing them being put through their paces and then having an opportunity to go freely around the boxes was great. We also got to see a horse being scoped with the vet explaining the procedure and what he's looking for. Nice to experience the visit as part of such a small group. Topped off by a lovely breakfast afterwards. Good, clear communication from yourselves. Will definitely consider booking with you again when looking to book another stable tour.

2021 Testimonials

We very much enjoyed our stable tour and breakfast with Fergal O’Brien. Fantastic facilities, well-structured tour, very interesting and informative. Great gallops, very knowledgeable stable staff who presented the string very well. Great breakfast and company in the pub afterwards for breakfast which was great, faultless. Special commendation to Dr Simon for his warm and gracious hospitality. Please pass on our thanks and compliments to C&D Horse Racing Tours and to all at Ravenswell Farm for the stable tour.

We had a fantastic morning thank you and would thoroughly recommend it. It was amazing to see the horses on the gallops and witness the atmosphere within the yard, who clearly love what they do.

I have had a great morning. Everything went like clockwork. Many thanks,

We had a great time at Fergal's stables on Friday! It was lovely to see the whole set up and meet the team who were so friendly. Simon in particular was great, and obviously a real enthusiast, especially as the part owner of two horses. Sally was so good at putting over her vast knowledge which was really helpful and fascinating. The care the horses get is excellent and it was so good to be close to them and see all the different personalities. We loved every minute.

2019 Testimonials

I am writing to express my experience at Kim Bailey's stable tour which was absolutely brilliant. From the moment I arrived I was met by Kim with a handshake and warm welcome. I would strongly recommend to any enthusiast and or horse/animal lover to learn how a top-class racing stable operates. I was fortunate to have received this as a gift from my family, I never knew such tours were an option but I will strongly recommend to my racing friends it is a morning not to be missed!
 

We had a fantastic time, my husband thoroughly enjoyed it as well as my daughter and I. Kim and his team were very accommodating with us all, nothing was too much trouble. We will definitely be recommending yourselves to other friends. My husband is hooked now wants to do more tours of stables.

What a great morning! We arrived just after 7am and the place was buzzing, with staff mucking out and tacking up the horses ready for their morning gallop. Fergal was the first to greet us (and by name) and took us to the office to meet more staff who were sorting out plans for the remainder of the day and up coming weekend. Any questions were answered and they made us feel so welcome. A great day, hard working and down to earth staff, who were very informative and made us feel welcome.

It was great. The access was so much more then expected, Simon, Fergal and Sally were brilliant. We got to see three lots and plenty of opportunities for questions and time looking at the horses.Breakfast was nice and gave the opportunity to reflect on what we just experienced and continue the chat with Simon. I would highly recommend to a racing enthusiast.

2018 Testimonials

Just a quick email to thank you very much for organising our tour at Fergal O’Brien's yard - we had a fantastic morning - the weather was great and they were a lovey team of people - very friendly and welcoming. Breakfast at the Black Horse was excellent - thanks once again - a thoroughly enjoyable morning.

Just a short message to say we had a great morning up at Fergal O' Brien's. We had some great weather and the spectacle of seeing the horses on the gallops and in their stables was superb.

I had a fantastic morning visiting Kim Bailey's stable. Kim and his team were first class and the breakfast was fantastic too! I would definitely recommend to any horse racing enthusiasts.Top class.

2017 Testimonials

Hi, just home after a wonderful morning spent with Kim and his staff. The warmest of hospitality, everyone was very friendly, it was a very special Christmas treat for my husband. A lovely breakfast and a welcome ride up to the gallops to see the horses exercise. Spending time with the horses was great, all different characters and personalities, most liking a scratch behind the ears. We cannot strongly enough recommend this trip and hope to go again.

 

2016 Testimonials

We were made very welcome by Kerry, Kim and Peter, they were very relaxed and put us at ease. Despite the inclement weather, watching the horses working on the gallops was the best bit. We were impressed with Kim and Matt's identification of all the horses. The breakfast was good with the other guests and we all chatted together. We thoroughly enjoyed the morning.

We all really enjoyed our morning at Kim's stables everyone was really friendly, we felt welcome and that we could ask any questions we wanted. Nothing was too much trouble and the breakfast was great. I have recommended it to a few people and would do it again. Please pass on our thanks to Kim and the team and we'll all be looking out for his horses when they race.

Absolutely fantastic!!! We really enjoyed the stable tour and the breakfast after, eveyone made us feel so welcome. After the tour Kim let us go round by ourselves so we got more time to go back to see the horses and chat to the people who look after them. We were very impressed by it all, it was clear to see Kim is so busy but he took the time to chat to us and even have breakfast with us. It was fascinating listening to Kim and his stories. We will be returning in the future.

