Sean Doyle: ‘You’re Better Off Thinking Of The Rewards Rather Than The Risks’

Sean Doyle pulls Monbeg Park (Ire) (Walk In The Park {Ire}) out of his stable and says proudly, “That's the type of horse the likes of Willie Mullins and Eddie O'Leary want to buy.” 

It begs the question, why is Monbeg Park lining out for Doyle and not any of the powerhouse stables in Sunday's G1 Lawlor's Of Naas Novice Hurdle?

After all, Doyle has earned a reputation for selling future stars rather than racing them and can count a Cheltenham Festival-winning graduate to his roll of honour almost every year since Holywell (Ire) broke that particular duck in 2013. 

Horses like The Last Samuri (Ire), Invitation Only (Ire) and American Mike (Ire) have also passed through this renowned County Wexford production line. 

Meanwhile, a couple of hundred yards across the field, his brother Donnchadh has blooded Paul Nicholls' latest King George winner Bravemansgame (Fr) and stablemate Tahmuras (Fr), winner of the G1 Tolworth Novices Hurdle on Saturday. 

The Doyles have mastered the craft of buying National Hunt stores and turning them into red-hot commodities. However, Monbeg Park was never going to be a selling prospect due to the fact he picked up a minor injury earlier on in his career. 

Doyle explained, “The big day for us is not the day these horses win their point or even the day we get paid for them. It's the day they win for the next man. You can't grind them out to win their point. They need to train on. 

“We're running a business here and repeat business is important. Even Monbeg Park there, he's grand now and we're getting a great run out of him, but you could never sell a horse like him. We could have sold him but you are risking losing the sale of a different horse a year or two down the line if you did.”

The 38-year-old added, “He had a small suspensory problem. Willie Mullins actually came to look at him twice and he was close to chancing him. When you are talking about a horse to go chasing, he's exactly what you'd want. To be fair to him, he's won his bumper and maiden hurdle and has placed twice. In six runs he's been very consistent. We're dreaming that he'll win a big chase for us some day. He's a big quality-looking horse but you just couldn't sell him for fear of him not standing up to training for the next man.”

Any hopes of a six-figure sale with Monbeg Park may have been dashed when he damaged his suspensory but a new dream stares back at Doyle, who is quietly excited about his first runner in Grade 1 company.

 “We were actually a little disappointed with him at Cork but it was our own fault. We got caught with the frost and didn't do a lot with him. He was way too fresh and we rode him upsides in front and Bryan [Cooper] rode him like a slow horse. We might have been better off riding a waiting race with him and, while I don't think we'd have won, he would have run a nicer race if we rode him differently. We made too much use of him. 

“He's in great form now and, as long as we can keep him sound, there should be a lot of fun to be had with him. He's the classiest horse I've ever run on the track anyway.”

Sean Doyle (left) with Colin Bowe | Tattersalls

This place has been a soundtrack to classy horses for over a decade now. What was once a busy dairy farm has developed into a multi-million euro point-to-point operation with even Doyle admitting his surprise as to how quickly things have taken off. 

“We started in 2008 which was the time of the recession so you could buy horses fairly cheap back then. One of the first horses we sold was Rudemeister (Ire). He cost €6,500 and we sold him for £75,000 after he won his point. Then we bought a horse called Padge (Ire) for €16,000, which was a lot of money back then, but for luck he went on and made £160,000. We've been very lucky and are blessed that the father had the land here for us. If we didn't have that, we wouldn't be doing it to the level that we are.”

He added, “We are able to run a fairly tight ship. Everything is on site and we don't have to go away an awful lot and we have all our own haylage so it's very doable. I spent a summer with Willie Mullins as a young lad but we all love point-to-pointing and learned as we went along. You learn from your mistakes. 

“We never went away to any big trainer for any long period of time or anything like that. It's always been drilled into me from a young age to take money when it's being offered. Don't ever be sorry for selling. Then, when we kept selling, the whole thing kept rotating and the money kept coming.

“The thing that would frighten you is that we got into millions of euros very quickly. From a few thousand here and there, our turnover shot into the millions. It's very easy to do it when you've the numbers we have but, as I said, we're lucky we can do a lot of the work ourselves to keep the costs down.”

They say that faith is believing in something when common sense might advise otherwise. Doyle, along with his brothers Donnchadh, Cormac and Gearoid, would invest over €2 million a year in National Hunt stores. 

