Trainers with runners at Ampton in Suffolk on Sunday were forgiven for doing a double-take when Paul Nicholls’ box rolled into the lorry park.
A version of this article first appeared in the Racing Post on Friday 12th January.
The champion trainer’s travelling head groom was at the wheel, but the one horse inside is hers, not his. Julia Batho, who is now in her second season with Nicholls, ran ten-year-old Pileon in the conditions race which opened the card. Sam Loxton trains the gelding, and Nicholls’ pupil assistant Natalie Parker was in the saddle. The horse pulled-up, but will come on for the run.
Pileon (right, Natalie Parker) during Sunday's conditions race at Ampton (Ce)
Batho - who used to train and ride pointers herself - looked after Pileon when he was trained by Philip Hobbs and she was a groom at the Minehead trainer’s yard. She says: “I rode him and looked after him for three years, and when he left and went to Christian Williams’ yard I pestered [joint-owner] Tim Syder to let me have him one day.
“Every time I went racing and saw Tim or Christian I’d ask how Pileon was, and then at Ayr in the spring Christian said he was going to be sold. I contacted Tim and he let me buy him for a very fair price.”
Pileon is a classic case of a useful horse – rated 143 over hurdles at his peak – whose ability to be competitive has declined, but who is likely to make a mark in point-to-points. Batho says: “He’s a fun horse and I just hope he enjoys it.
“I got him in July and rode him out here at Ditcheat, but by October we were getting busy and he went to Sam. I would like to do the horse myself and I ride him whenever I can, but I absolutely love my job and with all the travelling cannot do him on my own.”
Batho describes her “pony” as “spooky, lairy and naughty”, adding “I fell off him last week when he spooked, but he’s not nasty.” Maybe later this season he will reward her devotion.
Connections with Regatta De Blanc after her debut win at Larkhill last season (Carl Evans)
Pendil’s perfect six
Regatta De Blanc, the six-year-old mare who won last Monday's first hunter chase of the season at Taunton, is owned by The Pendil Partnership.
Named in honour of Pendil, it is run by Rupert Swallow, whose mother Cynthia owned that top-class chaser of the 1970s.
Rather more than a ‘partnership’, Swallow’s brainchild is a syndication project aimed at giving a taste of racing for £75 a share – and currently with a two-for-one offer. It has run two horses to date, Regatta De Blanc and Il Pino, and they are unbeaten in six races, the last-named horse having won a novices’ hurdle at Wincanton in November.
Why am I not a member? Because I don’t fit the 21 to 40 age group at which the partnership is aimed, and have never been young enough for some of the members’ post-race celebrations.