I cannot fault the service we received from Course and Distance. The pack we received was brilliant and the tags were a nice touch as it was a birthday present. The morning itself was absolutely fantastic! Highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in horse racing or even horses in general.

I travelled over from Ireland to attend Kim Bailey's stables for a morning on the gallops and stable tour.
When I arrived I was welcomed by Kim and his wife, Clare, and provided with a cup of tea along with the briefing of the morning schedule. Kim then invited myself and the rest of the group of enthusiasts, to accompany him on a tour of the stables. This was a very interesting, informative and exciting moment in the tour, as we came up close to the stable stars, and stars in waiting. The trainer gave us a brief account of each one, along with his hopes and dreams, for the season. Off to the gallops then, and once more, Kim gave us the run down,as we took photos of the horses exercising. He answered our questions and and filled us in on the the highs and lows of the trainers' lot. All present, felt very comfortable, and listened intently to his every word. Back to the reception area, and the welcoming sight of breakfast being served. The chat continued as we finished eating, and the time just flew. Kim was kind enough to pose for photos, just before I said 'so long', with the intention of returning later in the season. Yes this was a special day ,and good value for money. Well organised throughout and I would recommend it to anyone who may intend making a stable tour... Go for it!

Ian had a lovely time thank you, he really enjoyed it and was made to feel very welcome by the all the team especially Kim.

2015 Testimonials

Just to say a very big thank you for our lovely morning at your yard last Saturday. Good company, lovely breakfast – and we had three winners at Stratford! A lovely day – we will be back again.

Our morning with Brendan couldn't have gone better. Brendan is a real gentleman. He took us twice on the gallops, gave us a great breakfast in a local cafe plus a tour of the stables where met his star performer Dark Emerald. Brendan answered all our questions and more. Days at the races for us will be so much more enjoyable now. It was a real privilege to spend a morning with Brendan. We will definitely recommend him and Course and Distance to our friends.

Kev had a great time, was made to feel most welcome and was 'buzzing' after the visit. He said he’d definitely recommend the visit to all his horse racing friends, and even non-horse racing fans because they’d enjoy the brisk walk in the lovely Cotswold hills and the hearty breakfast! He’s now even more of an expert (or so he thinks) – especially regarding things that go on 'behind the scenes'. It was money well spent and turned out to be an excellent Christmas present – which I’ll struggle to match this year!

Our visit to Brendan Powell's stables was a truly memorable experience, for all the right reasons. From the very outset Brendan went out of his way to ensure that we were comprehensively looked after, both on a personal level and via the services of his family and staff, who genuinely made us feel very welcome and part of the 'family'. We had his almost exclusive attention throughout the visit - most unexpected when you consider that it's a fully working stable and he'd had runners the day before and was preparing for runners the next day. Couple that with the fact that he had owners visiting at the same time as us, and you can appreciate that he is a master of time-management. He is a very affable and knowledgeable character, and we felt truly welcome in his environment. We spent time in the stabling facility as well as visiting the local gallops to watch his string of horses working-out and, again, no question was treated as being trivial or not justifying a comprehensive answer - he is obviously totally knowledgeable of his 'industry' and more than willing to share his knowledge with us, as well as introducing a string of superb anecdotes into the equation. A hearty breakfast at the end of the visit with Brendan himself was very much appreciated, and was the perfect end to a perfect visit. The whole experience was first-rate and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend it as a most enjoyable insight to the horse racing industry.

It was fantastic. It was a most relaxed visit, informative, interesting, exciting on the gallops and we were made very welcome. We enjoyed it so much we went to see one of Brendan's horses run at Salisbury the next day. Brendan was there and again looked after us very well. What a weekend!

We had an absolutely fabulous morning and would heartily recommend one of these tours to anyone. We found talking to Kim and his team really informative and all the staff were friendly and welcoming. We would like to book another tour with a different trainer next, so will get planning.

We had a brilliant time thank you. Kim and his team were very generous about sharing their knowledge in an interesting and engaging way. We were made to feel as if we genuinely were getting a behind the scenes look at the yard and the intricacies of managing the workloads on horses, riders and trainers. The hospitality was excellent and we would thoroughly recommend the morning.

I cannot speak highly enough of the warm welcome we were given by Brendan and his team. We had a most enjoyable morning, and will certainly recommend to others.

The stable tour was fantastic - Nick told me afterwards that it was the best present he had ever received! Kim was great and we will recommend the tour to everyone we know with an interest in racing.

