Kim Bailey

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 rarely-achieved Cheltenham Festival double in 1995 of the Gold Cup with Master Oats and the Champion Hurdle with Alderbrook, he has had to re-invent himself. The first phase occurred in the family yard in Northamptonshire and during his initial heyday he once recorded a best-ever 86 wins. Then his fortunes slumped to the extent that in four seasons during the early 2000's tallies of 6, 6, 9 and finally 3 signalled imminent disaster. Happily his move to his present base at Andoversford near Cheltenham has coincided with a wonderful revival. Sensible re-stocking and imaginative marketing have brought a revival reminiscent of that achieved by the late Sir Henry Cecil when Frankel moved into Warren Place at a time of his lowest ebb.

Warren Greatrex

Warren Greatrex. 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 has usually managed to keep things under control. Multiple winner La Bague Au Roi has been a big player for Warren in recent seasons and while she didn't make a major contribution in the latest frustrating campaign she could come back stronger next term given better ground. One horse which did progress after a similarly frustrating start was Emiton. Winner of five of his first six races - his initial defeat was when finishing second to Champ at Aintree in April 2019 - he made a very disappointing comeback at Cheltenham on New Year's Day. However Warren turned him round to such an extent that he won his trial for the Stayers Hurdle in great style next time out at Haydock, making him one of the prime dangers to Paisley Park at the Festival.

Micky Hammond

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 for Hammond who has often taken other trainers' cast-offs and brought them back to winning ways. For the most part big-race success has eluded him but in the latest season, the almost constant heavy ground played firmly into the hands of stable star Cornerstone Lad. Against all expectations this modest stayer on the Flat progressed into a true Graded performer over jumps, beating former Champion Hurdler Buveur D'Air with a battling front-running display in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle and then almost defying a 6lb penalty when a close third to Ballyandy and Pentland Hills in the Unibet Trial at Haydock. The Champion Hurdle itself proved a step too far and perhaps in view of his high rating, a switch to chasing might suit this brilliant jumper.

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 in Charlie's case), affable and brothers-in-law! They can both train horses too, Charlie quickly getting into his stride early in the piece, once stretching into the 70's for winners. He soon attracted the attention of Her Majesty, the Queen and has sent out a number of decent winners in the Royal colours. The overall tally, while still respectable, has come down a little more recently as some of the stable stalwarts have got longer in the tooth. A measure though of his talent was the fact that old Loose Chips was able to be readied for what was to be a final win before retirement this year at the grand age of 15. Charlie and his owners have responded to the change in circumstances by recruiting stores and former Irish point-to-pointers, but of course bringing them through and preparing them in the correct manner for the eventual career as steeplechasers is always a time-consuming process.

Hughie Morrison

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 a disappointment, slipping a little numerically, but it was exciting as the year of Telecaster, winner of the Dante Stakes and for a while the main English defender of the Derby against the might of Coolmore. As it turned out, as the trainer feared, the colt probably got stage-fright but he will be back in 2020 to compete once more at the top level. What hasn't changed, apart from that first Derby attempt, was Hughie's ability to pick up big races and but for some awful luck Marmelo, such a prolific winner in stayers' races especially in France might have had a chance of improving on his 2018 Melbourne Cup second. Hughie was furious when the gelding was eliminated from the field on the eve of the contest by the veterinary panel even though Hughie and his own private vet were adamant he was perfectly sound. As a man who has trained Group 1 winning stayers and champion sprinters, Morrison covers the full gamut, and his horses uniformly last longer than many other trainers' inmates.

Fergal O'Brien

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 another decent period, Fergal chose the middle of the latest season to move to a custom-built new location tucked away in hilly countryside a few miles closer to Cheltenham. The horses, already in form, came over in small groups and at the start they had to fulfil their work routines while skirting all the evidence of major new construction. Despite all the inconvenience, Fergal and his team contrived to improve his already impressive strike-rate, giving credit for the health of his team to the new location and gallops. As yet the overall progression has not been accompanied by victories at the highest level, but few trainers enjoyed a higher profile or more universal public acclaim in the latest season. This inevitably has led to major owners being attracted, so that elusive big-race success cannot be long delayed. What has become obvious, and happily for the subscribers to this service, is that when Fergal gives one of his horses a winning chance, it invariably goes close!

