Friday 28th March - Regional Day, The West

Regional Meeting at Barbury Castle/Newbury Racecourse

Alan King has trained seven winners of ten races at the Cheltenham Festival since moving to remote Barbury Castle on June 1 2000.

Remarkably five of those winners were amongst a dozen horses on parade at the TBA regional meeting at Barbury on March 28 – with blustery winds and incessant rain, the Marlborough Downs remained firmly shrouded in mist.

What a select cast there was: Voy Por Ustedes (Champion Chase, Arkle Chase), My Way de Solzen (Arkle Chase, World Hurdle), Katchit (Champion Hurdle, Triumph Hurdle), Old Benny (National Hunt Chase), and Nenuphar Collonges (Spa Hurdle).

Two with major engagements pending were Old Benny in the Scottish National and Nenuphar Collonges in the French Champion Hurdle, scheduled to be his trainer's very first runner in France where so many of his stars originated.

Also on parade was D'Argent, owned by Alan King's landlord Nigel Bunter. This Warwick specialist, who seems better than ever at the age of eleven, was expected to line up for the following week's Grand National in an attempt to become the first grey to prevail since Nicolaus Silver in 1961.

Inevitably French-breds were one of the topics raised when Alan King and his colleague Anthony Bromley presided over an informal question and answer session. It was also a revelation to learn that this powerful stable has no retained jockey per se.

After wandering at will around various American barns to inspect the inmates (all bedded on wood shavings), it was time to depart for racing at Newbury. And those who had braved the elements in the morning were rewarded with a glorious spell of afternoon sunshine.

The TBA, who laid on a snack lunch at Newbury followed by tea, is much indebted to Alan King and all his staff for a thoroughly entertaining visit – their hospitality certainly helped to negate the appalling weather!

www.alankingracing.co.uk
www.newbury-racecourse.co.uk