Neil King's Marlborough Downs yard is ready and waiting for the winter jumps season
Regulation The jump season 'proper' is about to begin, but already during the 'summer jump season' Neil King's Upper Herdswick Farm yard - by Barbury Castle - has sent out sixteen winners. In his latest newsletter, King admits that while it is 'a little early' to be looking at statistics 'it is pleasing to be in the top echelons of the trainers table.'
Sixteen winners - all over hurdles - eleven seconds and ten thirds makes for a tidy total of £88,000 in prize money for his owners. And some of those winners have been startling successes.
Last month Lizzie Kelly rode the six year-old bay gelding Regulation to win by a length in a two mile novices hurdle at Warwick. And twelve days later she brought him home in second place to the favoured Maputo at Huntingdon.
This is what they call an 'improving horse' - for on Friday (October 16) King's stable jockey Trevor Whelan rode Regulation to a scorching ten length win at Wincanton.
The Racing Post summary of the race reads like a trainer's dream: 'Regulation rout: there was a sound gallop in this competitive-looking handicap, but it was one-way traffic...Regulation absolutely routed his rivals...A winter break is probably on the cards and a flat two mile looks best for him, so targeting Aintree next April would appeal."
Regulation was entered for a two mile novice hurdle at Kempton on Sunday (October 18) - but was declared as a non-runner. The spring will no doubt see him back to form after his winter rest.
Ballyvoneen at Neil King's Open Day in September 2015Success in horseracing often lies close to tragedy. Neil King's newsletter pays an emotional tribute to ten year old bay gelding Ballyvoneen who had to be put down after a fall in the conditional jockeys' handicap chase at Chepstow the previous weekend (October 10.)
"Trainers', King writes, "are not supposed to have favourites but Ballyvoneen was a horse that gave me so much pleasure and who I looked forward to riding out every morning."
King had spotted this Irish bred horse while buying horses in Ireland - he could not find an owner for him and had to wait for the horse's second sales appearance to buy him for 20,000 guineas. He was not an easy horse and finding the right jockey for him took, says King, a while.
"Once Trevor [Whelan] had got the hang of him there was no better person for him, he knew how to kid him along and let Ballyvoneen do the jumping and then once he had persuaded him into contention he was then strong enough to get the best out of him."
Then, with 56 chase runs, nine wins, seven seconds, ten thirds and £40,000 in prize money to Ballyvoneen's credit, came the Chepstow October weekend meeting:
"Saturday turned into the most awful day for us all, after absolutely winging his way over the first three fences which would have given him and Lizzie such a buzz, so sadly he made a dreadful mistake putting down into the open ditch and paid the ultimate price."
"I made it down the track in time to him to see him and hold him whilst the vet dealt with him and tearfully thanked him for being such a fabulous horse to me and for all the pleasure he had given others. Lizzie and [stable girl] Rosie were both terribly upset, but thankfully Lizzie was not hurt any more than badly bruised and battered."
He was racing in the colours of the stables Ridgeway Racing for Fun Partnership. Neil King has received many messages from fans of the horse. And sums up: "I'm so glad that so many other people had the respect and got enjoyment from our mere 105 rated three mile chaser, like I did and I hope you did."
The full jumps season should, with some real prospects in the yard, hold many more successes for Neil King, his jockeys and staff. And, one hopes, no more tragedies.