Fellow Countymen Colin Bowe and Denis Murphy could also invest seven figures in a given year which goes some way to illustrating Wexford's status in producing jumps horses. Call it what you like, but this is high stakes poker and there are only so many Monbeg Parks an operation the size of Doyle's can carry. Every horse is important here. Every horse is contributing. 

“You don't open the post from June to the following May,” he jokes. “It's only then when you'd start worrying about what's left over! It's a risky game but sometimes you're better off not thinking about the risks involved and you're better off thinking about the rewards. It's gone great for us and you'd never have dreamed we'd be operating at the level that we are. We could end up broke yet but we'll keep going for another few years please God. 

“When things are going well for you, there's no better feeling. We've gone through a fair bit since we started in fairness. We started out during a recession and managed to keep going and then there was Brexit, a worldwide pandemic and now there's a war. The average spend this year was up to about 40 grand whereas it dropped to about 25 grand during Covid.”

He added, “The sales companies have been very good to us from the start. At the end of the day, these horses have to be paid for. Between us all [Donnchadh, Gearoid, Sean and Cormac], we're only spending about two and a half million a year. If you get three good horses to any of those boutique sales, that's a million quid back straight away. You have to be thinking forward the whole time. There's plenty of those 20 or 30 grand stores who finish second and go on to make 50, 60 or 70 grand. They still leave a lot of money behind in one season. They only have to leave us about 12 grand per head. But even those 10 and 15 grand horses, it's highly important to get that for them because you need the clearance as well. They all add up.

“Horses are going to let you down every day of the week but you can't be thinking that way. I know plenty of lads who started out at this and they were worrying about money and worrying about this and that. If you're worrying about money, it's not really the job for you. You have to let it unfold in front of you. When you get a run of good luck, you have to be ready to take it. You see some of the lads who have been with us, the likes of my younger brother Cormac with 40 horses and Rob James with 30 horses, they'd have seen what we went through and there's a certain amount of calmness with those lads as well. They'll wait and wait and let it happen rather than trying to force it.”

The National Hunt game is a completely different ballgame to when Doyle set out buying and selling in 2008. In many ways, he and his contemporaries between the flags have had a massive role to play in the revolution of the sport. 

Following a similar trajectory to the breeze-up sphere, where the demand for ready-made winners-in-waiting has soared, the point-to-point handlers have experienced a similar shot in the arm of their business. 

Not only has there been a clamour for point winners, but the short supply of Flat horses to go jumping has developed into a perfect storm which has resulted in the point-to-point horse with form selling for a premium. 

Doyle explained, “The top end National Hunt store is going point-to-pointing now, which is kind of crazy when you think about it, but it suits the next man who wants the big Saturday horse. He doesn't have to go buying 10 stores to find it. He can wait and see them win their point-to-point and just buy one or two. Look at the horses who have come out of here recently–Bravemansgame, Love Envoi (Ire), American Mike–there's loads. I actually think the best is yet to come, too.”

He added, “Those Flat stayers who are making big money to go to Hong Kong and Australia–that has brought us point-to-point men back in at a big level. There was a time those horses would be sold to go jumping but they're gone unaffordable now. If the demand for those Flat horses can be maintained, then we are safe. 

“Even our 30 grand horse, if they've got any sort of form at all, they'll slot into the north of England no problem. Whereas, there was a time the trainers up there would head down to Ascot to buy six or seven castoffs from the Flat to go jumping for the same money. They can't do that anymore. 

“But the top end is fairly scarce. Even for us to get the three or four hundred grand for one, they have to win their point but they also have to have the pedigree, size and scope and good conformation as well.”

The parallels between buying National Hunt horses who can jump and gallop three miles on heavy ground to sourcing a yearling who can go on and clock a good time at the breeze-ups as a 2-year-old may not be plain to see for everyone. 

But, in an effort to maintain cash flow and more crucially in a bid to retain staff throughout the summer, Doyle has revealed an audacious plan to branch out into breezers and this particular wheel has already been set to motion. 

“We've put in a three-and-a-half furlong uphill carpet gallop to run alongside our sand gallop on the hill. The reason for that is that we'd like to start training 2-year-olds. Donnchadh and myself will do the 2-year-olds and they'll run in my name but there'll be a few other lads involved with us I'd say. We'll probably do a few breezers as well. The carpet gallop would be great for breezers.”

