Horses in Training 2023

Fergal, now got 2 yards to fill.

Does it cover Ireland Ribero??

No Geoff it doesn't,it has done previously but for some reason not this year.

Willie Mullins, A P O'Brien, Jess Harrington, Donnacha have returned their forms but no Elliot, Weld, Joseph or De Bromhead. It's up to them whether they want to co operate. Not all UK trainers do either - and some leave their two year olds out.

Trainers leaving their horses out has always been a problem going back to the 60s to my knowledge.
A few years ago they started compiling lists of some major non-cooperators by other means ( their websites I believe ). The Irish returns have always been very hit and miss.
Also many decades ago trainers not only provided lists of their 2-y-os but the vast majority had already been named,which is certainly not the case now.

You and I go back a long time Salmon. I used to get the book every year but when I retired in 2000 it seemed a good time to stop so that was my last one. I still have quite a few going back to the 1980s but must have thrown out the ones before that. Even a few French trainers sent lists at one time.

Funnily enough I started taking it again around the time you stopped sageform. I hadn't bought it for decades before that but I've held on to a few from the 60s and 70s.

as a big pedigree fan, it was the flat yards that interested me. Most of the old owner/breeders sent all of the offspring of a mare to the same trainer year after year so you could follow them. Now the Racing Post website allows you to do the same thing so long as a horse has been entered for a race. Some modern owners have a home base and only send horses to a trainer when nearly ready for a run and have horses with a lot of different trainers.

Crikey,don't know how I missed Mullins& Harrington.

I think Mick Channon never sent his in. Dont know if his boy will.

I remember when I was about 12 (in the 1950's) trying to buy a copy on Liverpool Street station bookstall. The old fellow said 'no son you cant buy that'.
I had to get my dad to get it. Bloody cheek when a 12 yr old cant get a valuable piece of his betting armoury.
Had no problem with my Raceform loose-leaf every week.

I remember a  quote by Gordon Elliott, explaining why he's happy to train so many horses - he pointed out how many horses he'd had to get through to find just one Don Cossack.

But at least Elliott has actually trained a Gold Cup winner, so you can understand why people send him horses. But Fergal O'Brien ...?! One Grade 1 winner - Poetic Rhythm in the Challow Hurdle five years ago, and nothing since. Extraordinary.