'I better not say whether or not I backed him because I don't want any begging letters but there was plenty of 100-1 about'

Michael Chapman celebrated with a bank holiday Monday cup of cocoa after ending nearly five years without a winner when Smart Connection struck at 80-1 at Cartmel.

The 85-year-old, who believes that training "keeps him young", hinted that he was on at 100-1, even though it was the first success for his Market Rasen yard since 2018.

James Best had to switch the winner on the run-in but got him up close home to land a 2m6f hurdle and Chapman said: "It was exciting and it wasn't totally unexpected. Smart Connection has been going to Southwell to teach a quite nice three-year-old how to act on the surface and he's been working upsides him and we couldn't believe how he's progressed.

"When he finished sixth at Market Rasen, Alison Clarke, who rode him, said he ought to go to Cartmel with all those twists and turns, he'd be a natural there. She was right but unfortunately she's injured. We had a very good substitute jockey and he got into all sorts of problems in the last furlong but did a good job and got home by a neck.

"I better not say whether or not I backed him because I don't want any begging letters but there was plenty of 100-1 about. But it's 185 miles from Cartmel to Market Rasen and you can't celebrate if you're driving that sort of distance. I got home just after 10pm and I had a cup of cocoa and went to bed."

Chapman has sent out more than 250 winners and was top trainer at Cartmel several times in the 1980s.

Smart Connection: 80-1 winner for ChapmanCredit: John Grossick

Reflecting on his recent losing run, he said: "It's been a long time since our last winner but we used to have 28 horses and to make life easy we've got it down to half a dozen. You can turn horses out and give them special treatment – if you have 200 horses and turn them out, you'll never catch them.

"You begin to think, 'What are we doing wrong?'. You do the same things, you give them the same food and the same exercise and they don't produce winners. But the problem is I get attached to the horses and I keep them if they're nice natured and I get on with them. If they don't win races we don't suddenly get rid of them. We're a small happy yard with happy horses and it paid off with this horse.

"When he first came he didn't do any good, he ran out in his second hurdle race, and he seemed unhappy but he's become happy. We're going to advertise him for sale as we need an owner in the yard to keep the costs down. He's a nice horse who's genuine and sound and will make a chaser."

Chapman has no intention of giving up training and said: "At 85 a lot of people are in care homes but I think when you've got to get out of bed early in the morning whatever the weather and you've got to muck out, wash the horses, feed them and all the rest it keeps you young.

"Age catches up with you in the end but you've got to keep going, you've got to have something to do in life. My wife mucks out and so do I and we just enjoy it."

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