CHARLIE Longsdon has high hopes he’s assembled a team at his Hull Farm Stables, near Chipping Norton, which will make a real impact in the new jumps season.
Staging his first public open day, the 34-year-old trainer welcomed around 200 racing enthusiasts to the yard, with some visitors coming from as far away as Essex.
And after parading the majority of his 37-strong string on a chilly Sunday morning, Longsdon, who recorded 17 winners in his first season at the new stables, said: “I would like to get 25 to 30 winners this time.
“We have a lovely lot of horses who are perfectly capable of winning races from staying chases to novice hurdles.”
Top billing in the parade went to Palypso de Creek, who ran in the John Smith’s Grand National last season when he found the ground too quick before falling four fences from home.
A return to Aintree is on the agenda next April.
But before then the seven-year-old bay gelding is set for regular trips up the M6, with Longsdon having mapped out an exciting programme at Haydock.
“He was our star of last season and he achieved one of our biggest ambitions by running in the Grand National,” said Longsdon.
“He will be going for the big staying chases at Haydock – like on Betfair Chase day, the Tommy Whittle, the Peter Marsh and the Blue Square Gold Cup. Haydock has a lot of heavy ground, which is perfect for him.”
Accompanying Palypso de Creek on his trips to the Merseyside venue could well be Minella Boys, who is set to go chasing with the Eider Chase at Newcastle a long-term target.
“He needs heavy, heavy, heavy ground,” stressed Longsdon.
Big-race plans are also in the pipeline for Far More Serious, who won at Hereford and Newbury last season before finishing seventh in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
“If the likes of Denman are not in it then he will probably have an entry in the Hennessy,” said Longsdon.
Special mention went to Sir Ian, who gave the yard a winner with their first runner since the summer break when landing a handicap chase at Worcester under Felix de Giles last Friday.
A new addition to the team this season is conditional jockey Peter Carberry, fresh off the production line from the famous racing family, which has produced the talented riders Paul, Nina and Phillip.
His first ride for the yard could be aboard Vincitore, a Huntingdon winner in April, at Fontwell on Saturday or Uttoxeter a day later.
Longsdon believes that Carberry’s claim could give his charges an edge as he will be able to reduce the weight they carry.
Another who may benefit from Carberry’s assistance is Songe, who gave Longsdon his biggest success when landing the Blue Square Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock in January 2009 when he was training at Sezincote, near Moreton-in-Marsh.
“He is the most harshly treated horse by the handicapper in racing. His mark over hurdles was simply too high,” says Longsdon, who may give Songe another crack at the larger obstacles at Huntingdon on Sunday.
Longsdon believes there is plenty more to come from the grey Hidden Keel, already a winner of a bumper and over hurdles who is set to go chasing, and French import Yabora.
And he is also looking forward to seeing Oneforfun back on the track following a spell on the sidelines.
“I have a feeling he could be our best handicapped horse,” he added.
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