Three winners from four rides: what a time to be a conditional rider for the red-hot Venetia Williams

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It's a great time to be 23-year-old claimer Ned Fox, a winner on three of his last four rides. Two of those have been in valuable handicaps over the last couple of weekends, at Ascot on Martator and in Newcastle's Rehearsal Chase on Frero Banbou.

The ride on Frero Banbou was quite a bold one, going straight to the front in a 2m7½f handicap on a nine-year-old who'd never raced beyond 2m5f before. They were clear with Bowtogreatness for much of the way but when that rival faded before the home turn, most onlookers probably thought Frero Banbou was also a certainty to tire before the line was reached.

The Changing Man, discussed in this space last Tuesday, moved up smoothly to challenge and may even have poked his nose in front. But mistakes at the final two fences proved expensive, while Frero Banbou kept on chugging.

"It wasn't Plan A, to be honest," Fox says of the ride. "I didn't really want to be doing that much but he was jumping so well and travelling so enthusiastically, I didn't want to stop him too much. So I let him stay in a rhythm and pop away and ended up in front.

"I managed to fill his lungs down the back and he stayed on very strongly to the line, which we weren't sure he would."

It helped that, having been rated 140 when runner-up on New Year's Day, Frero Banbou had dropped to 127 by Saturday. He'll have to go up again now, but perhaps not too much, because the other horse may well have won if jumping cleanly.

It also helps that the Venetia Williams stable is in flying form right now, with eight winners in the past fortnight at a 32 per cent strike-rate. Fox reports that staff at the Herefordshire yard were especially delighted with Frero Banbou's success. "He deserves that. He's been knocking on the door for a while."

Martator and Ned Fox jump the last on the way to completing a five-timer at AscotCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Williams was also the trainer behind Martator's Ascot success. On that occasion, the ride was a restrained one, Martator creeping into the argument on the uphill run to the home turn.

"That was massive. He gave me such a nice feel. He jumped and travelled so beautifully, I was just a passenger, really. It was brilliant, he's a proper horse."

Fox is from a village in Limerick called Hospital and grew up watching his father watching racing. It soon began to seem like a sport he could try for himself.

"There's quite a few trainers around there. Every Saturday, I used to cycle from home to one yard and then on to another yard and then home. Sometimes, I'd go before school if the morning was bright enough."

One of the local trainers was John Gleeson, who took a shine to the young lad. Fox credits him as the teacher of every important lesson he learned in those days. Eventually, Gleeson arranged for Fox to travel to Ledbury, Herefordshire to join the operation of trainer Tom Lacey. 

It ought to have worked but Covid intervened. There was significant consolation for the teenager, who ended up spending that summer at Ballydoyle, riding out for Aidan O'Brien - "a massive experience and a dream since a young age.

"Then Ryan Potter rang for me to come over and work for him full time as his yard amateur. He gave me my first winner under rules and lots of rides, he was very good to me."

Ned Fox: "I always try to replicate Paul Townend but it's probably a bit ambitious, seeing as he wins every Grade 1 there is"Credit: Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

The opportunity to go to Venetia's came through Charlie Deutsch. I met Charlie a couple of times and he said to pop in. "I've been there for three or four years. We work well together, me and Charlie. We go through all the races between ourselves and discuss everything."

As in his Limerick days, Fox has spent time forging connections with several trainers in the area. He still rides for Lacey and has a fruitful association with Sam Drinkwater, whose gallops are clearly visible from the M50 near Strensham.

Who were his riding heroes? Young Irish jockeys always used to mention R Walsh at this point in the conversation but Ruby will be gutted to learn that, five years into his retirement, the world has turned far enough for his successor to be the one who gets cited.

"I always try to replicate Paul Townend but it's probably a bit ambitious, seeing as he wins every Grade 1 there is. I love his style of riding. He's naturally gifted, stylish, rides quite short, looks poetry in motion on the back of a horse."

In fairness, Fox does also talk about his admiration for Walsh, as well as Davy Russell and Danny Mullins. "But also I'd watch Charlie over an obstacle and I've learned a lot from him now as well."

Who Am I?

Today's clue:

"When you win your first two races over the Grand National fences, that's what you're going to be remembered for, isn't it? And keep in mind that I'm talking about the bad, old Aintree, not the defanged version we see these days. In my day, the fences had solid timber cores and if you got a bit low, your legs would get thrown up in the air and it would be hard to stay upright. I loved the place and won twice there in the same year, clearing 39 of those green fences along the way. But is that what people think of when my name gets mentioned? Sadly not."

It's the start of a new week in our 'Who Am I?' quiz, based around a different racing personality each week. We'll give you a new clue every day, with the answer revealed on Friday.

Think you know who it is? Email frontrunner@racingpost.com to say who. I'll give a mention to everyone who gets it right.

Two things to look out for today

1. November was the best month yet in the rules career of Tom Ellis, who saddled four winners from 21 runners. He has proved especially adept at handicaps this term, winning at a 23 per cent rate, so there has to be interest in his Soldier's Leap, making his handicap debut in a hurdle race towards the end of Plumpton's card. He was well held in three runs through September and October but showed steady improvement.

Soldier's Leap14:55 Plumpton

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Jky: Mr Jack Andrews (3lb)Tnr: T Ellis

2. Another in-form trainer is Jedd O'Keeffe, a winner with three of his six runners over the past fortnight. Byzantine Empress is new to his yard, having previously been with an Irish yard that does well on its British forays. She won at Haydock in August in a style suggesting there could be quite a bit of leeway in her rating. Now 8lb higher, she tackles a sprint handicap at Wolverhampton and is handily drawn in three. 

Byzantine Empress19:30 Wolverhampton (A.W)

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Jky: Archie Young (5lb)Tnr: Jedd O'Keeffe

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What's on this week: jumps clues across the tracks before Jonbon bids to make history on a blockbuster Saturday at Sandown 

Who is the best bet in the Champion Hurdle after Lossiemouth and Sir Gino statements of intent? 

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The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, the reigning Racing Writer of the Year, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Members' Club Ultimate subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.