He added, “The whole thinking behind it all is that we're carrying a lot of staff all year round and it would be something to keep everyone ticking over from May until the autumn because we can't afford to lose staff anymore. I bought a couple of 2-year-olds last year but they were no good. We've four this year–two colts and two fillies. We'll probably run the colts. The Invincible Army (Ire) came out of the Orby. He cost €80,000. The other fella is by Churchill (Ire) and he cost €45,000 at the Sportsman's. It's something we'd like to develop.”

A tapestry of Grade 1 horses have emerged from these Monbeg stables down through the years. Until now, Doyle has never had a chance to secure a top-level triumph in his own name. Step forward Monbeg Park. 

Sean Doyle | Tattersalls

Doyle on . . . the National Hunt sires

There's a big opening for a sire over jumps. Anything could come through because there are not enough No Risk At All (Fr)s, Walk In The Parks or any of those horses by the good French sires coming through to go around. Affinisea (Ire) is the one who's popular now. It's probably a great time for him because there's not enough of them running for anyone to say he's going bad. I'd only two by him and I got them sold easy. They just wanted Affinisea. I'll tell you what now, the Sea The Stars (Ire) element probably has a lot to do with it. He's a new influence on the National Hunt scene and people are getting a little bit excited about him. He's just an easier sell than any of the stallion sons of Galileo (Ire) over jumps. I was a fan of Nathaniel (Ire) but he seems to have gone back more on the Flat now and I couldn't get near anything by Blue Bresil (Fr) at the sales this season. I bought Arctic Bresil (GB) (Blue Bresil {Fr}) for €62,000 and sold him for £305,000 to Henry de Bromhead after he won his point. I know he wasn't cheap as a store but I can remember coming home from the Derby Sale and thinking that he wasn't dear either. I reckon that if Eddie O'Leary had been flat out buying for Gigginstown that year, he'd have been a one hundred grand store. I've done okay with Getaway (Ger). You'd have a filly by him all day long and, at the back of it all, the fillies probably get a better chance given the programme that's there for them. 

Doyle on . . . private sales

Private sales will become more popular. When they are talking on the telly about a horse costing this or that after winning his point-to-point, and say he only finishes fifth in a maiden hurdle, the real big owner doesn't want that. We're after getting three or four real good orders for between three and four hundred thousand if we can find the right horse. It's there in black in white so, when a race is about to start and the television presenters are stuck for something to say, you can't really blame them for mentioning what a horse costs. There's not a lot more to talk about at that stage. I reckon the private sales will get bigger and bigger.

Doyle on . . . producing 4-year-olds to win their point-to-point

We leave them in a routine as long as we can and it's probably only in the second or third week in January where we start pairing them up. But usually everything is just build them up, build them up, build them up and try not to think if they are good, bad or middling. If you start going looking for them earlier than you should, you won't get to run them. A lot of lads want to run them in February but the season goes on a long time so, if you start lighting them all up for February before they are ready, you might not get to run anything. At one time, you'd have been kicking yourself if you didn't have them out but you can always wait until October and you saw what some of the 4-year-olds who won their points in the autumn made at some of the sales recently. There's no hurry on us whatsoever. The only thing that might happen is that, say you had 35 4-year-olds and were left with 25 in the autumn, you probably wouldn't get to buy as many three-year-olds at the store sales that year. But that sort of thing levels itself out every three years. It just depends on the run that you're on. But before we'd run anything, they'd nearly want to go down over the fences with no wings on them. That's how ready they'd want to be. They need to know their job so well. They don't even have to go that fast, it's once they go straight. I don't believe in giving horses leads either. They have to go in front and do it themselves. If we came out to school a week before a race and they didn't go down over 12 fences straight as a die we'd leave them and wouldn't run them. 

Doyle on . . . the Wexford handlers

There's been lads before us and there'll be lads after us. Padge Berry was a great name in Wexford when we were growing up. Denis Murphy is another. He's a great man to watch when he's selling a horse. You don't have to ask him too many questions, just watch him, as he's a great way of explaining things. Colin Bowe is brilliant as well. For a man who has a massive yard, he runs a very simple operation and we tried to do what those lads have been doing. We don't try to complicate it.

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Tattersalls Day One: 410,000 Buy Waterville Heading To Australia

Waterville (Ire), the main attraction on day one of the Autumn horses-in-training sale at Tattersalls, did not disappoint by topping the session at 410,000gns to join Chris Waller in Australia. 

Guy Mulcaster, who also bought the 84-rated Postwick (GB) (Postponed {Ire}) from Barton Sales for 130,000gns to join Waller, secured Coolmore's Irish Cesarewitch winner. 

