TALKING HORSES: Waggott carves out stable career from humble beginnings

Half an hour of Coronation Street perhaps in an attempt to unwind? Not exactly. The screen displays live footage from the cameras trained on the horses in the stable block adjoining her home. For a trainer who has built up a successful string from next to nothing, the working day doesn’t end when the lights go out.

Having previously worked as travelling head girl to Richard Guest and as part of the stable team with Alan Swinbank, Waggott, whose father Norman was also a trainer, secured her own licence a decade ago.

Since then, she has built a stable unit, installed a brand new gallop and transformed the paddock areas that adjoin her Merrington Lane base. Her initial band of five horses has grown to 16, and last year, she saddled 18 winners to earn more than £100,000 in prize money. Not, however, that it has all been plain sailing.

“I’ve worked with horses all my life, and this was just something I always wanted to do,” said Waggott. “I used to ride, but I broke my back and vertebrae in ten places when I was 26 so that put an end to that.

“I was lucky to work with some really good people, but I always wanted to have a go on my own. I was brought up close to Hexham at Riding Mill, but I bought the field here and then set about building the barn and the gallops myself. I’ve built pretty much everything as I’ve been going along, but you never really get to a point where it ends.

“Last year, the gallop needed completely redoing because it had been down for the best part of a decade, so you’re always looking to keep on top of things and improve.

“Things are at the stage now where I’m happy with where I’m at. I have some great owners who are very supportive, and I still have a personal share in some of the horses in the yard. Last year, I was trying to run about 24 horses and that was probably too much. We’ve come back down to about 16 this year and that’s much more manageable.”

While she employs three full-time members of staff – two of whom, Shaun and Susan Beasley, are the parents of jockey Connor, who is establishing a reputation as one of the leading riders in the North after stepping out of the apprentice ranks over the winter – Waggott presides over a very hands-on operation.

She is out on the gallops at 6.20am, riding out the first of four or five lots, and will normally spend the rest of the day tending to her horses in the stables, rolling the gallops and attending to the mountains of paperwork that would be the preserve of a full-time secretary at most of the bigger stables in the region.

On a race day, she can often be found driving the horsebox to the racecourse before carrying out a range of grooming duties prior to the start. Then the whole process begins again in reverse before it is time to head for home.

“It’s hard work, but I wouldn’t swap it,” she said. “Race days can be pretty chaotic, especially when you’ve got four or five horses entered and one of them starts playing up a bit and has to be led to the start.

“It’s all hands to the pump then, but the excitement starts flowing once the race begins, especially if you know you’ve got a horse with a decent chance. I’ve never been a good watcher, and if anything, I’m probably getting worse, but it’s definitely all worth it when they run well and win.”

Waggott’s best two days came courtesy of Destiny’s Dream, a now-retired middle distance performer who won Class Three contests at York and Chester.

She is still waiting for her first winner of the current turf Flat season, although Bright Applause came within half-a-length of breaking the duck when he finished second at Catterick last week.

Windforpower and Whispered Times have also finished in the places in the last fortnight, suggesting that this year’s first trip to the winners’ enclosure should not be too far away.

“In general, the horses have been running well,” she said. “We’ve had some pretty tough draws to contend with so far, so hopefully we’re due a bit of luck on that score.

“Solar Spirit should come out and win soon. He’s a remarkable old horse who has now had 91 runs in his career. He’s a six-furlong sprinter and he absolutely loves it around Catterick. I keep telling people that I’ll retire him on the spot if he gets to 100 races and then wins.

“Border Bandit is a good horse who should do well for us again this season. He won four times last summer when he was in great form and should come on for his last run.

“Shadowtime also did well last year, winning at Pontefract and Beverley, and there should be more to come there. And then we’ve got a three-year-old called My Specialbru. He’s a talented horse, but he’s got his quirks and we just need to work out how to get the best out of him.”

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HAMBLETON trainer Kevin Ryan is targeting some glory at his local course as he prepares to run Comino in Saturday’s Totepool Thirsk Hunt Cup.

Ryan has won the Thirsk showpiece twice in the last eight years, with his most recent success coming courtesy of Flawed Genius in 2009, and is hoping for another strong showing this weekend.

“The plan is to run in the Hunt Cup,” he said. “That is his target, but we have a few bridges to cross yet and there will be things like the ground to consider nearer the race. But, all being well, Comino will be there.”

The four-year-old is showing signs of developing into a Thirsk course specialist with three of his four career wins coming at the course, although his 100 per cent record took a dent when he was beaten on his seasonal bow earlier this month.

The Hunt Cup, one of the biggest handicaps of Yorkshire’s season, will be the centrepiece of Thirsk’s second meeting of the year, which gets underway at 2.10pm.

Three years ago, it was won by the Godolphin runner Farrh, who went on to be placed in five Group One races on his next five starts, including Royal Ascot, the Coral Eclipse Stakes and York’s Juddmonte International, where he chased home the mighty Frankel.

Victory for the Ruth Carr-trained Fort Bastion last season was the 11th time in the last 15 runnings of the Thirsk Hunt Cup that the race has been claimed by a Yorkshire-based trainer.

Ryan and Richard Fahey lead the way with two wins apiece, but the latter will not be adding to his record this year.

“The Hunt Cup is a great race, but I simply don’t have any milers with the quality needed,” said the Malton handler. “Sadly, I shall not have a runner this year”.

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ONE of the North’s most popular National Hunt races of the year also takes place on Saturday, with Hexham’s evening meeting featuring the Eve Aitchison Heart of All England Maiden Hunter Chase.

Due off at 7.30pm, the ‘Heart’ is the principal race in the North for maiden hunters, horses which have shown promise in point-to-point racing.

The race is the feature event in a seven-race card, which gets underway at 5.25pm. Courtesy buses will run from Hexham Rail Station (3.40pm) and Hexham Bus Station (3.45pm), returning after the last race, which is due off at 8.30pm. Accompanied children under the age of 16 will be admitted free.