Category Archives: Trainers

Nicky Richards It was never going to be easy following a legend of the status of Gordon W Richards, but One Man’s trainer would be proud if he could look down on the consistent achievements of his son Nicky since he took over at Greystoke stables just before the turn of the century. History can…

Oliver has been a constant around Lambourn for many years, initially as assistant trainer to Fred Winter when he was also a highly-accomplished amateur rider, but for the past 30 years as trainer at Rhonehurst stables. Consistency has been the watchword for winners each season as well as the ability to bring horses through the…

If there is an all-year-round trainer on our books it has to be Ian Williams. Son of a trainer, Billy Williams, he initially showed little sign of wanting to follow the parental profession but then aged 18 had second thoughts and joined Jenny Pitman as assistant in her heyday. Then, following further spells with Martin…

Irish-born Brian, son of a veterinary surgeon, has been around the training game for a long time, indeed it was as far back as 1993 that he took out his first licence from a yard in Lambourn following six years as assistant to his mentor Richard Hannon senior. Big-race wins followed almost immediately, increasing in…

William Knight will be making a big step at the start of the 2020 season. After 14 years’ training in the peaceful surroundings of the Angmering Park estate, home and training base of the late Lady Anne Herries, William is moving to Newmarket. Consistent seasonal tallies of around 20, his score in 2019, may well…

Some trainers are unflappable when they have a winner. Others get excited. And then there’s Warren Greatrex! When Cole Harden gave him the first of what we’re sure will be many Cheltenham Festival winners he simply broke down under the emotion of the moment. He’s had plenty of reasons to be excited since, but he…

Micky Hammond first came to prominence as a jump jockey with the shrewd Reg Akehurst back in the 1980’s and much of the old master’s skills have stayed with him during a 30-year training career, initially in the south, but for the longest period based at Middleham in North Yorkshire. Patience has been the watchword…

Kim Bailey has been training and winning big races for more than 40 years. Son of jumps trainer Ken, he furthered his education under the great Fred Rimell and Tim Forster. His career has defied gravity in that after its first exciting phase when he won the 1990 Grand National with Mr Frisk, and the…

Since starting training almost two decades ago Hughie Morrison has been almost like a metronome. Generally, his Berkshire stable has typically collected around 45 Flat wins worth £600,000 or thereabouts in prizemoney. His carefully-selected jumpers, often home-breds starting in bumpers, bring somewhere between five and eight NH wins every season. In some ways 2019 was…

Although Harry Whittington has been training horses for the past ten seasons it wasn’t until 2015-6 that he passed double figures for any single campaign. He made the jump from eight to 21, then promptly dropped back down to 13. But it has definitely been a case of ever upward since, maintaining scores into the…

The 2019-20 season might have seemed almost a routine further step up the ladder for the Fergal O’Brien stable, but in fact it was considerably more than that. Having been closely allied, first as assistant trainer for many years, and then as tenant to trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies in his Upper Yard at Naunton, Gloucestershire for…

You need to have a second look – probably ask for his passport – to believe Charlie Mann has held a trainer’s licence in Lambourn for 27 seasons. After a quiet start the ever-youthful former jump jockey was soon into double figures, but it was in a reprise of his former role that he first…

Charlie Longsdon. Charlie Longsdon has more than a little in common with another of our trainers, Ben Pauling. Like Ben he was a former assistant trainer to Nicky Henderson, just vacating that role when Ben was moving into position, to set up his own business in Oxfordshire in 2006. They are also both tall (very…

Ali Stronge, with her husband, former jump jockey Sam, himself son of NH rider Robert, has been gradually upgrading their joint-purpose yard near Lambourn. They have deservedly earned the reputation of getting the best out of their generally modestly-priced horses. In the summer of 2019 they had a crippling virus which held them back severely…

It is hard to believe that Ben Pauling has held a trainer’s licence since 2013. He has certainly not stood still since ending those six years as assistant trainer to Nicky Henderson, one of many to learn at the feet of the UK’s greatest-ever Cheltenham-winning handler. Pauling made an impressive start, guiding the highly-talented Barters…