THE final day of the jumps season is upon is and despite a few ups and downs, as is usually the case when training racehorses, we’ve still enjoyed a good year with 120 winners which has helped us amass over £2.3 million in prize money and the horses have all performed very well so we nothing to compel about and have plenty to look forward to going into the summer.

Constitution Hill is obviously one we are all excited about and while we toyed with the idea of going to Punchestown the decision to save him for next year is the correct one and hopefully we will all end up at Cheltenham in March.

Unfortunately Shishkin’s season ended rather abruptly but at least we have a reason and he’ll receive plenty of rest and recuperation before going on holiday. 

Jonbon has also been very good all the way through and will now go home to Martinstown for a well deserved holiday. He’ll make a great chaser. 

Epatante was very good at Aintree and I do think we had her back to her best this season. If there was no Honeysuckle she would have regained her Unibet Champion Hurdle Crown last month but she still ran a great race there before bolting up at Aintree. She will run at Punchestown en-route to JP’s for the summer. City Chief, The Bomber Liston, Fils D’Oudairies and Marie’s Rock are our other runners at Punchestown next week.

I couldn’t end this week’s blog without issuing some ‘thank yous’ and ‘congratulations’ and the first of which must go to my wonderful and loyal owners who continue to support us, especially in times like this which are particularly difficult for so many. It would be impossible for me to name all of them because I’d be here all day but rest assured, we have the best set of owners any trainer could wish for and they have all become great friends along the way. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.

For the first time in a couple of years we can all now jet away somewhere sunny and no doubt that’s what a lot of the staff at Seven Barrows will be doing over the next few weeks. Without a top team behind you we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the success we have, so a big ‘thank you’ to everyone at home who all play an integral part in keeping the show on the road.

I’d like to congratulate James and Nico on their respective season’s. Poor James was out for a while with a broken wrist and was trying to get up to 75 for the season but unfortunately he got stuck on 74 which is very frustrating but I’m sure he’ll surpass that next year and he’s a great guy to have around the place.

Nico has been brilliant; cool, calm and collected as he always is, along with being a thorough professional. We are very lucky to have a jockey like him riding for us because his feedback is always excellent and he looks after every single horse he rides and doesn’t give them an unnecessarily hard race. They’ve both been brilliant and I couldn’t have two better men. 

We also bid farewell to Billy Aprahamian who has been my assistant trainer since Toby Lawes departed a few years ago and he’s completed all the necessary courses so will set up training in Northampton in his own right next season. Billy is a great guy and a wonderful rider and horseman who I’m sure will be a huge success at training winners – although not too successful, I hope!

Congratulations must also go to Paul Nicholls on retaining his Championship crown. Paul is a great guy who knows his horses inside out and is still as competitive as ever! It is a marvelous achievement to win it for an incredible 13^th time and Paul and all his team at Ditcheat deserve great credit.

I’d also like to commend Brian Hughes for joining AP, Scu and Dickie Johnson in becoming a member of the ‘200 winners in a season club’ at Perth this week.

His achievement is even more significant because nowadays jockeys are only allowed to ride at one meeting which means he can’t be dashing off here there and everywhere to get rides, so he should be commended. It’s hard for jockeys to stay fit and healthy all season but I think Brian managed to stay sound all the way through so a very well done to him!

Finally, Dave Roberts. Dave announced his retirement earlier this week and I have to admit I do not know what we will do without him; I really don’t. Nobody will understand what that man has done and achieved over the years. He has been fantastic to so many of us and such a help when it comes to knowing what horse is running in what race which consequently makes it easier for us when booking jockeys and declaring our runners. I talk to him about five times a day and he has been such an incredible help. He is not just a jockeys’ agent, for sure – there’s much more to it than just ringing up and saying what jockey is riding what!

He started to take less jockeys on over the past couple of years but he’d always find a space to look after ours and we’re all very grateful he that was able to look after us so well.

He’s been unbelievable and we are going to miss him enormously. I wish him a very happy and long retirement, he certainly deserves it.

SANDOWN

2:25 G2 Oaksey Chase

Mister Fisher (Nico De Boinville)

He was ultimately quite disappointing in the Grade One at Aintree and James reported that he was never really travelling with his usual fluency, hence making a torrid mistake at the 11^th which put him right out of the race. But we’ve had his back looked at and he’s been treated for a few issues so hopefully you’ll see the real Mister Fisher here. The ground will be absolutely perfect and the race has cut up so he must come into this with a favourite’s chance and it would be nice for him to make amends for an unlucky defeat last year.

4:07 G2 Select Hurdle

Fusil Raffles (Daryl Jacob)

We did think about the Oaksey Chase with him as well but we rather thought a switch back to hurdles would be a nice idea and the drop back down in trip, at a course like this, won’t be an issue. He’s been a great servant all the way through and there’s very little between the whole field on ratings so he comes into this with a good a chance.

5:15 H’cap Hurdle

Call Me Lord (Daryl Jacob)

He absolutely loves the track and should find this a little easier than the Coral Cup at Cheltenham last time where I don’t think he was really in love with the ground. He’s off a career low handicap mark and if things pan out, I’d expect him to run well. He worked well the other day.

Glynn (Nico De Boinville)

He’s had various issues with have kept him off the track, and he does struggle with his wind, but he’s a very good horse and his owners have been incredibly patient so it would be nice if he could reward them with a good run here. He hasn’t run since last June but is straight enough to do himself justice and is an interesting contender.