Hoots Toots gets to know his new home in County Durham

The Life Of Brian: Hoots Toots arrives at his new home



The Life Of Brian: Hoots Toots arrives at his new home


Posted: 15.53 • 08 Nov 2023 • Racehorses


Unlike his Monty Python namesake our Brian is not a "very naughty boy".

Very much to the contrary!

Our Brian has just retired as a three-times winning racehorse, and he has good manners and he's always done what was asked of him.

And today Brian arrived at his forever home in Country Durham where he'll live with new owner Lauren.

As a foal, 2019


Brian was foaled at Norton Grove Stud on 25th March 2019. He gained his stablename just a few hours after birth when it was decided to name him after the vet who saved his life during a complicated arrival into the world.

Brian's racing pedigree was promising.

He's from a family full of winners and it's a family that we've had at the yard for many years.

Brian's dam was Bow Bridge, a black-type winner for the stable. She won the Marygate Stakes at York in 2005 and she was also placed in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes when Royal Ascot was held at York in 2005.

Brian is a half-brother to winners So Grateful (three wins for the Racing Club), Bowson Fred, Towbee and Black Annis Bower. Brian's grand-dam, Bow Peep, won three races for the stable between 1998 and 2000.
With black-type winning dam, Bow Bridge


A black foal with an irregular white star, Brian soon started to lose his jet black baby fluff as he grew which revealed a grey summer coat underneath.

In October 2019 Brian was weaned and moved to a huge field with half a dozen young colts. His mission was to eat and grow and enjoy his young life.

As the summer of 2020 passed and COVID-19 ravaged the country Brian and his pals were unaware of the crisis as they enjoyed their young lives in the paddock.

In the late summer Brian was brought into the main yard for breaking in and pre-training and after being ridden for a few weeks he was put back out in the field and given more time to grow. He would return to the yard for race training in late 2021.

Brian as a yearling, July 2020


Brian raced in the colours of the Laura Mason Syndicate. His racing name 'Hoots Toots' came out of a Syndicate draw. Heaven only knows what it means, we didn't choose it! We prefer 'Brian'.

In the Spring of 2022 Brian (now Hoots Toots) was race-ready. He made his debut at Thirsk as a three-year-old in April 2022, finishing down the field in the 'betting.sites.ltd Promotional Sign Up Offers Restricted Maiden Stakes' where he beat just two horses home. He didn't enter many notebooks that day and after two more equally unspectacular runs he was handed a lowly BHA rating of 38. Sheikh Mohammed wasn't going to be knocking on his stable door any time soon.

However there was better to come, and just like his siblings he'd improve with age.

Brian's first signs of ability came at Thirsk in July when he finished third in the one mile 'Yorkshire Wonder Horse Race Is On Handicap'. We finally had a racehorse on our hands and the following month things got better when he won for the first time. Southwell was the venue as he came home in front in the 'JRS Road Sweeping Classified Stakes' ridden by Joanna Mason.

Brian returned to Southwell a month later and won again, this time in a better grade, before being put away for his winter break.
Joanna, Katie and Brian after winning at Southwell


After three months off Brian came back into the yard to resume his racing training and in April 2023 won on his seasonal debut at Thirsk where he completed a hat-trick. After two all weather victories it was the first time that he'd won on turf. Joanna Mason was again the jockey as they won the 'Download The Vickers.Bet App Handicap' over seven furlongs. Like many of his family before he enjoyed the soft ground and won nicely, always doing enough to coast home to victory.
After winning at Thirsk in April 2023 with Joanna


Next up Brian would bid for a four timer at Doncaster, but it all fell flat as he finished a remote 13 of 17 runners. A similar pattern would follow in his next five outings as he trailed in well beaten, culminating in a 50-length defeat at Redcar.

Brian was telling us something.

He wasn't enjoying his racing.

He no longer wanted to be a racehorse.

After 15 races and three wins it was time to call time on Brian's career.

We put Brian up for rehoming and he was unsurprisingly snapped up at his first viewing and he will now enjoy retirement away from the racecourse.

Brian will enjoy retirement with Lauren in County Durham. On the agenda is a reunion with some of his old pals who have been rehomed locally including Neverwrongforlong (Dolly) and Run Resdev Run (Stanley).

We look forward to following Brian's progress in his new life!
On the gallops, July 2023
Hoots Toots after winning at Southwell






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