Described by his trainer Aidan O'Brien at the beginning of the season as a lively each-way contender for the Derby, Waterville [lot 275] never made it to Epsom but went some way to justifying that high opinion by recording a last-gasp Irish Cesarewitch success at the Curragh last month. 

Camelot (GB), the sire of Waterville, has an excellent record in Australia and Mulcaster thinks this latest recruit by him has the right profile to be a success down under. 

He said, “We saw him in June when we were at Ballydoyle and his form has gone on since then. I spoke to Chris this morning and he was keen to get the horse, so fingers crossed he works out for us.”

Mulcaster added, “He is a well-bred horse, has been looked after and he has not had many runs. He has got a high profile and he looks obvious for us. We have not had many by Camelot ourselves, but he has done well in Australia.”

A large portion of that Camelot success was enjoyed by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace with the ill-fated Sir Dragonet, another ex-O'Brien-trained colt, whose finest hour came when he stormed to G1 Cox Plate glory in 2020. Sir Dragonet also won the G1 Tancred S. at Rosehill last year and amassed almost £3 million in career earnings. 

Russian Camelot (Ire) is another to have flown the flag for Camelot in Australia having won the G1 Underwood S. at Caulfield for trainer Danny O'Brien.

Maher and Eustace secured another classy European-bred runner in wildcard entry Chairman (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}), a 94-rated dual winner for Freddie and Martyn Meade, who was knocked down to Will Bourne, the bloodstock executive for the hugely successful training operation.

Bourne said, “He's a very athletic horse and didn't carry too much condition. What I observed, and Ciaron did as well, is the ones who have worked for him down there are the ones that aren't too heavy. You don't have to work them as much and we obviously have much different facilities in Australia than here. I think he's a horse who will suit Australia and has been racing in really good handicaps over here.”

He added, “Prize-money is so good in Australia, especially in those distance races. Looking forward to getting him in Ciaron and David's stable. Ciaron's alarm goes off at three in the morning so he's well across the purchase. He's happy.”

Maher went on to buy John Murphy's Charterhouse [323], who climbed from humble beginnings to win four races and reach a rating of 105 in his pomp, for 130,000gns.

Charterhouse (GB) (Charming Thought {GB}) was an 11,000gns foal but made just 3,000gns from Trickledown Stud to Stroud Coleman at Book 3 here in 2019. 

He changed hands privately after finishing just a head behind Juddmonte's Masen (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in second on debut at Leopardstown in 2020 and has won close to £100,000 for his owner Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez.

Tattersalls has been a happy hunting ground for the Australians in recent times, with Group 1 winners Knights Order (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}) and Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) poster boys of the Autumn sale, and representatives from the nation turned out in force on Monday.

Andrew Balding's unexposed Gleneagles (Ire) gelding Cadmus (Ire), a winner when last seen over 1m4f at Ascot on his third start, made 160,000gns to Badgers Bloodstock on behalf of trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman.

“Hopefully he has got his best days ahead of him. He is a very unexposed horse. I loved the way he quickened when he won at Ascot last time out and the second is a decent horse. They pulled clear of the field,” said buyer Tom Pritchard-Gordon.

“We will see how he progresses. He has only had three runs, won last time, and is going to like firm ground. He gets a trip and has a massive advantage over Australian horses over that distance.”

Zaaki's trainer Annabel Neasham also got in on the act when Blandford Bloodstock and Bennett Racing signed for Joseph O'Brien's recent Dundalk maiden winner Fawkner Park (Ire) [65] for 120,000gns.

The Zoffany (Ire) gelding pulled over six lengths clear of Aidan O'Brien's Fleet Commander (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) [274] last Friday, form which is clearly held in decent regard, as that horse made 100,000gns to join De Burgh Equine and Darby Racing. 

A total of 8,566,100gns was spent on Monday, which represents an increase of 20% on last year's figure of 7,126,000, despite the fact that many buyers described the opening day of trade as the calm before the storm given that many exciting lots are due through the ring on Tuesday. 

The median stayed that same as in 2021 at 16,000gns while the average was up 21% from 27,095 to 32,820. The clearance rate was 88%, which was also the same in 2021. 

Dream Bound For Saudi

Be it on the track or off it, the big results keep on coming for Simon and Ed Crisford as, just a couple of days after sending out Knight (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) to win the G3 Horris Hill S. at Newbury, the father-and-son duo netted a big result in the ring with Beautiful Aisling (GB) selling for 240,000gns. 

