SYMONDS ENTERS BRAVE NEW WORLD

Nicky Henderson's former assistant Tom Symonds embarks upon his own training career with two runners at Exeter on Thursday.

Only in his mid-20s but with a wealth of experience, Symonds rode out for Venetia Williams in his school holidays and was also an assistant to James Fanshawe.

He saddles fair Flat performer Tweedledrum in the opening Bathwick Tyres Taunton Novices' Hurdle and is later represented by Strathcal in the Bathwick Tyres Plymouth Handicap Hurdle.

Symonds' association with the Gold Cup-winning trainer, and, indeed, riding work on Gold Cup hero Long Run, has paid dividends in terms of owners and interest.

"We had about 300 people at our owners' day, which was crazy, and even people like Long Run's owner Robert Waley-Cohen turned up," he said.

"I should be getting more bumper types later in the year and we're actually nearly full. But we've only got 30 boxes and there is a lot of room to expand.

"Scholastica is a nice horse, while another of Nicky's owners, Michael Buckley, has sent me a French horse he's quite excited about called Mirific.

"We're also lucky to have been sent Duc De Regniere from Nicky.

"He's going to be quite hard to win with because of his rating and his campaign is fairly simple to map out, conditions-wise."

Posted in: News