The Oliver Sherwood Renaissance
Oliver Sherwood and 'Clouds'Harriet Rochester visits the home of Hennessy Gold Cup victors Oliver Sherwood and Many Clouds
Last Saturday afternoon (November 29) the parade ring at Newbury Racecourse rang with jubilant cheers from the stable team and a throng of supporters of Lambourn trainer Oliver Sherwood, who had just saddled Many Clouds to win The Hennessy Gold Cup. Ridden by stable jockey Leighton Aspell, Many Clouds put in a very brave performance to land the historic trophy and win a pot worth just under £100,000.
“Horses plans are often derailed, it’s the nature of the game. But this season Many Clouds literally has not missed a day’s work, his preparation for the Hennessy was foot perfect. He put in a mighty effort on Saturday and I am thrilled for the horse, his owner Trevor Hemmings and all of his connections. He has come out of the race very well, on Sunday he was kicking and bucking in his field”, Oliver explains as Many Clouds snaffles a well-deserved Polo or two from him over the stable door.
This win was a personal favourite for me - as for many other people. For several years Oliver has welcomed me to his Rhonehurst stables to ride out, generously assigning me on many a wintery ‘morn’ a gentlemanly or ladylike ‘lot’. So it comes straight from the horse’s mouth, no pun intended, that the attention to detail and knowledge that the horses in Oliver’s care receive is second to none.
Such care, combined with a dedicated, hard-working and brilliant team, makes Saturday’s big win so very deserving.
Rewind 24 years and Arctic Call ridden by Jamie Osborne won Oliver his first Hennessy and in the late 80’s the trainer had one of the strongest teams of national hunt horses in Britain. But more recently times have been lean.
“Over the past 10 years there have been some very tough times and I considered packing up training. I hoped Many Clouds might be a Hennessy horse this time last year, but you never think it is going to happen – winning the Hennessy Gold Cup.”
Over recent jump racing seasons Oliver has been knocking back on the national hunt door and his fortune's appeared to be changing, but often fate would then wade in. The exuberant Eric’s Charm springs to mind as a memorable Sherwood flag bearer - winning some significant races. He was renowned on the yard as a real character and it was cruel blow to all involved with him when he sustained a bad injury while racing and very sadly had to be put down.
Saturday’s race has been described by many as a ‘vintage’ Hennessy, “It was a tough race on all the runners”, Oliver says and recounts the final moments before Many Clouds well and truly returned him to the top of the training ranks.
“It was a really interesting race as there were no fallers, but it was a war of attrition with quite a few pulling up down the final straight. During the later stages I said to my racing secretary Emma Chugg and her husband Richard ‘he is not going as well as I hoped’, which has become a bit of a joke now, and I thought he may run into a place."
Leighton Aspell with fans & Cup (photo courtesy Newbury Racecourse)With Many Clouds flanked by Chris Jerden, who looks after him and travelling head girl Lisa Kozak, Oliver reflects on the rapturous applause as the horse entered Newbury’s winner’s enclosure: “Saturday was memorable in more ways than one, nearly all of the team was there and I didn’t expect the reception we got. I feel it’s good to get some romance and grass roots celebration back into the sport, we are a smallish yard and so this is very rewarding to star in a big Saturday show. I was very humbled by the whole experience.”
In addition to ‘Clouds’, there are several horse’s emerging as bright young things for the Sherwood Stable. Puffin Billy and Deputy Dan are both exciting and progressive chasers and should hold strong claims at the Cheltenham Festival in March. It’s A Sting is another Oliver gives the nod as one to watch from the stable following a very promising second at Ascot earlier this month.
(Photo courtesy Newbury Racecourse)Returning to his Hennessy hero, Oliver forecast’s his campaign: “Clouds holds an entry for the Lexus Chase in Ireland over Christmas, but I feel the race could come a too soon for him. So either the Argento Chase at Cheltenham in January or the Denman Chase back at Newbury in February are earmarked as his next likely outing."
"He still has a bit to improve on and forgetting the RSA Chase at the Festival when he was brought down, he has improved with every run, so I feel we have nothing to lose targeting the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March”.
The Sherwood resurgence is in full cry - here’s to the continued good fortunes of Oliver and that they remain on cloud nine.