What a fantastic year it has been - 71 winners at a 20% strike is something that I would never have dreamed of this time last year. We were 13th in the trainers championship..... It means the pressure will be on us to repeat the feat this coming season.

But it will be an extremely exciting season with many youngsters now having to step up and prove their ability. We were lucky enough to have 16 odd bumper winners last season and they are all very exciting prospects who will be able to go on and win their Novice Hurdles. Most our Novice hurdlers will now go chasing, so it is exciting to have such a good mix of horses. Of the Novice Chasers: Hazy Tom, Vulcanite, Dawn Commander, Cross of Honour, Grandads Horse, Hayjack and Hildisvini would be the most exciting and of the Novice Hurdlers: Spirit of Shankly, Up to Something, Ballincurrig, My Miss Lucy, No No Charlie, Brassick and Pendra are ones to keep an eye on.....

Behind any up and coming yard there are a whole host of important people who have made us who we are. Sophie is my long suffering wife who has to put up with all my mood swings and hours away from home......  Rochey has now been with us 4 years. He is my right hand man and things here would not be the same without him. Emma has run the office with military precision since we have been at Hull Farm. Like with Rochey, we would not be where we are today without them.

A year ago Paddy Brennan arrived as my Travelling Head Lad. He is probably the most respected one in the country and that speaks volumes for the hours of overtime he puts in at the racecourse. Albert Ennis also arrived at a similar time. He has years of experience having trained for Andrew Wates and been head lad to Jenny Pitman for many a year.

Our most recent addition to the team is Noel Fehily. He has just joined us as Stable jockey for the coming season. Now the yard is growing, he is the next piece of the jigsaw that is needed. His experience and ability with definitely help us try and climb the ladder to the top. Without all these people and many more we would not be in the position we are today and long may our good fortune continue