'You put your heart and soul into it so it's hard to cope when the bad times come along'
Catherine Macrae explores the consequences of trainers going through cold spells - and discovers help is now at hand
The best days of a trainer's life are shaped by success.
A high-profile victory might catapult a yard into fame overnight, festival glory could be the thin line between a good or bad season, and a Group 1 triumph can be the crowning achievement of years of hard work. Competitiveness might as well be written in the job description.
The relentless pursuit of victory unifies all trainers, but alongside the fulfilment of being on top there is a far less cherished experience they share. Going hand in hand with the highs are the lows, the spells when winners fail to come that can, on occasion, feel like an eternity.
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 inSpecial reports
Last updated
Copy- Skyscraper betting and soaring turnover: Japan's mind-boggling racing experience and the unlikely hero who sparked the boom
- It’s the number-one complaint from punters – so just why are some struggling to get paid out by bookmakers?
- A laid-back Equinox, a heaving toy shop and a bizarre mobile racing game: inside the phenomenon that is Japanese racing
- 'The status quo just isn't sustainable' - does British racing need a revolution in how it is run?
- 'We have constipation at the centre of British racing' - is the sport's governance structure fit for purpose?
- Skyscraper betting and soaring turnover: Japan's mind-boggling racing experience and the unlikely hero who sparked the boom
- It’s the number-one complaint from punters – so just why are some struggling to get paid out by bookmakers?
- A laid-back Equinox, a heaving toy shop and a bizarre mobile racing game: inside the phenomenon that is Japanese racing
- 'The status quo just isn't sustainable' - does British racing need a revolution in how it is run?
- 'We have constipation at the centre of British racing' - is the sport's governance structure fit for purpose?