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Michael Elders

Alan king – back once again for the renegade master

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As in most sports, there are giants that dominate National Hunt racing; both in terms of success and financial clout. For Man City, Man United and Chelsea, read Henderson, Nicholls and Mullins. Unlike football, unless you are from Lambourn, Ditcheat or County Carlow, the average racing fan forges their allegiances through a variety of non-geographical factors.

Hearts over minds

It’s hard not to mention money when talking about many aspects of racing because it is the lifeblood of our sport like no other. The gambling industry has spread its tentacles and hedged its bets in recent decades, with barely a Premierships game going by that doesn’t feature a decapitated head barking out the latest odds as if he’s threatening to cave your head in. In the instance of appreciating a particular jockey or trainer though, the chicken and the egg are in their correct order. I like a jockey because of the way he rides, their consistency, their courage, their intelligence, their timing and their personality. I appreciate AP McCoy is an incredible athlete, with the strength and heart of a lion and a dedication to his craft that sets him apart but I have greater affection for Paul Carberry because of his riding style and off course personality. I remember seeing him swinging from the rafters in Club 92 after a particularly good day. I like my sports folk to have a bit of the devil in them, makes them easier to like. The sight of Carberry sitting motionless out the back and watching him creep closer is something to savour. Unlike the one dimensional Jamie Spencer on the flat, Carberry can ride a horse in a variety of ways, although he has sometimes got it wrong – Psycho in the 2008 County Hurdle was a particularly frustrating watch. Perhaps it’s the dicier proposition who might pull off the incredible ride that aligns with my own approach to risk and that puts the likes of Carberry and Davey Russell higher in heart than AP or Dickie Johnson.

National Hunt Passion

We can do nothing but celebrate and applaud what big three have accomplished in recent times – each winning numerous trainers championships, cleaning up at the Festival and across other major meetings. That being said, it’s often the individuals and teams who fight above their weight that etch themselves into hearts. Success begets success and the top trainers in the land attract the best support with the biggest pockets. Racing’s core is nourished every day by the passion & commitment of those who do the spade work for peanuts or no financial reward. This stream of positivity combines with the hope and optimism of the gambler to ensure a sport that is more than partial to a little romance.

Introducing Alan King

I have set the table sufficiently to introduce the main course. Alan King was born the year England won the World Cup and having grown up on his family’s farm, went to work for David Nicholson as a teenager. Condicote now houses Martin Keighley but for 15 years Alan King learnt from The Duke and had the importance of Cheltenham drilled into him as the team planned everything around Festival week in March. After a brief spell at Jackdaws, King settled at Barbury Castle and he enters his 14th season with around 90 horses in training.

Alan King and his team have tasted plenty of success, delivering championship victories from the likes of Voy Por Ustedes, My Way de Solzen and Katchit, who were the stable stars between 2006 and 2009.The yard experienced a couple of relatively lean years in terms of big race wins once that golden crop came to the end of their best. That being said, the win percentage has always been mid-teens or higher and when you are competing against the likes of McManus, Wylie and Ricci, the sheer weight of their numbers makes the top prizes so very hard to land.

Stats are stats, and they only paint part of any picture, and they certainly don’t warm the cockles of the heart. Alan King in not often in the press, racing or otherwise, despite lifting some of the biggest prizes and he largely communicates via his comprehensive website. When he is interviewed there is always a glint in his eyes that conveys his passion and honesty, but also alludes to humour and mischief. I believe the term is enigmatic, which some will love and some won’t, but it adds to his gravitas and he is someone I want to listen to when he talks about racing.

Experience

Last season was certainly interesting as the yard started in fine fettle but something was awry come November and experience told King to close the yard down over the Christmas period. It proved the right decision and the yard came back to form, led by the special Balder Success. As someone who had him at fancy prices for the Festival, the pocket maligned the decision to swerve Cheltenham and take in the Grade 1 Maghull Novice Chase at Aintree over Grand National weekend. It proved a shrewd move, by a shrewd trainer and demonstrated cast iron self-belief. It would take some conversation to make me happy about missing the Festival as an owner.

King Set to Reign?

King and his team have started this season like a rocket, with a 24% (22/92) win rate over jumps and 9 flat winners, including the valuable Silver Bowl at Haydock with Chatez. Cheltenham’s Open meeting in November will see more of the big guns and he likes the Hennessy meeting at Newbury a few weeks later. The beautiful Balder Success is the horse I am anticipating most but Alan King is a canny trainer who plays the angles, so it is with excitement and some measure of anxiety that I look forward to the season ahead for the team at Barbury Castle. When the heart has an involvement, the emotions run deeper and I find myself hoping the team have a safe, successful season. I hope to secure an interview but the great man proved evasive last season...... but that’s the things about enigmas.

You can follow me @cheltofestival and www.facebook.com/cheltenhamfestivalinfo

Comments

  1. Maruco's Avatar
    Nice blog Michael. Thanks for sharing.