'He always buys you an ice cream before picking your brain for 20 minutes'
Llancarfan's finest nominates his training heroes over jumps
Arthur Stephenson
He trained loads of winners when I was growing up and when The Thinker won the 1987 Gold Cup, Arthur was at Hexham. I remember thinking he must have had a bit of sense to not bother travelling down to Cheltenham, win the Gold Cup and still only be a few miles from home. I've met plenty of lads who worked for him and his no-nonsense approach to training, dealing with horses and farming shone through.
Peter Easterby
Night Nurse, Sea Pigeon and Saucy Kit all won Champion Hurdles, while Alverton and Little Owl scored in the Gold Cup. And that was just over jumps. He is a legend of the sport but very down to earth. He always buys you an ice cream at Doncaster sales before picking your brain for 20 minutes. It's the best 20 minutes you can spend and he is as sharp as a tack.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inFeatures
Last updated
Copy- Captain Marvel: how a modern master of Cheltenham and a genuine pioneer executed one of the shocks of the year
- 'We’re delighted with how it's going' - joint-trainers prepare for exciting year after Flat string is doubled
- 'We’ve had to work hard this sales season' - Kennet Valley seeking to build on success with biggest string
- Alastair Down's archives: the great writer recalls Coneygree's glorious victory in the 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup
- Kauto Star: the extraordinary talent who became the benchmark for sheer undiluted quality
- Captain Marvel: how a modern master of Cheltenham and a genuine pioneer executed one of the shocks of the year
- 'We’re delighted with how it's going' - joint-trainers prepare for exciting year after Flat string is doubled
- 'We’ve had to work hard this sales season' - Kennet Valley seeking to build on success with biggest string
- Alastair Down's archives: the great writer recalls Coneygree's glorious victory in the 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup
- Kauto Star: the extraordinary talent who became the benchmark for sheer undiluted quality