Check out the stable tour from Fergal O'Brien who has recent teamed up with Graeme McPherson in an exciting new chapter for the trainer.
Fergal O’Brien has joined forces with fellow trainer Graeme McPherson whom he started renting a barn from last season.
O’Brien said: “We have merged with the Graeme McPherson yard at Stow-on-the-Wold.
“Last December we were very busy and Graeme had a barn of 30 boxes that he wasn’t using so we rented that barn and it just worked well, we had a lot of horses there that Graham’s gallops suited a bit better than our gallops here, it is a bit quieter there.
“It saves us building boxes here and stops us overusing everything here at Ravenswell Farm. It gives us scope for another 50 boxes over there altogether, along with the 30 we have already got.”
O’Brien recorded a maiden century of winners during the 2020/21 season, finishing on 104 winners in total and he is hoping to better that tally with a strong team this season, as well as targeting a winner at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
He said: “Top of the wish list is to get to 105 winners and obviously we would love to have a Cheltenham Festival winner. We came very close last year when Elham Valley was third. It was a tough handicap and the one who won it went on to win a Grade 2 at Punchestown.
Alaphilippe and Ask Dillon also ran very well at the Festival last year. I would love for Paddy (Brennan) to have a Cheltenham Festival winner for us, that would be a real wish.”
Hunny Moon
“She did really well for us last year, she won two hurdles races and her biggest claim to fame is that Max Kendrick rode his claim out on her last year at Perth.
“It is a fantastic achievement for any jockey to ride out their claim and so it was great for Max to do it, I am really happy to support him. Hunny Moon will hopefully be going novice chasing this year.”
Hurricane Harvey
“He won a Grade 2 Novices’ Chase at Doncaster last year. He found it hard after that, but did run very well up at Ayr in a novice handicap. He is probably not very well handicapped at the minute. We will look at the Badger Beer Chase and races like that.”
Imperial Alcazar
“We went to Cheltenham with great hope after he won so well at Warwick in the Pertemps qualifier. Unfortunately he did strike into himself at Cheltenham and it did probably effect his run in the end.
“He has been schooling over fences for a couple of seasons now, so we are looking to crack on with him and get him over fences this year, we haven’t really got a target yet.”
Silver Hallmark
“He did fantastic for us last year. He is very lightly raced. He is not the easiest to train, he has a few little niggles and issues, particularly with his feet. He is a very good horse, he has got a massive engine in him. He won a Grade 2 novices’ chase at Haydock last year, he will start off in a conditions chase.”
Ask a Honey Bee
“He won two hurdles’ races for us last year, he finished on a win at Uttoxeter and we are really excited for him going chasing. He will start off at Exeter in October.”
Ask Dillon
“He has probably taken over the mantle of Perfect Candidate. He is just a real stalwart, he turns up everyday and does his best. He loves his training and is a very straightforward horse.
“We tried chasing with him last year, but he had one run and fell at Cheltenham, so we went back hurdling with him and he won on his last start of the season, at Cheltenham. He will definitely start off over fences this year.”
Paint The Dream
“He is a really lovely horse, a homebred for David Brace and Dunraven Stud. He has got a real engine and has been a little unlucky at times. He was very impressive at Newbury.
“I think the older he gets the better he will become, because the easier he will be to train. This year we have seen that already, he is so relaxed and I think that will transfer to his races. I think this year, hopefully, will be a big year for him.”
Golden Taipan
“He was a very good hurdler for us and didn’t really take to chasing like I thought he would. Then his last couple of runs he has bumped into two very good horses, one of Dr Richard Newland’s (Captain Tom Cat) and one of Donald McCain’s at Worcester and Perth respectively. The nice thing is he is still a novice for us this year.”
Volkovka
“It was a disaster when she ran first time, at Fakenham. We realised when Connor (Brace) came back with her, his tack had slipped a bit and she definitely needs to go right-handed.
“She did very well for us at Market Rasen and I think this year you will see a much better filly, because she will relax a little bit more and learn to race a bit better.”
Brief Ambition
“He did very well for us over the summer. He is not the easiest to train, he wants to do everything at a million miles an hour. He is a very classy horse, he heads to Worcester for a novice handicap final.”
Gumball
“We are very excited to get Gumball. I spoke to Mr Hobbs about him and he understood that these things happen, I don’t think he did a lot wrong with him.
“He was very unlucky to fall at the last at Cheltenham when he was going to win. We are very lucky to get him, we did very well with a horse called Gortroe Joe and Mr Warner felt a change might suit Gumball as well.”
Polish
“We felt like he really came of age at Newbury last year in that good handicap. We think flat tracks are essential to him. He was very unlucky last year, he was teed up to go to Aintree for the three mile handicap and he had a little setback at home so that held us up.
“We gave him a run on the Flat at York, Connor rode him and gave him a very good ride, it took him a while to get into his stride and he was always on the back foot but ran on to finish fifth. We are excited about Polish.”
City Derby
“He did very well for us last year, won his bumper and then was very disappointing around Newbury. Brian Hughes gave him a phenomenal ride on his first time over hurdles at Perth (finished fourth) and that was the making of him for Paddy to go back and win on him at Perth next time. He is a slow burner, and he will be better again this year.”
Karl Phillipe
“He did very well last year. He won first time out for us at Carlisle, he won a good bumper and then he kept hitting the crossbar around Exeter. He would either get there too soon, or not quite soon enough, or make a mistake when he shouldn’t make a mistake.
“It then all came together for him at Exeter one day and he looked really, really impressive. We thought he was very well handicapped for the novice handicap at Sandown, but it just didn’t happen for him on the day. He ran his race all too early and Paddy looked after him. He has been jumping fences, but we are still not sure if we go straight over fences or if we have another crack at a hurdles race.”
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