22 August 2011
It is with some sadness that my owners and staff
have been informed that I will be retiring from racehorse training at
the end of the turf Season.
It has been a wonderful experience, from very small
beginnings some eighteen years ago when I had less than one handful of
horses under permit at my home, through the purchase & development of
Robins Farm Racing Stables in Chiddingfold over the past dozen years,
and including the switch from jumps to flat, which only began in 2004.
Our objectives were to provide the very best facilities for
horses/staff/owners, to bring in a modern business like approach (eg
most (!) of our owners readily took to our fixed annual charge with no
extras) and to punch above our weight.
With, for the past five years to date, 69 winners,
72 seconds, 61 thirds & 71 fourths from 665 runs & more than £1/2
million in prize money won the Team can be justifiably proud. And a
level £1 bet on EVERY such runner would have yielded over £100 profit!
This arose because a number of our winners, particularly in flat
maidens, were at very long odds, thus disproving some opinion that we
are a betting yard. Indeed one of the many skills of the excellent Anton
Pearson, and his dedicated and professional Team, has been to have
horses ready to run for their life on first outing; as a result many
of our horses were subsequently over-handicapped & we did less well in
this sphere. This Team, in which I include our vet, farrier & main
suppliers, & particularly David Redvers (who bought nearly all our
yearlings so successfully without over spending), was the backbone of
everything which we achieved and without whom I could not have got off
first base. So I would publicly like to thank Anton & all the others
very much indeed for everything.
Of course the highlight has been the two GROUP 3
wins (with TROPICAL PARADISE) & approaching a dozen Black Type places
(over flat & jumps) and ,for me, my first home-bred /owned/trained jump
winner (DUNSFOLD DUKE) & ditto flat (MERTON LADY). But also there has
been huge personal satisfaction with a number of "six time" winners (eg
JUST A TOUCH, SAFARI MISCHIEF & SAFARI SUNDOWNER), with a number of
very moderate animals who only Anton could have persuaded to get their
heads in front (eg MY LADY VALENTINE & COLOUR TROOPER) and even with
some "near misses", none more so than SHIMMERING SURF who was so so
unlucky in a Listed Race at Newbury last year.
It will be business as usual at Robins Farm Racing
Stables until 31 October during which time I expect us to remain at the
top of our game. Thereafter I shall continue to breed flat
sprinter/milers & will also be organising a small number of flat racing
syndicates. So I do hope to bump into the many friends and supporters of
the Yard ,both at the sales and on the racetrack, in the future.
Otherwise as someone else said "Thank you and goodbye"!
PETER WINKWORTH
