March 2026

Karl Burke

admin March 31, 2026

A favourite horse trainer of many who has had a spectacular rise to fame since starting his career from very humble beginnings.

Karl Richard Burke was born in 1963, to Irish parents, his mother a nurse and father a publican. Although Burke rode horses as a child, his true interest in the sport came from watching horse racing with his father. This would inspire him to take a holiday job at the age of 16 with Hugh O’Neill, based in Surrey. He enjoyed the experience so much he stayed on as an apprentice.

Later, he would head to Alan Jarvis where he rode a number of winners on the Flat, however, his weight would see him switch to jumps.

He would marry Alan’s daughter, Elaine, and they set up a livery yard near Newark.

Burke achieved his trainers’ licence in 1990. He would train a limited number of horses renting stables in Wantage and then Newmarket.

His first winner Temporale which came in a 2-mile handicap hurdle at Towcester.

In 1996, his first major win saw Daring Destiny take the Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh, Ireland. This Group 3 success, was followed by Group 2 victory in Goldene Peitsche at Baden-Baden, Germany.

He moved to Spigot Lodge near Middleham in 2000. Based in North Yorkshire, it proved to be a bold move as many owners were based in the south. The move had an impact on horse numbers. It took Burke a number of years to re-establish himself as a leading trainer. However, in 2007, Philario won the Sirenia Stakes Group 3 at Kempton. He has a skill or nurturing the best out of two-year-old horses as he does to this day.

Lord Shanakill was a very talented juvenile, who went on to give Burke his first Group 1 win when racing as a three-year-old taking the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly, France. The horse would go on to be a stallion at stud.

Over the following years, something of a turbulent period for Burke, the stable overcame adversity to send out a number of high-profile winners including Odeliz, Unfortunately, Quiet Reflection, Havana Grey & Laurens who won 21 Group races between them from 2015 – 2019. Quiet Reflection gave Burke his first domestic Group 1 victory in 2016 when taking the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

Although Burke achieved a century of winners in 2021, it would take Fallen Angel to win their next Group 1 race in 2023 with a superb performance in the Moyglare Stud Stakes in Ireland. The following year she would take the Irish 1000 Guineas giving the stable their first Classic. Fallen Angel would go on to win 5 Group 1 races in her career and achieve total prize earning topping £1M for owners Wathnan Racing, formerly in the colours of Clipper Logistics Ltd.

As for facilities, there is a grass gallop on Low Moor. Plus, as a four furlong warm-up track, including a seven furlong and four furlong polytrack. High Moor features a one mile four furlong grass gallop. In addition, there are other grass gallops and starting stalls leading out onto the grass gallops. They also have a one and half furlong indoor ride.

They have 130 stables. They have lunge pens, aqua equine treadmill, horse walkers, floodlit exercise ring, six wash bays, vet room and solarium.

Burke is married to Elaine, and they have two daughters Kelly and Lucy. Spigot Lodge is very much a family business.

Along side his many ambitions, is to have a winner in Australia.

James Fanshawe

admin March 30, 2026

James Fanshawe is a long-standing thoroughbred horse trainer, highly respected and has achieved much success, including numerous Group 1 winners. Although associated with Flat racing he has a dual purpose licence and has sent out two Champion Hurdle winners.

Fanshawe was born in 1961. His family part of the equestrian world. His father, Brian, an amateur jockey, and quoted as ‘an exceptional horseman’ who was Master of the Cottesmore Hunt. His grandfather, Richard, an equestrian, who had a military background and attained the ranked of Major. In fact, such was his horsemanship, that he competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics at Berlin.

In his formative years, James Fanshawe worked within the horse racing industry, initially gaining experience with National Hunt trainers George Faribairn, Josh Gifford, and David Nicholas, who is his aunt’s husband.

During the 1980s, he was assistant trainer to Sir Michael Stoute based at Freemason Lodge Stables, Newmarket.

In 1990, he took out his own trainer’s licence at Pegasus Stables at Newmarket, built by jockey Fred Archer in 1884. He originally leased the stable in 1988 but purchased it in 1994 where it was renovated to its former glory.

It now has 74 boxes. The stables have a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere. Horses train on the Newmarket Heath, owned by Jockey Club Estates. In fact, they manage fifty miles of turf gallops and fourteen miles of artificial canters.

At the stable, they have a horse walker and several turn out paddocks.

His first winner came in May that first season when Black Sapphire won at Salisbury. In fact, he would field his first Group winner that year with two-year-old Radwell taking the Solario Stakes.

Many readers will remember his success with Environment Friend a magnificent grey who won the Eclipse Stakes Group 1 at Sandown in 1991.

Perhaps his greatest success came in 2000 when Arctic Owl won the Irish St Leger. At the time of writing, Fanshawe has one Classic success.

Another noted success was seen with Audarya (2020) winning the Prix Jean Romanet and the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Personally, Soviet Song was a superb two-year-old filly winning the Fillies’ Mile Group 1. She went on to win the Sussex Stakes.

James is married to Jacko and they have son, Tom.

The stable goes from strength to strength.

