RACEHORSES (JUST NOT THE EXPECTED ONES)

No Easter Monday point-to-pointing at the already once-rescheduled Hurworth meeting at Hutton Rudby for me today, and having sloshed through flooded roads at every turn before hitting the (snowed-on) A66, no bloody wonder.

An opportunity instead, though, to pick our way carefully over to Barnard Castle for a good long look inside the Bowes Museum, an act of munificence by John and Joséphine Bowes with thousands of artworks for all to enjoy.

Pevsner didn't think much of the plonking of a massive purpose-built, French-styled grand pile incongruously in the middle of Teesdale, but he's not always right.

Seeing the 1773-built silver swan automaton in action even for just 30 seconds was inevitably a highlight; but other unexpected treats included seeing the portraits of two famous racehorses, including the prolific north-eastern mare Beeswing (51 race wins, including the 1836 St Leger), still immortalised in the name of a race at Newcastle to this day. 1852 Derby winner Daniel O'Rourke featured in the other portrait.

Got some horses into the day after all, see.