Bryan Smart

North Yorkshire trainer, Bryan Smart, doesn’t look as if he is going to beat his best ever winner total in a year (2008 – 57, 2009 to date – 50). Having said this the trainer has had another highly respectable year and is still one to follow, albeit on a selective basis.

Numerically, sprint winners are always more prolific than at other distances for the stable. However, they have only come at a strike rate ranging from 11% to 17% over the last 4 years, which would have given a big level stake loss, so blanket betting on all stable runners is definitely not recommended.

With regard to courses, Musselburgh is the course to look out for on the turf – 21% strike rate over the last 5 seasons producing a £93 profit to a £1 level stake unit. On the all-weather it’s Lingfield which has the best strike rate but Southwell and Wolverhampton have more winners numerically.

From a month point of view watch out for plenty of winners in January and May.

Numerically, stable jockey, 28-year-old, Tom Eaves takes most rides for the stable and not surprisingly gets most winners. A very strong jockey in a finish, it is no surprise that sprint distances give him most winners and at the best strike rate. Of the lesser used jockeys watch out for Richard Mullen and Greg Fairley.

Bryan Smart is very good at getting multiple wins out of his best horses and this year has been no exception with Nickel Silver (4 wins), Captain Macarry (5 wins) and Tangerine Tree (3 wins) all being very well placed. Looking forward to 2010 names to follow are the flying grey Nickel Silver (pictured above), the classy Excellent Show, the well-handicapped Chosen One and the potential improver Striker Torres.

Bill Ratcliffe

Bill Ratcliffe has been a licensed trainer since 2006 and has impressed me immensely with the limited material he has had so far. Looking at his excellent website www.billratclifferacing.co.uk and reading the informative blog you get the distinct impression that this could be an establishment that is going to make waves in spite of difficult recessionary times. Certainly it’s not easy making progress with so few horses and the move to new premises in Newmarket from North Yorkshire at the beginning of the year could be a make or break move. First indications though are that things are still moving in the right direction, results have improved further from his smart new stable and recent investments in yearlings will hopefully start to cement the trainer’s future.

Bill admits on his website that if it hadn’t been for early success with Bel Cantor, still a stable favourite at the age of 6 and with 10 wins to his name, things may be different now. Small stables are often very dependent on there being a star performer for their survival.

This year 11 out of 14 wins for the trainer have been achieved in sprint races I follow. The 4 horses that have come up with the 11 wins are all individuals that have been around for some time, so the trainer’s ability to keep his mainstays in tip-top form and placing to advantage is without question. Guto and Colorus, both 6-year-olds, have excelled with 4 wins apiece, Bel Cantor continues in rude health with another 2 wins this year and the two year younger Style Award, only one win, could be the best handicapped inmate if the trainer can only get to the bottom of her undoubted potential.

Of course wins for older handicappers like this does make things more difficult though. Guto and Colorus currently have higher official ratings than they have ever had, and at the age of 6 you can’t expect too much further improvement. The quest for young talent is absolutely vital.

In each of the last 4 years Bill has managed to increase his winners total – 2006 (3), 2007 (5), 2008 (10), 2009 (14 wins to date). 28 out of 32 winners have been achieved in sprints. Numerically, Southwell has been the most successful course with 7 wins since he started, including 5 this year. Pontefract has been the most successful turf course with 5 wins from 16 runners.

As far as jockeys are concerned success is unusual in that it is very much centred round the use of apprentices at present. All 11 sprint wins this year have been achieved with apprentices abroad. Up and coming Paul Pickard has been the star man this year having ridden 6 of the winners. The very able Kelly Harrison has had 3 wins but from more rides, Martin Lane and Josephine Bruning have had 1 each.

What’s obvious is that in races where noses and short heads can make all the difference Bill Ratcliffe sees the weight allowances of apprentices as being most important.

There’s no definite trend yet as far as best time of the year to follow the yard but it should be noted that the trainer is yet to get a winner in December and January. Apart from these two months winners seem to come at regular intervals and the impression is that runners have a consistency of form even when not winning. The difference between winning and losing seems more to do with handicap marks and right conditions.

So, only a small set-up this but very much a trainer who specialises in sprinters. He has shown enough since starting in 2006 to be of continuing interest and I expect him to have another good year in 2010.