The 90-rated daughter of Havana Gold (Ire), who won two of her seven starts in the colours of Khalifa Aldoseri, was purchased by Najd Stud and will continue her career in Saudi Arabia. 

The filly's new connections revealed that they think the juvenile is up to listed class in due course and identified a sprint campaign in Saudi Arabia as the main objective. 

Saud Al Qahtani said, “She is a good filly, she was beaten by a good filly last time [Magical Sunset (Ire) (Kodiac {GB})], who has already gone on to win at listed level and I think this filly is a listed class, too. She might be one for the Sprint on Saudi Cup day.”

Beautiful Aisling has the chance to prove herself up to listed class as soon as Friday as she holds an entry in the Bosra Sham S. at Newmarket.

Simon Crisford said, “She is a beautiful filly, she has done us well throughout the summer, she is a very straightforward filly and will do very well in Saudi Arabia. I think they have bought her well, I have a lot of confidence in the filly.”

Aisling translates to dream in Irish and, in the case of Danny Donovan and Stephen Byrne of Knockgraffan Stables, who sourced the filly as a yearling and turned a hefty profit on her at the Goffs breeze-up sale earlier this year, Monday's result was the best possible outcome for business.

Beautiful Aisling was snapped up by the well-known breeze-up operators for £22,000 off Ladytown Stables at the September Yearling Sale before selling to Stroud Coleman for £120,000 in April. 

Donovan, who happened to be in attendance for Monday's sale, described himself as delighted to see how the filly has progressed for the Crisfords.

He said, “She was lucky for me at the breeze-ups this year and, while it's great to get a good result in the ring, it's just as important for business that they go on and prove themselves to be good racehorses and she's obviously smart.”

Najd Stud also went on to buy Tom Dascombe's 2-year-old filly Red N Blue Candy (Twirling Candy) for 140,000gns.

Nicholls Returns To Oliver For Rare Talent

Andy Oliver supplied Paul Nicholls and Tom Malone with a Champion Chase winner in the shape of Dodging Bullets (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the powerful trainer-agent combination returned to the County Tyrone handler for classy prospect Rare Middleton (GB) (Aclaim {Ire}). 

A winner of a 10-furlong Leopardstown maiden on his second start, Rare Middleton [120] was always going to command plenty of interest, and it was Malone who fought hardest to secure the 3-year-old for 215,000gns. 

Oliver has a proven track record in unearthing future top-class jumpers, with dual Grade 1-winning novice hurdler Long Dog another graduate, and Malone is hoping Rare Middleton can prove even half as good as the 2015 Champion Chase hero Dodging Bullets. 

Indeed, Rare Middleton could prove to be Classic-producing sire Aclaim's first jumps runner, but just whose colours the horse will run in remains to be seen. 

Malone said, “I absolutely loved him. His form has gotten stronger and stronger–the horse he beat at Leopardstown [Imaginarium (Ire) (Make Believe {GB})] won yesterday at the Curragh, the horse who beat him first time out at the Curragh went on and won the October Handicap [Zoffman (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire})] and Fawkner Park (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who was behind him at Leopardstown, came out and made 120,000gns this morning. It is proper, proper form.”

He added, “I am delighted to get him. Aclaim hasn't got a hurdler yet, his first crop are only 3-year-olds, but this is lovely horse and Andy always buys this sort of horse.”

Rare Middleton was not the only jumping prospect that Oliver sold on Monday. The 74-rated maiden Regally Blonde (GB) (Mukhadram {GB}), who finished second in a 1m5f handicap at Down Royal on her most recent start, was sold to Kevin Ross on behalf of trainer Ben Case for 62,000gns.

Malone and Nicholls also struck for Beny Nahar Road (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}), without doubt one of the biggest horses in the sale, for 72,000gns. 

Trained by Richard Hughes, Beny Nahar Road failed to win in five starts but placed in four of them and achieved a rating of 81. 

Recent Form Pays 

Two-year-olds don't come much tougher than Legend Of Xanadu (GB) (Sixties Icon {GB}), who doubled his tally at stakes level when beating Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) in typically gritty fashion on his 13th start at Doncaster on Saturday. 

That effort went some way in Mick Channon securing 140,000gns from Gassim Al Ghazali for the colt [279] who also won the Woodcote S. at Epsom earlier in the season. 

Legend Of Xanadu was one of the more expensive of the seven horses that the champion Qatari trainer picked up on Monday for a total spend of 516,000gns.

Al Ghazali also made it his business to add Freddie and Martyn Meade's 103-rated Method (Ire) (Method {Ire}), last seen finishing a good third in a listed even at Ascot at the beginning of the month, for 155,000gns.

