Grand National-winning trainer Sue Smith takes out joint-licence with Harvey Smith's grandson Joel Parkinson
Grand National-winning trainer Sue Smith will have her first runners in a new partnership with Joel Parkinson at Bangor on Tuesday.
Her husband Harvey's grandson has been ready to have his name added to the licence at their yard atop Baildon Moor in West Yorkshire for a while and "can't wait" to start.
Sue Smith, 76, has trained at Craiglands Farm since 1990 and sent out more than 1,000 winners, with Auroras Encore landing the Grand National at 66-1 in 2013 and Mister McGoldrick and Vintage Clouds scoring at the Cheltenham Festival.
Parkinson has been competing as a showjumper, as did Smith and her husband, but has also been working in the yard.
"It's been a long process getting him on the licence but it'll be good," Smith said. "Joel is a grand lad and he's doing a very good job.
"He did a lot of showjumping but he's been with us a long time and really enjoys this job now."
But Smith, who had Grand Geste finish a close second at 200-1 in a novice hurdle at Carlisle last week on her final day with runners in her sole name, stressed: "We'll still be involved. I'm not keen to step out of it just yet."
Parkinson, 42, is looking forward to his first runners as joint-trainer and said: "I can't wait. It's taken a while and I was hoping to be on the licence from the start of October but, never mind, I've not missed any winners.
"I used to walk home to the yard from school and I've been working on and off there for 20 years.
"My background is in showjumping but the fundamentals are the same. I stick to a few basic rules and it all boils down to the same thing. I think it works for every discipline."
The yard had 18 winners last season and Parkinson said: "We haven't got any stable stars as such but we've got some nice horses, a handful to go at some decent pots and some promising young ones coming through. The horses are well and in a good place."
The new team start with five runners on a Bangor card carrying £83,000 in prize-money.
"The races are competitive because they've put the money up but Hawkseye View is a progressive horse in the novice handicap chase," Parkinson said.
"Brixson should go well in the bumper and so should Rialannah, who had a prep run at Market Rasen ahead of the mares' hurdle."
Asked how duties are likely be divided up, Parkinson said: "They may leave things to me but of course my grandfather will have input and Sue isn't a bad assistant, is she?"
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