'The phone has rung, but we wouldn’t want to be getting any bigger' - Mel Rowley not looking to expand after Welsh National triumph

Mel Rowley says the specialist attention she was able to give Val Dancer was the secret to his Welsh Grand National success, and is also the reason why she is reluctant to attract more owners.

The trainer, who operates alongside her point-to-point permit-holder husband Philip in Shropshire, only took out her licence five seasons ago but enjoyed the highlight of her career when Val Dancer emerged first from the Chepstow fog just after Christmas. 

That success and Rowley's  previous achievements, which include a Veterans' Chase Final with Wishing And Hoping in 2023 and a second in last year's Pertemps with Kyntara, has led to an increasing number of prospective owners calling the yard, but with approximately 40 horses on her books and another 20 under her husband's name, she is happy not to take on many more.