Mick Channon's West Ilsley yard on sale for £7m after renovation plans thwarted

Mick Channon is hoping to receive a boost from a big-race victory at York on Saturday after being forced to put his historic yard up for sale.

Ingra Tor is a best-priced 5-1 favourite for the £100,000 Pavers Foundation Catherine Memorial Sprint Handicap for Channon, who has been based at West Ilsley near Newbury since buying it from the Queen in 1999.

The trainer is keen to modernise the yard, from which Dick Hern sent out no fewer than 25 Classic winners including Brigadier Gerard and Nashwan, financed through the sale of part of the estate.

Credit: Knightfrank.co.uk

But his plans have been thwarted and West Ilsley was advertised for sale, as a whole or in six lots, in the Racing Post last weekend with a guide price of £6.975 million.

The advert described a "famous horse racing yard at the centre of which is a charming country house with extensive stabling, cottages and office space in 62.72 acres".

It detailed a main house, with six bedrooms, plus four flats, two cottages and 13 bungalows.

Equine facilities listed included 105 loose boxes, 35 stalls, a covered trotting ring, lunging ring and covered horse walker.

"It's on the market, we've tried for planning and been turned down," Channon said on Tuesday. "This is a lovely place but we need to improve it. We're looking to develop part of it so we can make it an up-to-date, modern yard. That's what our plans were but we've walked into a brick wall.

Credit: Knightfrank.co.uk

"We wanted to build some American-style barns. We're spread out over two or three acres, we have yards all over the place and we need to sell to build, you can't pluck money out of the air."

Channon is not keen to move but is looking to secure the future, for him and son and assistant Jack.

"We've been pushed into a corner," he said. "We've been forced down the road of selling the whole place. We'll see what happens, we're in no desperate hurry to move. We'd be looking for somewhere for Jack really.

"It's sad for West Ilsley and for everybody. The gallops are very special – of all those I've seen, only Henry Candy's can compare with them."

Ingra Tor: leading Mick Channon-trained fancy for big sprint handicap at York on SaturdayCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Channon has won the valuable three-year-old handicap 6f at York with Aradanza in 1993 and Cotton House seven years later. He has had the race in mind for Ingra Tor, whose owner-breeders Jon and Julia Aisbitt won the Lincoln in March with Johan, since the colt scored at Newmarket on 2,000 Guineas day.

Runner-up Harry Three, who could renew rivalry, went one place better on the same course a fortnight later and Channon said: "Ingra Tor worked this morning and we're very pleased with him. This was always the plan. His form has been pretty solid and we think he's a nice horse so we're very hopeful."

Stablemate Legend Of Xanadu, who won the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom, will step up to seven furlongs in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot a week on Saturday rather than run in the 6f Coventry earlier in the week.

"The Chesham looks the obvious race for him," Channon said. "It gives us a little bit longer and the trip shouldn't be a problem."

Pavers Foundation Catherine Memorial Sprint Handicap racecard

Pavers Foundation Catherine Memorial Sprint Handicap

William Hill: 5-1 Ingra Tour, 15-2 Harry Three, 8 Makarova, 9 Showtime Mahomes, 10 Lethal Levi, 11 Atomic Lady, Devaste, Gisburn, 12 bar

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