Ann Duffield: yard sharing and diversification likely to be crucial for smaller trainers

Ann Duffield is adamant that yard sharing is "the way to go" if racing is to counter the trainer drain that has seen a 17 per cent decline in numbers in the last decade.

She cited huge cost benefits from multiple-occupancy of her Sun Hill Farm which is now also a base for Phillip Makin and Patrick Neville, a Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer courtesy of The Real Whacker's Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase success in March.

"Many years ago, I said this is the way we're going to have to go," said Duffield, who has sent out two Group 3 winners from the North Yorkshire yard herself. "It's never really been sustainable training horses in smallish numbers, it's so volatile.