Stuart and I very much enjoyed our visit to Kim Bailey's yard, it really was the perfect way to start the day. We were lucky as we had a dry morning so a walk up to the gallops and out to the jumps field was really pleasurable. Kim is really personable and just a thoroughly nice person. The trip was really enjoyable and very relaxed which was lovely.  For any horse racing enthusiast (Stu) and/or horse lover (me), it's a brilliant morning out.

We would both like to say how much we enjoyed our visit to Brendan's stables. We were made to feel most welcome by Brendan and his team and the opportunity to chat about equine favourites past and present made Phil's day. It was much apparent that Newlands is a team effort and we would highly recommend a morning on the Lambourn gallops and a small insight into how a racehorse stable operates.

I would like to say that the time we spent with Kim and his team was great. It was very informative and interesting to see how exactly a horse can be trained. Breakfast was very tasty and the staff were both friendly and knowledgable, happy to chat or answer specific questions. I would certainly recommend the experience to others.

All three of us really enjoyed Brendan's company this morning. We were made very welcome by Brendan and all members of his team. It was a very informative morning and enjoyed chatting. George and John are a bit newer to the stable side of racing and I do know that they thoroughly enjoyed today's experience. I would certainly recommend anyone who is thinking of a racing experience choosing this event.

My husband and father really enjoyed the tour. They were so impressed by the informative tour and how Kim shared his knowledge and memories so openly. It was money well spent and I will be recommending this tour to others. Thanks again for everything and I wish you the very best of luck for the future.

We had a great morning with everyone at the stables - friendly and welcoming. We were made to feel at home by Brendan, we learnt a great deal about how relentlessly hard they all work to look after and train the horses and felt very privileged to have been able to see this at close hand. A great Christmas present for my racing keen husband! Brendan is a hospitable and generous host.

2014 Testimonials

I have to say that Lesley and I had a fabulous time. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming and we really appreciated Brendan's insight and depth of knowledge about the horses and the racing world. Obviously, he has a wealth of experience but he was also a generous and friendly host. Even though some of our questions were probably a bit basic, he answered everything in an interested and helpful way. I think we were also very impressed how relaxed and happy all the horses were. he clearly has a very good relationship with them all. The trips to the gallops were amazing. Driving alongside the horses as they cantered up the hill was something very special. All topped off by great weather - lovely frosty morning -  and a full english - what better way to start the day?

My parents were very happy with the stable experience with Kim. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves and were still talking about it today! It was a very successful 65th birthday present for my step dad.

First may I say your confirmation of the tour as usual was excellent with very good directions as to how to get there. The tour itself was brilliant. Kim, his wife Clare, Matt, his head lad and all the rest of his staff were so welcoming and friendly, it made the tour even more enjoyable. I thought the gallops were great especially as Kim sends the horses off in pairs. We then had a super tour of the yard, seeing all the stunning horses which all seemed so relaxed and enjoyed being there, as did the jockeys. We then had a lovely breakfast to finish and a chance to chat with Kim and friends about racing in general. It all went so quickly, I would have loved to have done it all again. I would recommend it to anyone interested in National Hunt racing. Thanks again for arranging it all. Great memories.

I had a great time at Brendan's yard, the highlight being seeing the horses being put through their paces up on the lovely Lambourn gallops. It was brilliant especially as it was a lovely morning. He was very welcoming and we had a lovely breakfast in Lambourn. I would recommend your stable tours to anyone interested in horse racing. You arranged everything so quickly and sent through the confirmation very promptly. Thanks again.

I cannot praise Kim Bailey enough. Both he, his wife Claire and his team made mine and Mick's visit something to remember. Right from being greeted by Kim when we arrived, being made so welcome by the team, and having a wonderful breakfast cooked by Claire, the whole experience is one I would recommend to anyone. I have been on a few stable tours, but this one goes the extra mile, you have got it bang on.

I feel that we were looked after very well right from the start of the booking process with yourself, right up until we left Kim's yard. Thank you once again.

We had a fabulous morning, thoroughly enjoyed it and very interesting!  We felt the experience was very personal and very informal, but informative which was really nice. The surroundings are beautiful and yourself, Kim, his wife and Kerry were all very hospitable and very friendly. A lovely experience and a birthday gift that Nigel will remember.

The morning with Brendan and his team (inc Buster) can only be described as 'absoluetly fantastic and amazing'. It's the best birthday present I've ever had. Anyone with a chance to go to Newlands should, without a shadow of a doubt. Thanks and keep up the good work! I would recommend your service and the tour to anyone...

