CARTMEL NEWS

Top Trainer Returns

25/05/2016

“For someone who was born and bred in Cartmel and went to school here, it was always an ambition to do well at my home course.

“I was fortunate enough to be top jockey at Cartmel in 1993 when I shared the title with Richard Guest, so it was brilliant to win the Andrea Robinson Memorial Trophy as top trainer last year” says Moffatt.

The trainer will be going to war with many of his tried and trusted stars from last season together with a fair sprinkling of newcomers including recent purchase Think Ahead, who was bought out of the Godolphin string at Doncaster last Thursday (May 19).

Set to carry the colours of long-standing owner Varlian Vyner-Brooks, Think Ahead has run only 10 races, but is a three-times winner with more than £107,000 in prize money and a rating of 105 on the Flat.

“I have high hopes for him, but he is going to take a bit of time and may not be seen at Cartmel until August and the last meeting of the year.

But there will be plenty of others during the year including Captain Brown, who won a second successive Cartmel Cup for the yard last August, an achievement which gave owners Keith and Helen Bowron the Margaret Sexton Memorial Cup for outstanding moment of the year.

Keith Bowron had his first winner when Moffatt rode Vilprano to victory in 1996 and is now one of the main owners for the young trainer.

Along with Vyner-Brooks, Bowron is co-owner of dual Cartmel winner Altruism, who will switch to fences this season and could be a big player in novice chases at the course.

Apart from his horses, Moffatt is looking forward to taking his son Jensen to Cartmel and introducing the next generation of the family to the sport.

“It will be fantastic to have Nadine and Jensen with me at Cartmel this season and even better if they can see me win the trainers’ title again. I can only do my best, but if I fail it won’t be for the want of trying” said Moffatt.