'You never lose the buzz, and I'm loving life here' - top South African trainer Joey Ramsden thrilled after first British winner

Joey Ramsden's decision to relocate back to Britain quickly paid off after one of South Africa's most successful trainers celebrated a first winner in the country on Thursday.

Ramsden is the son of famed gambler Jack and stepson of former top trainer Lynda, and trained more than 1,800 winners in a 20-year stint in South Africa. It yielded 27 successes at the highest level, including in the Durban July, Queen's Plate, Cape Derby, Cape Guineas and Cape Fillies' Guineas.

Having ended his illustrious career there in 2019, Ramsden saddled his first runners in Britain last month. He got off the mark at just the ninth attempt when Bishop's Glory ran out a 22-1 winner in the second division of the 6f handicap at Newcastle.

"When you win with that calibre of horse, it shows you've definitely still got it," said Ramsden. "I'll never get bored of winning, even if I had to turn the clock back here 30 or so years! 

Joey Ramsden: trained his first British winner at Newcastle on Thursday eveningCredit: Goldcircle.co.za

"It's totally different to how we trained in South Africa. You'd do one piece of work on a very heavy sand track there over not very far, but luckily I spent a year with my stepmum, when she trained some horses on Southwell's Fibresand. Luckily, I've still got it."

He added: "Genuinely, I'm not just saying it, but I'm loving the life of training here. You never lose the buzz, even if one of your horses gets stuffed. We were expecting it to come with Imola on the same card, but she finished second and this was a pleasant surprise."

One of Ramsden's best horses in South Africa was Variety Club, who provided him with glory on Dubai World Cup night in the 2014 Godolphin Mile. He also landed the Champions Mile in Hong Kong that year, though the horse was officially under the care of Mike de Kock due to quarantine regulations.

While he knows that the next global superstar may be hard to come by, Ramsden has no regrets about restarting his career at this level.

Bishop's Glory and Andrea Pinna after their win at NewcastleCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

He said: "You'd love to find the next Variety Club here, but it won't be for a tenner! It's a different kettle of fish I'm dealing with here, but I'm glad we made the decision to do so. 

"Fingers crossed, people take notice and have a bit of faith in us. There's no guarantee in life, but the facilities we've got deserve a top-class horse."

Ramsden is based near Newark, Nottinghamshire, from a 62-stable yard where Mick Appleby enjoyed success, including winning the all-weather trainers' championship. He believes the facilities will prove key to continuing his successful training career.

He said: "I love where we are. It's in the Midlands and it may not be as fashionable as some of the training centres, but the facilities are incredible. 

"I'm working with a lot of very nice people as well, and we're working together for our success."

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