Frustrating ex-French horse comes good for a trainer on the rise

Oliver Greenall is ending his best season on a high and Gouet Des Bruyeres made it four winners from his last seven runners when taking the 1m7f chase.

The 4-1 shot provided a 34th victory of the campaign for a trainer whose previous best total was 18 in 2018-19.

"It's been a really good season," said Greenall, who is in his fifth term with a full licence. "We've changed the gallop, which has definitely helped. We've got a new feed and the horses look a lot better.

"We used to be a third Flat, two-thirds jumps, and now we're all jumps. And we have a better quality of horse; we've gradually been able to spend a bit more money."

The trainer hopes there will be even better to come in 2021-22 at Stockton Hall stables in Cheshire and said: "Because of having a good season we've managed to spend a bit more money again this time and buy some more nice horses for next season, so I hope we can keep going up the ladder."

Gouet Des Bruyeres was winning for the first time since joining Greenall and the trainer said: "I bought the horse myself and he's been frustrating, to say the least. It's nice that he's finally sorted himself out.

"I bought him from France and he'd been trained to win to sell and he came over quite shell-shocked. It's taken us ages to unwind him and get him calm; he's been running on his nerves a bit. He's always shown potential but it hasn't quite worked out – he's looked different class to his rating."

Road to success

Ben Haslam also increased his personal-best tally when Roxboro Road carried the JP McManus colours to victory in the 2m5½f hurdle and has his sights on pushing the total even higher.

"That's our 18th winner of the season and it would be good to try to get to 20; that would be a great achievement," the trainer said.

"The support of JP McManus has been a huge help for us. Rock On Fruity was our 50th winner for JP at Newcastle the other day and we're very privileged to train for him."

Roxboro Road was landing his third win from three runs since the start of March and Haslam said: "He struggled on the winter ground but since the spring has come he's come alive."

Ben Haslam: 'support of JP McManus has been a huge help for us'Credit: David Carr

Color coming home

Hard though flamboyant auctioneer George Stanners tried, he failed to attract a bid for selling hurdle winner Paricolor from the handful of owners and trainers present.

That was good news for jockey Fergus Gillard, who owes more than 20 per cent of his career victories to the David Pipe-trained five-year-old.

"I've ridden 34 winners and that's my seventh win on him; he's been a serious servant for me. I can't thank him enough and I'm glad he's coming home!"

Fergus Gillard: 'I'm glad he's coming home!'Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

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