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'Horses affected by the flu have been winning and hopefully it's all history'
Andrew Dietz gets the lowdown on a stable looking to get back on track
Donald McCain: winter team are starting to come to hand after a slow startCredit: Edward Whitaker
Utter the words 'northern powerhouse' in jump racing circles and one trainer immediately springs to mind.
Donald McCain has been leading the way in the north for more than a decade but in recent seasons the growth has been halted.
After a period of stability following Paul and Clare Rooney's decision to remove around 60 horses from Bankhouse in 2015, McCain felt the effects of another shockwave when his base was at the epicentre of the equine flu outbreak that shut down racing for six days last February.
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Published on inStable Tours
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more inStable Tours
- 'We hope he's a Triumph Hurdle horse, so until he tells us otherwise we'll be aiming him that way'
- 'He could make it right to the very top over fences’ - Willie Mullins’ exclusive horse-by-horse guide to his extraordinary team
- 'He's bigger, stronger, definitely getting better - and he'll be a classy horse going back into handicaps'
- 'Our novice chasers are as good as anyone's in Britain - and this one is a proper horse'
- 'Having a winner at the Cheltenham Festival last season made a big difference - and this might be one for the same race'