Ben Pauling

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 Hill to seven successive wins culminating in the Challow Hurdle before a creditable fourth place at the Cheltenham Festival. Willoughby Court followed, winning the Neptune Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham to give Ben that elusive first Festival winner. He capped that achievement when Le Breuil impressively won the National Hunt Chase at the 2019 Festival. His latest season was rather stop-and-go, with much of the autumn and early winter hampered by a viral issue, but he was back in form by March and was highly frustrated when the promised flow of spring winners was halted by events beyond his or anyone else's control. There is plenty of equine talent for this highly-capable trainer to exploit and he'll be ready to kick on when racing returns.

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 look back favourably on such as Playlord and Grand National winners Lucius and Hallo Dandy as well as the great grey, but in his turn the son brilliantly supervised the long, spectacular career of much-loved Monet's Garden. Nicky has maintained a high level of achievement since those heady days and if the latest uncompleted season's figures slipped a little, it is easy to forget just how much racing was lost to the weather in the north through waterlogging even before the abrupt halt called immediately after Cheltenham. Big races in the north, especially Aintree and the Ayr Scottish Grand National meeting were lost. Nicky had won the Scottish National 12 months earlier with Takingrisks and that horse was being prepared for Aintree and then possibly a return to Ayr soon after when the halt was called.

Oliver Sherwood

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 path from bumper or inexperienced point-to-pointer, to hurdler (briefly usually) and on to chasing. As well as the legendary Winter, he also spent three years with Arthur Moore (son of L'Escargot's trainer Dan) before making a brilliant start to training with such as Large Action and Berude Not To. But his career enjoyed its crowning glory with Many Clouds, winner of 12 races including the 2015 Grand National for Trevor Hemmings. He won a further three races after that but tragically - a word too often used but appropriate in this case - collapsed and died after with typical bravery holding off Thistlecrack in the 2017 Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham. The same colours looked to have a star in the making last spring with Sammy Bill, but after a couple of brilliant wins, he died while exercising at home. Happily, Sherwood has improving young horses to fall back on, among them Severano and Dominateur who promise great things for the future for this tried and tested stable.

Ali Stronge

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 for several months but they showed great patience allowing time to heal. Winners were starting to come with something like normal regularity but then the shut-down happened. This pair truly is a team, Ali generally keeping things ticking at the yard and Sam providing the planning and racecourse presence. A proper year-round operation, Sam's jumping background is priceless and reflected in wins for chasers and hurdlers while they can also plot up a handicap winner on the Flat, be it sprinter or stayer, when the right opportunity presents itself.

Tom Clover

Tom and Jackie both bring expertise, experience and enthusiasm to their enterprise which is based in Newmarket – the historic home of horseracing.

After three successful seasons in rented stables, Tom relocated to the historic Kremlin House Stables in September, the former base of his late father-in-law Michael Jarvis. During Michael’s illustrious career he saddled winners at Royal Ascot, of domestic and foreign Classics and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Tom – and his family – have been around horses most of their lives. He rode in point-to-points as a young man and, after gaining a diploma from the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, started out as a pupil assistant with jumps trainer Charlie Longsdon. Tom soon stepped up to assistant trainer as the operation doubled in size.

William Knight

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 prove a thing of the past as he adjusts to life in Rathmoy stables, latterly the location for David Lanigan, now off to train in the US, and previously of Neville Callaghan. Lanigan made numerous improvements there and Knight is rightly excited not only by his new base but also the unmatched facilities available around Newmarket. He will be well placed to use either Racecourse or Bury side of the town from Hamilton Road and no doubt his bloodstock agent brother Richard will be quick to suggest William as a suitable handler for clients who want horses trained at HQ. Knight enjoyed plenty of success in the first half of his time in West Sussex with former handicapper Illustrious Blue, winner of six races at Goodwood alone, finally the Goodwood Cup before being acquired to race in Australia. With Goodwood now a couple of hours at least away rather than around the corner, maybe William will find an alternative favourite location, perhaps on the new home turf!

John Best

In 2015, John moved to Eyehorn Farm and the move proved to be a great one with the support of Nick and Ksenia along with much better facilities, the winners rolled in with probably Berrahri being the highlight of recent years winning many times on the snow in St. Moritz, including the Grand Prix in 2019. This tough consistent performer has now won a total of 20 races and continues to defy his age at 11.

Other notable wins include Sir Gerry who won in Meydan, Dubai and also Stone Of Folca who still holds the world record for the fastest ever 5f race when winning The Dash at Epsom!