Young Joe Parr only began training last year following the retirement of his grandfather, the legendary Alan Bailey, but has made an instant impact with an enviable strike rate on the All-Weather.
The 34-year-old’s win percentage at Wolverhampton stands at a remarkable 30 per cent at the start of Season 9. He went into the new campaign with nine winners from just 30 runners on the Tapeta surface.
Parr is also matching some of the more established trainers at Kempton Park, where he has sent out four winners from only 16 runners on the Polytrack including a quickfire October double with the improving Queen Of Burgundy.
“The type of races they put on at those tracks suit the calibre of horses I’ve got,” says Parr. “I’ve always been brought up to understand the importance of keeping them in the grade they can win in and not to over face them.”
Lessons learned during a seven-year apprenticeship as assistant trainer to the ever-shrewd Bailey, who numbered two Chester Cups, the Ayr Gold Cup and numerous successful ‘touches’ during a 50-year career. Parr’s father Stewart was a trainer himself in the noughties, whilst mother Lorraine was racing secretary to Bailey.
“My grandad and my parents are a great support when I need their advice,” adds Parr, a former equine science graduate who sent out his first winner Clem A at Wolverhampton just before lockdown brought racing to a sudden halt.
“The pandemic couldn’t have hit at a worse time. Training and running a small business without the support of big owners can be tough at the best of times but we turned the horses out and somehow got through it,” he recalls.
Parr has certainly made up for lost time and is looking forward to building on his solid if protracted start with a successful winter on the sand. “I don’t set myself any targets,” he adds. “I don’t have any grandiose plans to have 100 horses but am committed to trying to improve my stock. It’s important to get those Saturday horses that do attract bigger owners and make you more relevant.”
Here, Parr nominates 10 horses to follow to attheraces.com's Simon Mapletoft.
