'It's been a hell of a challenge' - Henrietta Knight reflects on first year back training and recent Cheltenham bumper success

Henrietta Knight has described her first year back with a licence as “a hell of a challenge” but believes her time spent away from the training ranks will pay off in the long term.

Knight had to wait until October for her first winner back, with the landmark success coming via Cotswold Cottage at Windsor on the Flat, and her jumps team have hit form in recent weeks.

Her runners have been operating at a 38 per cent strike-rate (3-8) in the past fortnight, with Precious Metal one of two winners on New Year’s Day when landing the Listed bumper at Cheltenham.

Knight continues to run a successful pre-training, livery and schooling business from her famous West Lockinge yard in Oxfordshire, having given up training to care for her husband Terry Biddlecombe in 2012, and feels her work with young horses will be a big benefit to the training business.

"It’s been a hell of a challenge," said Knight. "We’ve started with very different types of horses to the ones I used to train and a lot of my good, longstanding owners have sadly died.

“We’ve had to build up a new core of owners, and I’m getting some lovely people behind me now, and the horses we have are ones we're starting from scratch – unlike Edredon Bleu and Impek, who we had over from France.

“We have some lovely young horses in the wings and I’m excited by it all. We’re starting with the raw material and building them up ourselves and I have a fantastic assistant in Brendan [Powell], who is such a great asset, and brilliant staff.

Henrietta Knight with James Bowen: trainer has been back among the winnersCredit: Dan Mullan (Getty Images)

“During my 11 years away I spent a lot of time with young horses, and other people’s young horses, and I feel that time spent is going to pay off in the long run.”

Precious Metal finished a promising second on his debut at Wincanton last month and stepped up on that effort when scoring by two lengths at Cheltenham under Lilly Pinchin. Then Motazzen landed a hat-trick at Southwell following two wins at Fontwell the previous month to seal a New Year's Day double for Knight.

The trainer said: “I’ve never been a particular fan of January but it was a nice way to get started on New Year’s Day. Precious Metal is one of the nicest horses I’ve ever had to deal with. He came from the Costellos, who I got Best Mate from, and he’s so straightforward.

“He has the right attitude, he’s a trier and just wants to please. He won’t even be properly four until April so I’m not going to hurry him. He has a future ahead of him and he’s the most amazing jumper. We’ll probably run him in one more bumper and then put him away.

“Motazzen is a right character. I inherited him through an owner who had got a bit despondent with him and I own him with some new owners and we’ve ended up having a lot of fun.

“He used to be a lead horse for George Boughey and you have to kid these types of horses along. When they are passed by another horse they think they’ve done their bit and that’s it. We do different things with him to keep him sweet and he thinks he’s invented it all now he’s on a winning run.”

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