It's a miracle! Well, it will be if returning Medinah wins at Royal Ascot

Charlie Mann might have had enough of training, but another of Lambourn's longest-serving operators is still smitten with the sport and Mark Usher has more reason to cheer following the return to full fitness of stable star Miracle Of Medinah.

Named after the sensational European comeback at golf's 2012 Ryder Cup in Chicago, Miracle Of Medinah was a classy juvenile the following year for Usher and won twice before bagging the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury.

His finest hour came when he captured the Group 3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes at Newmarket, but he has been off since September 2019.

The winner of five of his 44 races and rated 104 at his peak, the son of Milk It Mick, now in the colours of the Mark Usher Racing Club, is nearing a comeback.

Mark Usher: last season was a productive one for the Lambourn trainerCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

The trainer said: "He tweaked his off-fore suspensory joint last year when we were bringing him back, so we've given him time off and just started going now.

"He'll be back and hasn't got that many miles on the clock for a ten-year-old – he'll be one for the fast ground in high summer.

"He's bound to have declined as he's got older, but he moves very well and loves being in training. He's so enthusiastic, so I'm optimistic we'll have a bit of fun with him.

"For a small yard to be represented in the bigger handicaps would be great and I'd say he'd be ready to run in the middle of May, but he'd have to win to stand any chance of getting in at Royal Ascot!"

Usher, who worked for Barry Hills and Henry Candy before taking out his licence in 1983, had 21 winners on the Flat last year, which was not far off his previous best of 28 in 2011.

"This is my 38th year training and I've had a few horses go close at Royal Ascot, but never had a winner there," he added.

"The chances of something like that happening are getting less and less because the better horses gravitate to the bigger yards, but we had 22 winners last year [one over jumps] and I have 28 horses in training.

"It has its moments, and we had a winner at Wolverhampton on Saturday night with Spirit Of Rowdown, which picks you up a little bit. I'm certainly still enjoying it."

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