Tony Carroll

admin March 9, 2026

Born in Lambourn, Berkshire on February 26, 1957, Tony Carroll was a successful National Hunt jockey, with over 160 winners to his name, before turning his attention to training in August 1995, following his retirement from the saddle the previous year. He saddled his first winner, Queen Of Shannon, ridden by Ross Studholme, in an apprentice selling handicap at Windsor on August 3, 1996.

Carroll, who holds a dual-purpose licence, has since established himself as one of the most versatile trainers in the business. In 2006, he moved to his current base, a purpose-built yard at Cropthorne Stud, near Pershore, Worcestershire, from where he has sent all of his high-profile winners. On the Flat, he enjoyed the biggest payday of his career on February 19, 2015, when Caspian Prince, ridden by Richard Hughes, won the Meydan Sobha Handicap at Meydan in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Under National Hunt Rules, his most profitable victory came rather closer to home, courtesy of Havana Beat, ridden by James Nixon, in the Pinsent Masons Handicap Hurdle at Aintree on April 14, 2018.

On December 16, 2024, Carroll realised a lifelong ambition of saddling 100 winners on the Flat in a calendar year, courtesy of Second Collection, ridden by Luke Morris, in a handicap at Wolverhampton. He finished the year with a total of 106 winners, eclipsing his previous highest annual tally of 85 winners, achieved in 2022. On Good Friday, April 18, 2025, he claimed the All-Weather Champion Trainer title for the first time, with 57 winners, 11 more than his nearest rival, James Owen. Of his accomplishment, Carroll said, “For me personally, it is a great achievement and I am very proud of it.” All told, 2025 yielded a career-best 128 winners on the Flat and over £1 million in prize money for the first time in his career, which spans four decades.

Jamie Snowden

admin March 9, 2026

Formerly an accomplished amateur jockey, with 38 wins to his name under Rules, including the Grand Military Gold Cup and the Royal Artillery Gold Cup, both at Sandown Park, four times apiece, Jamie Snowden spent a season as pupil assistant to Paul Nicholls and three more as assistant

trainer to Nicky Henderson before taking out a training licence in his own right in 2008. From his initial base, in a rented yard in Ebbesbourne Wake, Wiltshire, he sent out his first winner as a trainer, Marsh Court, ridden by Tom O’Brien, in a novices’ hurdle at Fontwell on October 4, 2008.

Three seasons and a further 14 winners later, in the summer of 2011, Snowden moved to his current base, Folly House Stables in Lambourn, Berkshire – originally built in 1982 by Merrick Francis, son of Dick – from whence he sent out a winner with his very first runner, Knighton Combe, ridden by Daryl Jacob, in the English Summer National at Uttoxeter on June 26, 2011. The 2011/12 season, as a whole, yielded 19 winners and Snowden has continued to flourish ever since.

He saddled his first Cheltenham Festival, the ill-fated Present View, ridden by Brendan Powell, in the Rewards4Racing Novices’ Handicap Chase on March 11, 2014 and has since added a second, You Wear It Well, ridden by Gavin Sheehan, in the Jack de Bromhead Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on March 16, 2023. More recently, Snowden opened his Grade 1 account, courtesy of Julius Des Pictons, again ridden by Sheehan, in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree on April 4, 2025.

Indeed, the 2024/25 season, which yielded 62 winners and £807,146 in prize money, proved to be his most successful, numerically and financially, at that point. However, at the time of writing, Snowden has already exceeded both those totals in 2025/26 and, now with well over 500 winners to his name, is set for his best season yet.

Joe Tizzard

admin March 9, 2026

Born in Sheborne, Dorset on December 13, 1979, Joe Tizzard is the son of former trainer Colin Tizzard, who saddled Native River to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2018. Champion conditional jockey in 1998/99, when with Paul Nicholls, Tizzard subsequently rode as stable jockey to the multiple champion trainer and, later, to his father at Venn Farm in Milborne Port, Dorset. He combined his role as stable jockey with that of assistant trainer until retiring from the saddle, with 700 winners to his name, in March 2015.

Colin Tizzard saddled his last runner as a trainer, Reserve Tank in a handicap hurdle at Chepstow on April 22, 2022 and handed his licence over to his son. At that point, Joe Tizzard said, “I’ve served my 42-year apprenticeship and it’s just going to be Joe Tizzard on the licence. That will change straight away and we’ll have our first runners next weekend I’d imagine.” Indeed, on May 2, 2022 Joe Tizzard saddled his first winner, Slate House, ridden by Jonjo O’Neill, in a handicap chase at Kempton with just his second runner in his own name.

The 2022/23 season as a whole yielded 55 winners, including a first Graded winner, Oscar Elite, ridden by Harry Cobden, in the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Ascot on February 18, 2023. Tizzard has continued in similar vein ever since, saddling 45 winners in 2023/24, 69 winners in 2024/25 and 47 in 2025/26, so far, at the time of writing. He opened his Grade 1 account on January 27, 2024 when Elixir Du Nutz, ridden by Freddie Gingell, downed 1/4 favourite Jonbon in the rearranged Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham. Tizzard has yet to saddle a winner at the Cheltenham Festival, but believes the Champion Hurdle will bring out the best in his progressive stable star, Alexei, who has officially improved 21lb since the start of the 2025/26 season.