Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot-winning trainer Paul Webber to hand in licence

Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot-winning trainer Paul Webber has made the decision to hand in his licence, concluding an almost 30-year career at the end of May. 

Webber, 65, will send out his final runners in Britain next month before a possible runner in France in June from his base in Cropredy, Oxfordshire, where he has lived nearly all of his life after saddling his first runner in 1995. 

The dual-licence trainer's decision to sell Cropredy Lawn farm was accelerated by the death of his mother Diana in 2022, who was an equal partner in the property, alongside the struggle to meet costs for the 62-box yard, which sent out two winners during the 2023-2024 jumps season.

"We had to make the difficult decision to sell the farm as numbers have fallen, and the costs became difficult," Webber said. "It's a big change after so many years here, but these things happen, life changes, and it's onwards from here."

Webber enjoyed his first Grade 1 in 1999 when Hoh Express won the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase under Jamie Osborne, before winning the race again with Patricksnineteenth in 2004. 

He continued to enjoy Graded success throughout his career, including with 2020 Martin Pipe winner Indefatigable, and he also claimed success on the Flat with Listed winner Kew Green and Ulundi, who landed the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2002. 

"I'm very proud of what we've achieved," he said. "We've had some wonderful days and a lot of near misses. I was maybe a better trainer of a second horse than I was a winner, but that happens to a lot of us. 

"It's been a lot of fun and we've met a lot of wonderful people along the way. We've made some great friends in the sport."

Webber plans to continue his involvement in racing by lending his support to fledgling trainer Billy Aprahamian, who is based just 20 minutes away in Adstone. 

Aprahamian, a former assistant to Nicky Henderson, will receive several horses from the yard and Webber will also take up a consultancy role for the operation, with the remainder of the runners to be sold in the upcoming Goffs UK May sale. 

Webber added: "The plan is to stay involved in racing. Some of the owners are very happy for the horses to head over to Billy, who we've known for a very long time, and the hope is to try and boost his team and propel him forwards."

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