'He's a class act who's done nothing but improve': National aim for in-form yard

This stable tour was originally printed in the Racing Post Weekender on Wednesday, October 28. Buy the Weekender every week for top stable tours and great insight from weekly columnist Alan King.

You'd be hard pressed to find many trainers who have produced such a consistently strong strike-rate as Tom Lacey and, after a blip last term, Lacey's Herefordshire string is firmly back on track again.

Last season was the first since Lacey stepped up his operation in 2016 that he had dipped below a strike-rate of 20 per cent, but he has put that right with a strong start to the current campaign.

He explains: “We have made a good start and have been fortunate to have some good summer horses. Everything seems to have fallen right.”

But it is to the winter team that he has high hopes and already Tea Clipper has bagged a Grade 3 for the team, taking the Silver Trophy.