Rewards and perils lurk in the yards

I was having a look through the stats earlier in the week and it's really surprising what you learn when it comes to the form of certain stables.

Sir Michael Stoute has a formidable 29 per cent strike-rate with all his runners, which from a stable housing over 150 horses, is absolutely phenomenal.

From 12 runners in Group races this campaign, six have come home in front and Conduit bids to uphold that great record in the G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown tonight. I used to wonder how do handlers with so many horses possibly know which animal is which, along with what stage of preparation they are at, and therefore how do they keep their horses in such good shape.

But having worked in a few larger stables myself, you soon become aware that the assistant trainers and head lads are extremely important cogs in a forever turning wheel (remember there are now 363 days racing every year in the UK). Not to mention the stable staff who know each individual thoroughbred like the back of their hands and are able to diagnose any imperfections to the trainer.

I still believe they don't get anywhere near enough credit they deserve. Next time you welcome a horse being led into the winner's circle, think about all the work that has to be carried out before and after to ensure the horse is comfortable at all times.

John Gosden is another who boasts great stats and his 36 winners to date provide a healthy profit. However, it is not all a bed of roses and Sir Mark Prescott along with Marcus Tregoning have decided to shut up shop until their charges get over various bugs and viruses.

Prescott pulled out Prescription from the Victoria Cup last week and is hopeful the proposed medication will prove beneficial to the potential handicap “good-thing''.

The latter handler has really struggled to maintain a consistent level of form since he started training in 1998. Nayef, Sir Percy and the admirable Mubtaker all helped the softly-spoken Cornishman gain access to the big-time, but with limited big-race success since, I wonder where it has all been going wrong.

This is not the first time the yard has closed due to a virus, and for a gigantic training establishment, it's a shame Kingwood House Stables has only snapped up Dh30,000 in prize money since March (2 wins from 41 runners). Instances like this are a good example that you might have the engine, but it has to be in working order and I suppose it's like running a car on diesel instead of petrol.

Measures like keeping the horse warm after exercise to avoid catching a chill or ensuring there is good air circulation around the stable are simple, but vital, factors in maintaining a healthy string. I really hope Tregoning manages to condition his team through their illnesses as he's a great bloke who trains the old-fashioned way and whose number one priority are his horses, as without them many of us would be nowhere.