The future

We're into 2021 and it doesn't feel much different so far, even though the consensus appeared to be that getting to the end of 2020 would be a big step forward.  We had a frosty end to 2020 and a frosty start to 2021, although since then the temperature has mostly been marginally above zero.  And it hasn't been raining as incessantly as it did for large parts of the final months of last year.  So that's a step in the right direction.  The COVID-19 outlook is getting worse rather than better, and I haven't seen any evidence to increase my confidence in the government.  Nor have I seen any evidence of any benefit from our having left the EU, although people who aspire to see Ireland re-united are probably happy enough with the way things are going.

Sticking to our own little corner of the world, however, makes it easier to be optimistic.  The past year has been a good one for Newmarket's newest trainers and for the town's apprentices.  And they're the future.  So we can have a look at some of them.  Second-season trainers James Ferguson and George Boughey both had a great year, as did the first-season trainers Joseph Parr and Terry 'TJ' Kent.  The most recent trainer in town to have got off the mark is Kevin Philippart, for several years assistant to James Fanshawe and now training in (I think) Machell Place.  And at the end of the year Chris Dwyer got off the mark at the first attempt since his return to the training ranks.  His stable (in Albert House, adjacent to Heath House at the bottom of Long Hill) is one which looks sure to do well, with him and Tim Hide running a very impressive operation for Dr Johnny Hon.

Of Newmarket's apprentices, Cieren Fallon obviously stands out.  He has achieved a massive amount, including becoming a top-class, Group One-winning jockey and a dual champion apprentice, for someone who had his first ride less than two and a half years ago, while remaining totally unspoiled by his success.  He is a wonderful credit to both of his parents as well as to himself.  Cieren aside, three other local apprentices who have continued to make very good progress over the past year have been Grace McEntee, Stefano Cherchi and Marco Ghiani.  Grace is apprenticed to her father Phil; while the other two are also apprenticed to trainers who do an outstanding job of helping apprentices to develop (Marco Botti and Stuart Williams respectively).  Like Ciaran, these three do everything absolutely the right way, over and above riding extremely well.  If you haven't realised how good Grace is, just watch the replay of Bernie's Boy winning at 22/1 at Wolverhampton this afternoon.  If she were the reigning champion jockey, the summation on the TV would have included the words, "... and that's why she's the champion jockey."

Similar comments apply to Dylan Hogan, who rode a winner for us in 2019 and nearly did so again in 2020, Hidden Pearl failing by only a short head at Catterick in June when he gave her a perfect ride.  That ride was very good but the ride for which he (rightly) got the most attention was the one on Wanaasah for Ian Williams at Wolverhampton in January.  That should have been a good ante-post bet for me as I remarked to him the following morning that it would win Ride of the Year, which of course 11 months later it did.  Apprenticed to David Simcock, he's one of the town's more experienced apprenticed and shouldn't be too long in losing his 3lb claim.

Another of the more experienced ones is Russell Harris, now with George Boughey.  He hasn't had many rides in recent months but he rides far better than that fact would imply.  You could make the same observation about Sebastian Woods, who too has undeservedly been quiet since coming (back, in his case) down south.  Another good apprentice whose career has not progressed since he came to Newmarket is Aled Beech, who is apprenticed to Charlie Fellowes.  He doesn't get many rides nowadays, but he did knock his claim down from 7lb to 5lb in the summer (on a winner for John Bridger, if I recall correctly.)  That won't have been the highlight of his year, though, I would imagine: I would guess that his best memories of 2020 come from his time in Australia with Prince Arran.  I'm suprised he doesn't get more rides because he is very good.

Newmarket's most in-form apprentice at present is Laura Pearson, formerly with John Ryan and now with Tom Clover.  Darragh Keenan, formerly with John Butler and now with John Ryan, is having a good winter too (as, of course, are the aforementioned Marco Ghiani and Grace McEntee).  Of the less experienced ones, Molly Presland's career looks to be developing nicely since she rode her first winner in the autumn. Since then, two very promising former local pony-race-riders got off the mark in December.  First was Will Humphrey, who is apprenticed to Simon and Ed Crisford and rode his first winner for his mother Sarah at Wolverhampton. Then Benoit de la Sayette, who used to ride out for James Fanshawe (for whom his father Geoffroy works) when he was at school and who is now apprenticed to John Gosden, rode his first winner from a handful of rides late in the month as part of a Kevin Philippart double at Newcastle.

Also off the mark during the year were Pam du Crocq (riding for her boss Chris Wall at Yarmouth on Hi Ho Silver) and Selma Grage (for her boss Robert Eddery); and (over jumps) Amy Murphy's conditional Eddie Edge, who rode his first winner for Gay Kelleway at Ludlow.  Amy has probably been training around five years now so she didn't feature above among my list of new trainers doing well, but now that we've mentioned her it would be wrong not to highlight what a great year she (National Hunt and Flat) and stable jockey Jack Quinlan (National Hunt) have enjoyed.   So who will be Newmarket's next apprentice to get off the mark?  My guess would be Christian Howarth, who is in a very good stable (Marco Botti's).  He also grew up in a very good stable as his father Tony is Saeed bin Suroor's assistant.  Jacob Clarke, who is apprenticed to Martin Smith, is another who ought to find his way to the winner's enclosure.  He certainly deserves to do so.  It's not easy for him as he's fairly tall and can't do light weights, which makes things difficult when you have a 7lb claim, but he's a very good rider and an extremely hard worker too.