'He's not nasty' - Julia Batho hoping 'naughty' Pileon rewards her devotion at Ampton on Sunday

Trainers with runners at Ampton in Suffolk on Sunday will be forgiven for doing a double-take when Paul Nicholls’ box rolls into the lorry park.

The champion trainer’s travelling head groom will be at the wheel, but the one horse who will be inside is hers, not his. Julia Batho, who is now in her second season with Nicholls, plans to run ten-year-old Pileon in the conditions race which opens the card. Sam Loxton trains the gelding, and Nicholls’ pupil assistant Natalie Parker will be in the saddle.

Batho looked after Pileon when he was trained by Philip Hobbs and she was a groom at the Somerset trainer’s yard. She says: “I rode him and looked after him for three years, and when he left and went to Christian Williams’ yard I pestered [joint-owner] Tim Syder to let me have him one day.

“Every time I went racing and saw Tim or Christian I’d ask how Pileon was, and then at Ayr in the spring Christian said he was going to be sold. I contacted Tim and he let me buy him for a very fair price.”

Pileon is a classic case of a useful horse – rated 143 over hurdles at his peak – whose ability to be competitive has declined, but who is likely to make a mark in point-to-points.

Batho says: “He’s a fun horse and I just hope he enjoys it. I got him in July and rode him out here at Ditcheat, but by October we were getting busy and he went to Sam. I would like to do the horse myself and I ride him whenever I can, but I absolutely love my job and with all the travelling I cannot do him on my own.”

Batho describes her “pony” as “spooky, lairy and naughty”, adding, “I fell off him on Sunday when he spooked, but he’s not nasty.” Maybe this Sunday he will reward her devotion.

Regatta De Blanc: winner of the season's first hunter chase at Taunton

Regatta De Blanc, the six-year-old mare who won Monday’s first hunter chase of the season at Taunton, is owned by The Pendil Partnership. Named in honour of Pendil, it is run by Rupert Swallow, whose mother Cynthia owned that top-class chaser of the 1970s.

Rather more than a partnership, Swallow’s brainchild is a syndication project aimed at giving a taste of racing for £75 a share – and currently with a two-for-one offer. It has run two horses to date, Regatta De Blanc and Il Pino, and they are unbeaten in six races, the last-named horse having won a novice hurdle at Wincanton in November.

Why am I not a member? Because I don’t fit the 21 to 40 age group at which the partnership is aimed, and have never been young enough for some of the members’ post-race celebrations!

Weekend preview

Hertfordshire trainer Bradley Gibbs is taking just one horse to Yorkshire course Sheriff Hutton on Sunday, but he is a very good one.

Premier Magic, who won last season’s St James’s Place Cheltenham Festival Hunters’ Chase, tackles the men’s open race under Gibbs, who says: “He did a good bit of work on Wednesday and his trach wash was perfect. He couldn’t run at Christmas when Chaddesley Corbett was abandoned, so we gave him a few quiet days and I haven’t had to do a whole lot with him since.”

Gibbs is hoping for a competitive contest with 18 entries, but says: “I’ve had a few phone calls from people who are not keen to take him on. He’ll run Sunday, then again in mid-February, and then back to Cheltenham.”

North Yorkshire trainer Luci Hughes is planning to swerve Premier Magic by running Mount Mews – a four-time winner last season – in the ladies’ race under Roisin Leech, daughter of Gloucestershire trainer Sophie. Roisin.

She has had four successes under rules but has yet to ride a point-to-point winner, and was suggested for the ride by Luci’s husband Brian, the champion jockey.

Cambridgeshire trainer-rider Dale Peters can land the first of two maiden races with Cash Or Card, while his Destination Mahler has to go on shortlists for the second maiden.

The ladies’ race at Ampton looks open with Stratford hunter-chase winner Captain Biggles facing the likes of I K Brunel and Precious Bounty, the last-named having joined Kelly Morgan from Tom Ellis’s stable. 

Morgan is also now training the useful Blazing Tom, a likely runner in the conditions race, but the ground will have to be good for stablemate Go Go Geronimo to run in the men’s open race.

Sunday

Ampton, Suffolk, IP31 1NS – first race 12.00. 6 races, 80 entries

Buckfastleigh – cancelled

Sheriff Hutton, Yorkshire, YO60 6TN – 11.45. 6 races, 115 entries

More information at pointtopoint.co.uk & gopointing.com

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