Round up your ghosties and ghoulies and long legged beasties, the BESH are going to scare out the BFPs!

My horsing knowledge comes almost entirely from Jilly Cooper, I'm afraid

But I saw the headline on the Beeb website, Franks, and thought of you. I may even have to watch the race later.

Hellooooo! What a fabulous day! I've never known an atmosphere like it at the races!

Sinky, most races are open to all sexes though some are just for boys or just for girls. When fillies race against colts they get a "weight allowance", which means they carry slightly less weight to make up for the fact they are usually a bit smaller/ not quite as strong. It's not always true though, some fillies are bigger and stronger!

They've confirmed that he is off to stud next year, so that's it for his racing career.

I'm absolutely on cloud nine, I'll try to put some pictures on my profile later

We really need a BESH day at the races. draf and fsr can answer our stupid questions and we can admire hosses without worrying our non-existent baybees will be crushed under their hooves.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! Scary start, but a beautiful run!

(sorry, BESH, I get like this when I'm excited. You're lucky I didn't join you during the Tour De France...)

Watching him go round the paddock now, mind you, he looks pretty stallion-like already even though he's only four. There's a whole lot of horse there! And he's so calm and relaxed, it's exactly what you want in a racehorse, not wasting energy leaping around. He is gorgeous. I wonder if FSR has been on the telly while we're watching him!

No, they're ALL MUSCLE so way more likely to be much faster - bigger engine, you see.

I'm a horsey type but not a racing type so FSR may well correct me later!

Good knowledge draff. Apologies for directing my question to fsr, I didn't realise you were a horsy type too. I had to google gelding - I know nothing about anything equine.

Are adult males too heavy to be fast then? (will try and sound knowledgable next time racing comes up in conversation)

Arrrgh, witchy, even the description of your useless friend is making my teeth itch!

I imagine when they're a bit older, the male/female difference begins to tell. But flat racers are babies, so there's not much difference between them, and when they're older, the males are usually gelded, which levels the field as well. You don't tend to get entire males doing anything past the age of about four, they're too dangerous and too much of a liability. They're more usually put out to stud (if they're good, like Frankel), or gelded and sold. I prefer national hunt racing, the horses are adults and there's more skill (of horse and jockey) involved rather than just raw speed. Having said that, I'd love to have a go on a proper racehorse. I rode a thoroughbred once and we went so fast I terrified the people I was with, but it felt like floating, it was so easy for the horse. They move like they're a different species, it's amazing to feel.

Am watching racing for the first time, purely to see Frankle! Willie Carson is amusing me muchly. FSR, are female horses as fast as the male? I was surprised to see the mixed line up, I'd have assumed the males were stronger and faster. Go horsey equality.

My useless friend who has come out with inappropriate comment after comment since getting pregnant ("you must be glad you can't have kids" - while holding her screaming 2 week old, "I know who you feel... It took us 6 months", "are you having sex regularly?" etc). Well, she's now taken to giving our mutual friends unsolicited advice along the lines of "fertility time bomb", "plumiting fertility" and ticking them off for getting into their 30's without children.

She makes me so angry at the moment! I can't speak to her as it is, I don't think I could control myself, but I strongly suspect she thinks I refuse to see her due to the baybee. It really isn't. The baby is fine (if a bit of a whiny scrap of a baby). She is currently an intolerable know-it-all.

Given our history, she is not getting a voodoo doll made in her image, but she is this close

I have BBC1 on, looks nice at Ascot! Frankel has apparently got the go-ahead to run, woohoo!

DH is contemplating putting a bet on him, but 1.3:1 are not good odds! £10 on to get 30p back? I don't think we'll bother!

Arf rie. Have ever seen it, but can imagine the wrath it would induce.

Norf, all cards are much appreciated. If there is anyone who stood out, how about a separate card for them? we can stick them in our revalidation file/pull it out at appraisal. Proof that we're not totally shit...

You ok this morning winkly?

I just want to TORMENT them!!!!

Must go out and do something.

Lie in this morning and have found MrA watching Made in sodding Chelsea. I am watching with my mouth like this . These people.....

That man-woman with the hair. My o-so-sincere who keeps telling the girls he loves them (who has recently grown a beard). Some people bring out my inner bully and those two are them. They are men I want to (to quote Paul Merton) kick in the balls til my foot falls off. I would like to bury the hair one up to his neck in sand and slap him repeatedly about the face. Those girls I want to drive past and shower them in a muddy puddle. This could go on.

Yup, race is 4.05 on BBC1, but tune in from about 3.45 to see the build up and shots of him in the paddock.

Heading off now, see y'all later

I may well tune in to watch him run... 4.05, you say?

Winkly, that is nonsense and you know it. There is nothing to do with deserving or not, it's all just chance. Stupid probability.

I find sechs much easier because I try not to think about it as baybee creation. Therefore it's all just business as usual, although I think even three years on HOTB is still glorying in my coming-off-the-pill MUCH greater sex drive. Mind you, they say women around thirty are more sexually driven anyway so perhaps it's that as well. Sechs for fun is much more fun, and much less miserable when it inevitably does not result in a baybee win.

Perhaps I'm just resigned to not winning a baybee, though, and am just counting time until we get referred for IVF. Having zero expectations does rather take the pressure off, even if there is a small gimmer of hope still alive.

Cool! I have developed a bizarre urge to watch him race in person (despite never having watched any racing at all before). 2013 for Frankel and a baybee!

Course I'm going! I've been reading this morning and his owner's racing manager has said they are pleased that the course has had no more rain overnight and is due to be dry all day today. They will walk the course to check the state of the ground later this morning, but the intention is to run if at all possible.

I'm leaving in about an hour so don't forget to tube in to BBC1 this afternoon. They will be giving build up to Frankel all afternoon, his race is at 4.05 but the first is at 1.45. Tune in!

BTW, (as if you're all interested!) there was a rumour circulating at the big horse sales yesterday that he might stay in training next year and put off going to stud until 2014

It says Frankel might not run if it's unsafe, *winks."

fsr, are you going today? I hope he is there and looks into the crowd so you know he is running that special race just for you.

winkle, you do deserve a baybee. We are all occasionally crap at health and seduction. Why are you in Centre Parcs?

Rie if that was meant to have links I couldn't work them.

Am all alone in center Parcs feeling wheesy and sore and a bit drunk and missing Husband, to my surprise.

Perhaps if I am so poor at my baybee encouraging health kick, and so poor at enticing Husband towards sechs, I don't deserve to win one.

Look! Frankel! In the news!!

hayfever! What's hayfaver? Well I googled. At the uni it's only £15 a session and the first one is free! Talked to MSB and he reckons I should go for it so I'll ring and book it Tuesday :) ooh I'm after having some woo! Honestly though, my IBS is awful, I am constantly snuffly, dry skin, this chronic abdo pain, if there's something that will help at that price, I'm game! Discount if you block book too.

Sorted IBS and hayfaver?! I really must look into it!

I swear by the acupuncture woo. Sorted out my IBS, hay fever and my needles lady is amazing. My sessions are like therapy.

I think that sums it up naicely norf. Those are the 'extra mile' things and the people who did them will remember you :)

New-name-faif - yes vair vair good for utis. I went to a chain of Chinese medicine shops. Can't remember how much it cost but twas worth every penny.