Tuesday, December 27, 2016
With our last runner of the year on Wednesday I would like to thank first of all my owners who have supported me over my first year of training. We have had a successful year with 37 winners. It was unlucky that they changed the trainers season as it meant I lost my lost my first 9 winners to the previous season! However in 2016 I saddled my first group runners, my first winner at Goodwood and also my first foreign winner. Paco’s Angel topped the 2 year olds finishing the year on a rating 97 and Nigel enjoyed 3 successes including the prestigious Newmarket Challenge Whip.
This past year was also a steep learning curve, some of the babies got very sick during the season. I would like to think that hopefully we have stored the information as to what worked and what didn’t and that this should stand us in good stead going forward.
I was fortunate that I had experience riding on the gallops here. There is a great variety of gallops in Lambourn, enabling me to be successful at training horses over a variety of different trips. The Jockey Club estate staff do a fantastic job maintaining all the gallops.
In 2017 I will be going into battle with 50 older horses, compared to last year when I had less than 20. A lot of the yearlings I purchased last year where bought in mind to be 3 year olds not 2 year olds, so I am looking forward to a fun time with them. We will have about 30 yearlings in training and my approach with them will continue to be cautious as they will tell me when they are ready, I won’t be rushing any of them to the racecourse.
The horses I bought from the autumn sales been well received and I am very fortune to have such continued support from my current owners. We also welcome some new faces on board this year and wish them every success and an enjoyable time with their new purchases. Our doors are always open for a morning on the gallops and of course I am grateful to Lizzie who has created such a beautiful owners room in which to re fuel!
We will have a couple of horses running in the first few of weeks in the New Year including Cape Discovery, Hathfa and Barye. I am also keen to get new recruit Bluff Crag out on the course, he is a horse I bought from the HIT sales after riding him in the Legends race. We have a stake for sale in him and the details of are on our Horses For sale page, along with a couple of other shares we have in some yearlings. Please don’t hesitate to call me directly if you wold like any more information on the horses I have available.
We have a created a good foundation at Weathercock House, a few staff have come and gone but the base structure and routine that has been created is working well, there is a fantastic atmosphere. I couldn’t be happier with the horses this winter and they all look fantastic. I am looking forward to a full house of horses and plenty of winners, hopefully with some Group success to add to the tally!