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| The view from gallops at Great Shefford stables |
The yard once occupied by Joe
Tuite up to about a year ago see’s this honest trainer with approximately 18
horses under both codes of racing.
Both Son, young NH jockey Harry Teal and wife Sue lend a
hand to tick the yard over, this could be no more apparent seeing what is
possibly my first time witnessing a Mother and son combination work upsides on
the gallops.
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| Sue and Harry Teal work upsides |
Horses took to the five and a half furlong uphill woodchip
surface well, as certainly seems the trend now with most trainers.
Gone are the
days of flat gallops, horses at full throttle on work mornings,horses now have
two or three strong canters up hill to stoke their engines, a tendency to work
them without them even knowing.
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| Roger Teal |
The trainer, certainly seems a journeyman on his road to
becoming the master of Shefford Valley Stables.
Formally with John Jenkins,
then assistant to Epsom Based Phillip Mitchell, Roger has taken his trade by learning
from doing the job, rather than being born into it.
‘
An owner was wanting to buy a training yard and back
someone financially to do so, so it was a case he knew me and from that I got my
break.’
And it is apparent he wants the same for son Harry to, riding out for
his dad the morning I saw him, but learning his trade with near neighbour Harry
Whittington in Lambourn. Something Roger was most adamant he would have to do
to continue his career
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| Harry Teal |
The trainer coming up to his ten year anniversary as a
trainer, already a group three in the bag courtesy of Steel Tango in 2009’s
Darley Stakes.
Roger Teal had his best season prize money wise so far in the last flat
campaign, over £30’000 up the previous year’s efforts, the move and knowledge
still being gathered certainly showing their worth as the trainer continues in
his quest.
Four-year-old Rosie Royal being a big benefactor to the
Trainers increase with four wins out of eleven starts, massing just over £19’000
in prize money
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| Four-year-old Rosie Royal |
Nothing fancy in the about 20 box stables, but one thing you
can witness in abundance is what you would call good ‘onset’ racing folk
A trainer to keep an eye on, let’s face it with just a £2.50
loss to a £1 stake throughout the flat season, this cannot be bad.
Certainly this family run business is the punters friend as well as the backbone a British
horse racing.
