Sally Randell becomes a licensed trainer - taking over Andy Turnell's Broad Hinton yard
It has been a long and frustrating few months. Now Sally Randell Racing of Broad Hinton is official - and officially licensed.
She has been assistant trainer to Andy Turnell and today (November 19) she declares Sir Albie for his National Hunt flat race at Haydock on Friday - he will be the first horse running in her name as his licensed trainer.
Sally Randell applied to the British Horseracing Authority for her trainer's license back in July. She got her NVQ Level 3 in horse management and she did the required modules at the British Racing School in Newmarket - alongside Richard Hughes.
Like Hughes, Sally is a jockey turned trainer. After five years with the Royal Artillery, she became the first woman to win Sandown's Grand Military Gold Cup - and after winning it twice more, retired from the saddle and started training point-to- pointers.
She came to the Broad Hinton yard a year after Andy Turnell suffered a stroke and had had to close the yard. As assistant trainer, she helped re-open it and has been bringing more owners and horses to the yard.
Most of the Sally Randell Racing team - l to r: Emma Owen, Sally Randell, Gerald Burton, Sam Burton, Kate Leahy and Brodie HampsonIn those months she has been gathering a team to work under Andy and ready for when her license came through. The yard will be sponsored by the Jigsaw women's dress chain.
Gerald Burton is her yard manager. He was an amateur jockey for twenty years, worked as travelling head lad for local trainer Jim Old on the Barbury Castle downs, and started his own training yard for point-to-pointers. In his spare time he enjoys training his children's ponies to race.
Emma Owen is Sally's racing secretary. She has a degree in nutrition from Nottingham University. She has her own small yard - Coldharbour Grazing near Faringdon. Her main interest is in breeding and hopes to expand the stud side of her yard over the next few years: "I also enjoy competing with my own two horses in British Dressage and British Eventing."
Brodie Hampson is an amateur jockey with a Category B licence - which allows her to ride against professional jockeys in National Hunt races. She started riding point-to-pointers while Sally was training them. On the flat she has had 30 rides with five winners and seven placings.
Over jumps Brodie has had 38 rides with seven winners and ten placings: "Looking to the future I hope to progress to riding a lot more winners and riding for different trainers and owners - and hope to turn professional once I have achieved everything I would like to as a an amateur."
Sam Burton (Gerald's son) has worked for Roger Charlton at Beckhampton and for Louise Carberry in France. He has raced ponies - and competed as part of the British team against Ireland in County Kerry. He has been working with Sally for over a year, has his amateur dual licence and looks forward to riding in point-to-points and under rules for Sally Randell Racing.
Kate Leahy studied horsemanship and equitation in college and when she was 18 first worked in racing for an Irish trainer. In May this year she began a fourteen week course at the British School of Racing - were she met Sally and was offered a job: "I am delighted to be a part of the team here at Sally's and next year I hope to take out my amateur licence."
James Best started racing on the flat - following in his grandfather's footsteps. But switched to the jumps and worked for Alan King and won an important amateur race at Cheltenham. Now he is a freelance jockey and rode 'a few winners' for Sally last season: "Target for this season is to ride out the last few winners of my [conditional jockey's] three pound claim. My aspiration for the future is to be in the top twenty jockeys in the country."
Tanya Charlton worked for eight years at Mick Channon's yard. She started working at Broad Hinton this year: In the future, I hope to start riding again and become a full time yard manager and maybe assistant trainer."
Laura Brown has worked in racing since she was sixteen - for Peter Taylor, Jeff King and then Andy Turnell. She now works for Wiltshire Council - and does the Saturday shifts and rides out for Sally.
Who is the other very important person in the team, the man with all the experience? Andy Turnell was a successful jockey for 19 years, a successful trainer for 34 years. He trained winners of the Grand National, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Hennessy and Whitbread - as well as a fourth in the Derby. He still likes to go racing and will still be involved in the running of the yard - as assistant trainer.
Coming soon: Sally Randell Racing's horses to watch.