UK Horse Racing Tips

Archive for the ‘Trainers / Owners’ Category

Joshua Thomas Gifford, almost universally known as ‘Josh’, is probably best remembered as the trainer of Aldaniti, whose fairytale win in the 1981 Grand National, under cancer survivor Bob Champion, later became the subject of the 1984 film, ‘Champions’. However, before turning his hand to training, at the comparatively early age of 28, Gifford was a highly successful National Hunt jockey; he was, in fact, Champion Jockey on four occasions, in 1962/63, 1963/64, 1966/67 and 1967/68, and rode a total of 642 winners. As much luck you could say, as an online blackjack champ.

Gifford was encouraged to become a trainer by his former employer, Captain Henry Ryan Price, whom he duly replaced at Down Stables in Findon, West Sussex in 1970, when Price moved to nearby Soldiers Field Stables to concentrate primarily on the Flat. In the next 33 years, Gifford saddled 1,586 winners and, while he never became Champion Trainer, was awarded an MBE for his services to horse racing in 1989. At the time of his death, in February, 2012, BBC horse racing correspondent described him as ‘the most colourful of characters, much-loved and admired throughout racing’.

Aside from Aldaniti, whom he nursed back from what were widely considered career-ending injuries, Gifford trained many high-class hurdlers and steeplechasers. Notable horses to pass through his hands included the talented, but enigmatic, Vodkatini, winner of the Grand Annual Challenge Cup in 1988, Deep Sensation, winner of the Tote Gold Trophy Handicap Hurdle in 1990 and the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1993, Bradbury Star, back-to-back winner of the Mackeson Gold Cup in 1993 and 1994 and Brief Gale, winner of Sun Alliance Chase in 1995.

In his final three seasons as a trainer, Gifford saddled just 13, 20 and 16 winners respectively, with his yard failing to recover the effects of a virus in the late Nineties, which hastened his retirement, at the age of 61, in April, 2003. Nevertheless, his training career ended on a high note, much like an online casino new zealand fan, when his final runner, Skycab, came from a seemingly-impossible position to lift the spoils in the atheraces.co.uk Handicap Chase at Sandown Park on the final day of the season.

British businessman Trevor Hemmings, 83, who owns Blackpool Tower and Preston North End Football Club, became a billionaire for the second time in 2018, according to the Sunday Times’ Rich List. Aside from his business interests, which are many and varied, Hemmings also owns dozens of racehorses. By his own admission, he treats horse racing as an “expensive hobby”, but he is the most prolific winning owner this century and, jointly, the most prolific winner of all time, in the history of the Grand National.

Hemmings developed an interest in racing through his association with holiday camp tycoon, Sir Fred Pontin – whose company, Pontins, he later bought, and sold – and after meeting Noel Le Mare, owner of Red Rum, and his trainer, Donald “Ginger” McCain, was inspired to win the Grand National for himself.

So far, Hemmings has owned three Grand National winners, Hedgehunter (2005), Ballabriggs (2011) and, most recently, the ill-fated Many Clouds (2015), who collapsed and died after suffering a severe pulmonary haemorrhage at Cheltenham Racecourse less than two years later. Only the grandly-titled Captain James Octavius Machell, who owned Disturbance (1873), Reugny (1874) and Regal (1876), and, of course, Noel Le Mare, who owned Red Rum (1973, 1974, 1977), have owned as many Grand National winners.

Prior to the 2018 Grand National, Hemmings told the Northern Media Lunch at Aintree Racecourse, “The Grand National is extra special. No-one can describe the feeling when your horses cross the line and win. It’s been very special to win the Grand National three times and each race is special.”

For readers of a certain age, the name of Sir Michael Stoute will always be synonymous with that of Shergar, whose wonderful, record-breaking display in the Derby in 1981 – under “The Choirboy”, as the late Walter Swinburn was known in his heyday – is an indelible memory. However, 36 years later Sir Michael, who was knighted in 1998 for services to tourism in Barbados, where he was born, is still at the top of his profession.

Although overshadowed in recent years by the likes of Aidan O’Brien and John Gosden, it’s worth remembering that Sir Michael Stoute won the Flat trainers’ championship ten times between 1981 and 2009. Sir Michael was resurgent in 2017, too, winning more prize money in Britain than ever before – a total in excess of £3,855,000 – to finish fourth in the Flat trainers’ championship.

The veteran trainer, who turned 72 in October, had his share of heartache, with Ballet Concerto collapsing and dying on the gallops and Expert Eye, odds-on to provide his first Group One two-year-old winner for many a year, going lame in the Dewhurst Stakes. However, the now-retired Ulysses flew the flag for the yard, winning the Coral-Eclipse and the Juddmonte International before finishing an honourable third behind Enable in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and there were plenty of other success stories, too. Sir Michael seems likely to ‘stay respectable’, as he put it, for a while longer just yet.

A busy day here at horseracingtips.org.uk . We’re preparing an update tomorrow where we offer some tips and list our views of the grand national prospects. Be sure to take advantage of the various available free bets, to maximise your winnings. Now onto our trainer profile of Luca Cumani…

Few trainers have attained the successes of Luca Cumani, the master of talents within his famous Bedford House stables – a place of folklore within Newmarket’s history of racing. Here the likes of Kahyasi, Barathea, High Rise, One So Wonderful, Gassamer, Falbrav, Starcraft and Alkaased have galloped towards astounding achievements that need little introduction.

But what are we to make of Cumani’s juveniles in recent years?

In many ways his general standard of two-year-old has been poor compared with such lofty highs of past. However, this twilight was lifted in spectacular fashion with the dawn of a the well-named Fantasia, winner of the Group 3 Prestige Stakes at Goodwood and gallant second in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Ascot to the impressive Rainbow View. The 1000 Guineas will be one of her ultimate tests to join her peers.

Cumani’s juvenile statistics make very interesting reading, revealing a surprise or two. Perhaps most unsurprising is the fact that his juveniles seldom win on debut. In the last few years he has attained about a 6% win rate on debut and all of these winners were prices 8/1 & less. Clearly the likes of Fantasia, winning at 7/1, are known to have ability but inexperience makes winning a difficult goal to achieve on their racecourse bow.

The surprising point about Cumani is that juveniles on their second start have struggled to win when priced 13/2 & less in recent years. In fact his win performance with these candidates has been nothing short of horrendous. However, in contrast he has maintained a high place average, which probably suggests that many of his two-year-olds have not attained the highest of standards and fail to get their nose in front when placed to do so. It is interesting that a number of winners have been priced 8/1+. From experience, I have noted a number of talented juveniles running at Great Yarmouth.

It will be interesting to see what this year’s crop of two-year-olds may bring. Cumani will be hoping that Fantasia can live the dream attaining Classic race success. In contrast, he will be a very lucky man to find the likes of her within this year’s string. But few would be so foolish to say that Cumani will not have an ace, if not a whole pack of cards up his sleeve. As past successes prove anything is possible with this gifted trainer.