'Everything's dandy' - ten chickens, seven horses, four dogs and one betting industry heavyweight

Racing and betting in Britain should probably have more of a symbiotic relationship than is the case, but events in West Berkshire at the start of 2024 are making up for that.

East Garston, not far from Lambourn, is where Tom Fillery – a one-time assistant to Tom George and Oliver Sherwood – lives with his wife Alice, who used to be Clive Cox's secretary, and their young son Freddie.

However, the family have jetted off to South Africa for five weeks, so Fillery, who helped to build Ben Pauling's impressive yard in Gloucestershire and had Sam Thomas of Denman fame as best man at his wedding in September, has turned to a betting industry heavyweight in Paul 'Binners' Binfield to housesit.