My partner and I visited Brendan Powell’s stables in March. We really enjoyed the visit and my partner, who is a huge racing fan, absolutely loved every minute! Brendan was welcoming and friendly and shared so much. Thank you.

We had a fabulous time - it was a great insight! Brendan is a true racing man and a lovely gentleman to go with it. Visiting the gallops was great fun and it was brilliant to see all the horses in the yard so happy.

We had a fabulous time touring the stables with Kim and hearing stories of each of the horses and the workings of running the stables. It was mind blowing seeing the work and dedication from the team to keep everything running in a very professional and relaxed manner. It was also a bonus to meet Sam Thomas, who was there to ride some of the horses out on the gallops. The morning finished off with a well received hearty breakfast – many thanks to Kim’s wife Clare. I would highly recommend the tour to any racing enthusiastic. We enjoyed it so much we would like to do it all over again...

2013 Testimonials

It was great to see what happens behind the scenes. Kim and his team are obviously very passionate about what they do and keen to share their knowledge which was great. It was very relaxed and you felt able to ask lots of questions. The breakfast was great too! I would thoroughly recommend the experience and would definitely use Course and Distance again

...it was absolutely amazing! I would strongly recommend it to anyone. Kim was warming and friendly, informative and clearly extremely passionate about his work, which is a way of life. His wife's breakfast was superb, and all in all a fantastic way to spend a morning. Huge, huge thanks to Kim and his team

...my parents thoroughly enjoyed their morning, they couldn't praise Kim and his team highly enough. Everyone made them feel really welcome, they were given great insight into the training/racing profession and they were delighted to see the passion Kim and all his staff have for the horses. There was no skimping with the hearty breakfast either. A massive thank you to everyone at Kim's stables for making the morning so memorable. We will certainly recommend it to others...

I had this fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable tour of Kim's stables bought for me as a present from my wife. The morning started with a guided tour of the stables by Kim and his assistant trainer Matt, followed by a walk up to the (very steep) gallops to watch his second lot work. We were talked through the potential and future hopes for each horse before retiring for a lovely cooked fry up by Kim's wife, Clare. Over breakfast we were able to pick Kim and Clare's brains about the workings of a successful stable. A wonderful few hours and a must for any serious racing fan.

Brendan and his team were so friendly, helpful, and informative. We really felt like one of the family. They answered all our questions of which there were many. It was a fantastic insight into the life of the racing yard. Even the weather was kind! Very many thanks.

...we had a fantastic morning thank you! Andrew was over the moon with his present and it lived up to every expectation! I would like to thank you firstly, for the speed in which you organised the delivery of the certificate and badges and secondly, how beautifully they are presented - they look amazing and I'm very grateful! Brendan, his family and team made us feel very welcome the moment we got to the yard, we felt like we had known them all years, especially Brendan, very down to earth and we had his full attention and time. Breakfast was fab, taken with the stable staff on their break! Fab! We were looked after from minute we arrived to minute we left...

...the morning was absolutely amazing and I would recommend it to anyone. Brendan and his team gave us a great welcome and treated us like good friends. Brendan is one of the nicest person we've met in racing and will be following his horses closely...

My stable visit was excellent and very informative, Kim was an excellent host as were his wife and staff. I was very impressed with how attentive and friendly Kim was, and how he made me feel at ease. He talked me through all the horses he has stabled in the yard one-by-one then took me up to the gallops for first and second lot. I would recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in horse racing, I had a thoroughly enjoyable morning.

...just to say we had an amazing time with Brendan and his team. Brendan was so welcoming and friendly as were all his staff. My wife has been interested in racing since her childhood and this visit lived up to all her expectations. Brendan was very open and informative and we could have chatted all day! We would thoroughly recommend this day to anybody with an interest in horse-racing. Thank you again

We had a wonderful morning with Kim and his team. They were warm and friendly and we really got to know all about how the yard works. Kim is so very approachable and willing to answer any question.

...we have all just had the most fantastic time, I have followed racing as man and boy for over 60 years and must say this visit was up there with my most memorable racing experiences. Brendan was nothing less than fantastic spending over three hours with us even though he had 10 runners at Lingfield that day. Thank you once again for organising this very special visit to a very special trainer and man...

2012 Testimonials

... just a quick line to say how much I enjoyed my morning on the gallops which exceeded my expectations. I got a real insight into the workings of a racing stable through the the walk up to the top of the gallop (steep), the exercising of the horses, tour of the stables and viewing of the practice fences and hurdles. Add a really good breakfast, including a glass of champagne, all in the company of Kim...