Racing pundit Tony McCormick from.irishbigracetrends.com beforetheoff.com and racing radio station racingfm.com highlights three more ‘Under The Radar’ trainers to follow in the coming months.
Ben Case started his career as a successful event and point to point rider, before gaining valuable experience working within the bloodstock industry. He went on to work extensively with both flat and national hunt trainers including two years in the USA with Eclipse award winning trainer Shug McGaughey.
On the National Hunt circuit, Ben worked with Oliver Sherwood in Lambourn and Arthur Moore in Ireland. Newmarket flat experience was earned by a short period at Luca Cumani’s yard and more recently, he was Assistant Trainer to Erwan Charpy, based in Dubai, for five years.
Case is running into a bit of form at the moment with two seconds last Saturday along with Vesuvhill winning a Novice Hurdle at Warwick.
For Richard Woolacott the decision to extend into National Hunt training was a natural progression in 2011, from his point to point background and has ensured that all options are available to both horses and owners, whether it be starting with educational runs for a youngster in Points before progressing under rules, or an old handicapper that would appreciate a drop in grade.
The National Hunt yard is based at Nethercott Manor, a mere two miles from Big Brook Park, with all facilities available to both and the same core values of attention to detail and individuality applied.
Woolacott has started the year well with three of his last four runners winning. Silvergrove and Local Show should be running well soon.
Seamus Mullins is a long standing force in the NH game who does particularly well with mares.
His uncle was the legendary Paddy Mullins, who trained the world famous mare ‘Dawn Run’ to win the Gold Cup and the Champion Hurdle, while his cousins Willie, Tony and Tom are now all successful trainers in Ireland.
Mullins came to England to work as assistant trainer to Toby Balding in 1981. Having spent further years with Jim Old and Jimmy Fitzgerald, he set up his own Point-to-Point training business in 1985.
Mullins is a stable that punters can follow with confidence, with handicappers gradually progressing steadily up the ranks and no hidden agenda with a view to landing plots and coups. He has an excellent record around the Southern tracks, especially at Lingfield and Plumpton, where his runners are often expertly ridden by the unfashionable but effective Andrew Thornton.
His record with mares is noteworthy, and he never over faces his runners out of their depth. Somchine at 10/1, Miss Sassypants, who won a Wincanton Novice Hurdle at 8/1 and Boss In Boots (3/1f) have already visited the winners enclosure this year, while Headspin ran well in defeat. Kastani Beach kept the Mullins run going with a short head win at Plumpton on Monday.
Starting 2015 in fine style are Harry Fry, who is six from eight and Nicky Richards has a 63% strike rate this year with five winners from eight runners. Mick Appleby has a 26% tally at Southwell in the New Year, while Sir Mark Prescott is already two from three on Wolverhampton’s Tapeta surface.
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