Method [315] was bought by Dermot Farrington for just £20,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale in 2019 and he raced in the white and black silks of Manton Park Racing. Farrington also unearthed Meade's Chairman for 75,000gns at Book 2 at Tattersalls last year.

Meanwhile, another runner with recent form in the book, last weekend's Give Thanks S. third Direct Security (Ire), netted her connections 135,000 when selling to Nasser Bin Omairah.

Robin Brisland bought the daughter of Sioux Nation for just £2,500 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale last year with Monday's result netting a major return for the filly who also broke her maiden at Kempton last month. 

The Qatar-based Alban de Mieulle [Wathnan Racing] made a similar splash by spending 460,000gns on four highly-rated runners, headed by Hello Deira (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}) for 180,000gns and Bolthole (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}) for 130,000gns. 

Hello Deira [148], bought by Federico Barberini on behalf of Ahmad Al Shaikh at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale for just 35,000gns earlier in the year, won his second race for Owen Burrows, a nursery at Kempton off 82, this month. The 91-rated Bolthole [300] won twice for Michael Bell.

Speaking after purchasing Hello Deira, Olly Tate, who was in charge of the bidding process, said, “He goes to Qatar and to trainer Alban de Mieulle. He is a lovely horse and had good form as a 2-year-old. 

“He has the distance profile and is a good racehorse. It is competitive wherever you race and he will do well in Qatar. There is plenty of racing in him, he has a progressive profile and Owen has said he is a straightforward horse.”

Red And Rancho Strike

Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal made the trip to Newmarket worthwhile by securing Bellstreet Bridie (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) and Maltese Falcon (Ire) (Caravaggio), a filly [303] and a colt [49], to race in America. 

Bellstreet Bridie was trained by Michael Bell to win three of her 12 starts and reach a mark of 80 while Maltese Falcon carried Lady Ogden's colours to finish second on debut at Redcar for Rebecca Menzies. Bellstreet Bridie was sold for 260,000gns while Maltese Falcon made 105,000gns.

Speaking after buying Bellstreet Bridie, Rancho Temescal's Tim Cohen, who was sitting beside Alistair Donald, said, “I think she will go on a bit of ground in California. That division is getting a little light, so with a younger filly, she should do well for the year. We could give her a break after that and bring her back at four. That's the plan.”

He added, “We thought we'd have to go to that sort of money, but the exchange rate helps. I am going to pay tomorrow before the rate goes up!”

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UK National Hunt Champions Crowned At Sandown

The 2021/22 UK Jumps Champions were crowned during the bet365 Jump Finale at Sandown Park on Saturday.

Brian Hughes, who became only the fourth NH jockey to ride a double century of winners in a season, was named the UK Champion Jumps Jockey for a second time. His win total sits at 204, 99 ahead of Sam Twiston-Davies in second.

Hughes, who won the title in 2019/20 said, “It is something at the start of the season I set out to try and do and it is great that it has come. I've never thought it was signed and sealed and I never wanted to let any sort of complacency set in. I just wanted to keep my head down and keep doing what I have done all season, so I haven't ever accepted that it was happening until it did.”

The Champion Conditional Jockey was Kevin Brogan. Trainer Paul Nicholls and owner JP McManus were once again awarded year-end titles by earnings-their 13th and 15th, respectively.

“It's been tougher [to win the big races] this year but every year is tough. In recent years I've either been neck and neck with Willie [Mullins] or Nicky, but this year it's a bit more relaxed and I can enjoy the day,” said Nicholls.

“I knew we were going to be quiet at Cheltenham but we had a good Aintree with some nice winners there and the horses are flying again now.

“I might have turned 60 recently, but there are absolutely no thoughts from me about retiring. I love what I'm doing and as long as I'm fit and healthy, I've no plans to cut back–I love it.”

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First Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Preview on Tap for Mar. 10

The first Tattersalls Cheltenham Preview Panel will be available for viewing on YouTube and Facebook at 7:30 p.m. on Mar. 10, Tattersalls announced on Monday. Hosted by Vanessa Ryle, Richard Pugh, and Jamie Codd, the trio will be joined by guests Paul Nicholls, Anthony Bromley, Tom Malone, Cormac Doyle (Monbeg Stables) and owner John Dance. There will also be insights into the runners in the build up to the Cheltenham Festival on Mar. 16-19, as well as bloodstock analysis on some Cheltenham hopefuls.

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