Joseph Parr is, in fact, the grandson of former trainer Alan Bailey, who retired in January 2020, and, since February that year, has held a training licence in his own right at Frankland Lodge Stables on the Hamilton Road in Newmarket. On his retirement, Bailey sold nearby Cavendish Stables, where Parr had acted as his assistant for the last few years of his career, to James Tate and transferred some of his string the fledgling trainer at his new yard.
Bailey, a 40-year veteran in the training ranks, advised Parr not to take out a training licence, but he was not to be deterred, saying, ‘…it’s always been an ambition of mine to train, so I’m happy to give it a good go.’ Indeed, Parr made a flying start to his new career, saddling his first winner, Clem A, in a handicap at Wolverhampton on March 9. 2020, just three weeks after his taking out his licence. He enjoyed a successful debut season, training 11 winners from 57 runners, at a strike rate of 19% and, having expanded his operation, in terms of numbers and quality, enjoyed his most successful season so far, numerically, in 2021 with 25 winners.
Parr continued in similar vein in 2022, saddling 22 winners and earning at total of nearly £217,000 in prize money. In October, 2023, he was highlighted in the ‘Racing Post’ as the trainer with the highest strike rate in Britain, having saddled five winners from 12 runners (42%) in a two-week period. Two of those winners came on the Tapeta surface at Wolverhampton, which, thus far. Has proved a happy hunting ground. All told, the young, ambitious trainer has saddled a total of 15 winners – more than at any other course – from 80 runners (19%) at Dunstall Park in his three seasons at the helm at Frankland Lodge.
Joseph’s twitter account: https://twitter.com/ParrRacing