Twelve to follow

Few experiences in racing are as guaranteed to cheer you up as a visit to Oliver Sherwood’s lovely yard in Upper Lambourn. Trying vainly to match strides with Oliver back and forth across the Mandown schooling grounds on a frosty morning last week, as Leighton Aspell, Sam Jones and stable conditional Tom Garner polished the jumping skills of the Rhonehurst inhabitants, it was hard to believe from his still almost boyish enthusiasm and energy that this is a man who nearly qualifies for the ‘veteran’ label. Oliver has been in Lambourn since he succeeded Nicky Henderson as Fred Winter’s assistant back in 1978, the year before he also became champion amateur rider, and he has been training since 1984.

So why don’t we hear more of him? The Sherwood name has not been as prominent in recent seasons as in the days when he trained Arctic Call to win the Hennessy, when Large Action finished second twice in the Champion Hurdle and Oliver clocked up half a dozen Cheltenham Festival victories.