Ogbourne Maizey trainer Emma Lavelle has continued the tremendous form of her summer Jumps team since the season's late start on July 1st, clocking a fifth winner from 15 runners at Market Rasen earlier this week, when Enniscoffey Oscar stayed on to win the 0-140 Handicap Hurdle by 1 1/4 lengths. Emma's purple patch this month has allowed her a 33% strike rate to be envied by any stable.
Not to be outdone, near neighbour Neil King, sitting atop the Barbury hills at Burderop in the yard that housed most recently Champion Hurdle winner Collier Bay, kept the Wiltshire flag flying when Brandon Castle justified favouritism with a 3 3/4l victory in the 2m handicap hurdle. Neil's summer hurdlers have - impossibly - an even better strike rate, at 38%.
Neil is no stranger to the Point-to-Point scene, having grown up in Bury St Edmunds in a farming family where Pointing was in the forefront of winter activity. He spent two years with Nicky Henderson before setting up his own livery and Point-to-Point yard, riding and training winners between the flags and under Rules, before embarking upon a professional career as a trainer in Newmarket in 2002.
However, the move to Barbury's chalk downland has escalated his presence in the National Hunt scene, virtually doubling the number of Jumps winners in the 6 seasons after the move to the 20 or so before. Horses of the calibre of Milansbar and Lilrockerfeller have provided that Saturday horse profile every aspiring trainer needs.
Neil's experience proves once again, were proof needed, that trainers and riders of the future more often than not learn their trade at venues like Barbury before graduating to the professional ranks.
Racing may be lacking something in colour and atmosphere in our "behind closed doors" environment, but there's no faulting the appetite of the Marlborough-based racing fraternity to make up for lost time in the past 3 months when racing was sidelined. And whilst normally at this time of year, the horse population would be at its smallest leading to the occasional small field, field sizes are holding up very well, illustrating excellent planning by the sport's governing body and the persuasive talents of our trainers in keeping owners onside for much smaller prizes due to constraints on racecourse finances and the Levy.
Meanwhile, planning is moving forward for a new season's Pointing, starting as early as October 24 with fixtures switched from the congested Spring period. Whilst Barbury's fixture list is unaltered, the PPA is working hard to balance the commercial needs of organising committees with making best use of the horse population over an extended 8+ month season. In short, no-one is idle in the recess!
Ogbourne Maizey trainer Emma Lavelle has continued the tremendous form of her summer Jumps team since the season's late start on July 1st, clocking a fifth winner from 15 runners at Market Rasen earlier this week, when Enniscoffey Oscar stayed on to win the 0-140 Handicap Hurdle by 1 1/4 lengths. Emma's purple patch this month has allowed her a 33% strike rate to be envied by any stable.
Not to be outdone, near neighbour Neil King, sitting atop the Barbury hills at Burderop in the yard that housed most recently Champion Hurdle winner Collier Bay, kept the Wiltshire flag flying when Brandon Castle justified favouritism with a 3 3/4l victory in the 2m handicap hurdle. Neil's summer hurdlers have - impossibly - an even better strike rate, at 38%.
Neil is no stranger to the Point-to-Point scene, having grown up in Bury St Edmunds in a farming family where Pointing was in the forefront of winter activity. He spent two years with Nicky Henderson before setting up his own livery and Point-to-Point yard, riding and training winners between the flags and under Rules, before embarking upon a professional career as a trainer in Newmarket in 2002.
However, the move to Barbury's chalk downland has escalated his presence in the National Hunt scene, virtually doubling the number of Jumps winners in the 6 seasons after the move to the 20 or so before. Horses of the calibre of Milansbar and Lilrockerfeller have provided that Saturday horse profile every aspiring trainer needs.
Neil's experience proves once again, were proof needed, that trainers and riders of the future more often than not learn their trade at venues like Barbury before graduating to the professional ranks.
Racing may be lacking something in colour and atmosphere in our "behind closed doors" environment, but there's no faulting the appetite of the Marlborough-based racing fraternity to make up for lost time in the past 3 months when racing was sidelined. And whilst normally at this time of year, the horse population would be at its smallest leading to the occasional small field, field sizes are holding up very well, illustrating excellent planning by the sport's governing body and the persuasive talents of our trainers in keeping owners onside for much smaller prizes due to constraints on racecourse finances and the Levy.
Meanwhile, planning is moving forward for a new season's Pointing, starting as early as October 24 with fixtures switched from the congested Spring period. Whilst Barbury's fixture list is unaltered, the PPA is working hard to balance the commercial needs of organising committees with making best use of the horse population over an extended 8+ month season. In short, no-one is idle in the recess!
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