THERE have been plenty of false dawns in Epsom over the last 30 or so years.
Remember when Laura Mongan saddled Harbour Law to win the St Leger in 2016? The first Epsom-trained Classic winner since 1969.
While my personal fortunes took a hit that day (I needed the hot favourite Idaho to win to land a massive multi, only for Seamie Heffernan to fall off at the top of the straight), many thought it was a sign the town’s fortunes as a training hub were starting to change.
Surely, the good times would return to Epsom and it’s hardy training community with the incredible boost of a Classic winner behind them? Nope.
In fact, poor old Harbour Law only ran twice more after his Doncaster heroics and never won another race. I think he’s standing as a jumps stallion somewhere covering mares for the price of a pint of bitter and packet of crisps.
Around 50 years ago, there were over 600 horses trained in Epsom by a wide variety of trainers. You can see why — the place is right on the doorstep of London and surrounded by leafy, expensive suburbs rife with high-rollers from the City.
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Even as recently as the 1990’s, when big names like Geoff Lewis and John Sutcliffe Jr were still training there, the place was in pretty good shape.
After the war, Winston Churchill had several runners trained there, and when the likes of Khalid Abdullah and Sheikh Hamdan had their first runners in the UK they were trained in Epsom.
But when the old guard, led by Classic winner Sutcliffe Jr, retired, the place fell into a rapid decline and owners deserted the town in their droves.
There are barely 200 horses in the entire place and several of the historic yards in the area have either fallen into a state of disrepair or sold to developers.
It’s a sad state of affairs – there is still something romantic about the Downs. There is history everywhere you look.
But, whisper it, do brighter days lie ahead?
The town got an almighty boost last year when Live In The Dream caused a 28-1 shock in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes for Adam West.
I’d go as far to say it was one of the best Flat racing stories we’ve had for the best part of a decade, probably since Mongan and Harbour Law struck at Donny.
The prize-money from the Nunthorpe has only really helped West keep his head above water, but he is a very talented trainer and he will do the job if given the ammo.
Likewise Jim Boyle, who last year ended a ridiculous 19 YEAR battle with the council to get planning permission to renovate his South Hatch yard which was, quite literally, falling to bits.
He now trains out of a brand spanking new yard and is hoping to grow his string of horses, both numerically and in quality.
And then there is the jewel in the Epsom crown, the historic Downs House, once the home of legendary racehorse Eclipse in the mid 1700’s which has been rebuilt from the ground up.
The place was left to rack and ruin after trainer Philip Mitchell retired, but Kiwi businessman Mark Travers has bought the place and spent millions creating a state of the art stable.
I went to have a look around earlier this week and, while it is still a literal building site, the place looks incredible.
George Baker will move in on New Year’s Day next year with a string of 50 horses, increasing the horse population of Epsom by 20% in one swoop.
The former journo and banker-turned trainer is hell-bent on helping to bring back the glory days to Epsom, which has the facilities in place to rival anything in Newmarket.
The Jockey Club maintain the gallops, but some trainers feel they aren’t given anywhere near as much support as their counterparts up in affluent Newmarket.
There is so much untapped potential among the training fraternity in Epsom, they just need a fair shot. Hopefully now they start to get it.
The regeneration of Downs House is an encouraging step and if the owners start to return, the entire training centre will feel the benefit.
And that will be a bloody good thing for the game.
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