Ascent of Everest the endgame for Sands Of Mali as yard looks to juvenile talent

Horse numbers are large and seasonal totals border on astronomical at Musley Bank, but that means expectations are high and any shortcomings are quickly seized upon. For Richard Fahey, however, winners are never taken for granted and achievement is hard earned, no matter what the critics may say.

"Funnily enough somebody told me it was a bad year last year, with 190 winners and almost £3.4m in prize money," he laughs. "It doesn't sound like a bad year to me, but I suppose we've made a rod for our own backs there. If you keep turning out close to 200 winners, people think it just happens as a matter of course, whereas speaking as a trainer I'm amazed every year when we start from zero and still get there."

The annual task is made harder by the fact that many of the yard's best young horses end up being sold to race in Hong Kong, which means each new season is a fresh project.