'It's an exciting new chapter' – champion point trainer Tom Ellis saddles first winner with full licence at local track

It was a day to remember at his local course for trainer Tom Ellis as he saddled his first winner with a full licence when Smurfette landed the opening 2m4f conditionals' handicap chase. 

Warwickshire-based Ellis has been Britain's most successful point-to-point trainer for the past five seasons and has saddled more than 300 winners, including hunter chases, and opened his account under rules six months after taking out his licence in March.

Ellis said: "It's something special to do it at a local course. We've been lucky to train all those winners in point-to-points and it literally has felt like we've started from scratch, so it's great to get one on the board.

"It's an exciting new chapter for us. We've still got a lot of point-to-pointers in Gina's [wife Gina Andrews] name and probably 20 in total under rules. A few real nice novice hurdlers hopefully – they look like swans at the minute but they might turn out to be goslings.

"There are a couple of nice ones who potentially have the scope to really improve so there's lots to look forward to for the rest of the season."

His first runner with a licence was Latenightpass, who finished 12th in the Grand National at Aintree in April, and he is now eyeing the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival for his stable flagbearer.

Ellis added: "He's in great order. We're teeing him up for a tilt at possibly the Sefton or that first cross-country race at Cheltenham [in November]. It will be either one of those two I'd have thought, and now the Cross Country at the festival is a handicap, that's definitely on the agenda too."

Sublime Skeltons

Dan Skelton has saddled more than twice the number of winners than any trainer at Warwick in the last five seasons, and he extended his record when striking with G A Henty and Get Up Mush, both ridden by brother Harry.

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