WHEN you have spent 40 years as a racehorse trainer, the idea of retirement keeps popping back into the brain and for Robin Bastiman the ideal date for plans to be finalised would be Friday, August 22.

Bastiman has been sending out winners from Goosemore Farm at Cowthorpe, near Wetherby, for those four decades, with increasing help over the past few years from his daughter Rebecca and son Harvey. In all those years, he has never trained the winner of a Group race and if that should happen on the final day of York's Ebor Festival then he would consider his job done.

He is as confident as any trainer can be that he has the horse and the objective: Borderlescott in the feature of Friday's card, the Group 1 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes.

"He's the best horse I've had," said Bastiman emphatically of the six-year-old he bought as a yearling at Doncaster Sales. "I've trained horses to win everything from selling platers to top handicaps, but never the winner of a Group race; to win the Nunthorpe would be the perfect finale for me. I could hand the licence over to Rebecca on January 1 well satisfied," adding swiftly, "but I would still be around, giving what advice I could."

Borderlescott has become one of the most popular horses in training over the past three years and his explosive performance for third place in this year's Stewards' Cup at Goodwood – a race in which had previously finished first and second – confirmed a suspicion that Bastiman has had for some time.

"He is a five-furlong horse," he states, without risking argument. "We tried him in Group races over the stiff six furlongs at Ascot and Newmarket but I don't really think he gets the trip. He does well at Goodwood because the sprint course is all downhill but he is best over five.

"He has won twice at York so he likes the course and he hates to have horses in front of him so the Nunthorpe could be ideal. In fact, he sulks when he gets beaten."

Bastiman's optimism is based not only on his horse's proven ability but also on a frank assessment of the likely opposition. As one who confesses to missing "the old days" when an owner and trainer could "lay out" a horse for a specific race weeks or even months ahead, he has looked closely at sprinters like King's Native, Sakhee's Secret, Desert Law, Percolator and Captain Gerrard – all more fancied than Borderlescott by the layers – and seen nothing to deter him from going for the Nunthorpe.

He confesses to having felt a burning sensation in his fingers for a few days after some of the best-laid plans have gone awry but for him the thrill of training is getting the horse in the best physical and mental condition to do his best on a given day. In the case of Borderlescott that means not running him too often early in the season

"He always runs his heart out but he needs to get race-fit for him to be at his best," said Bastiman. "We ran him in the Temple Stakes at Haydock earlier this season when he was not fully wound up and it took him time to get over that. We have worked it out that he needs a break of three weeks between races. For the first week he is out in the paddock then he might go on the walker before starting to canter and building up to the race. You can see when he is ready, he's bouncing." The gap between Glorious Goodwood and the Nunthorpe is three weeks.

Despite his success, Borderlescott does not impress all those who see him in the parade ring. He is short for a top sprinter – barely 15hh – but, as Bastiman says, "you can't see the size of his heart".

His whole-hearted determination to get to the front as soon as possible after the gates open and his hatred of being beaten in a tight finish have made him a popular each-way bet with punters – and his owners. When Bastiman paid 13,000 guineas for him is was a gamble; he simply liked the way the yearling walked.

Scottish owner Jimmy Edgar, who made his money in railways in the Borders, travelled from Edinburgh to Cowthorpe one cold, blustery February day to look at the youngster and, as Bastiman recalls of his purchase: "He was jumping, squealing and bucking hard, he even head-butted Jimmy when he came too close. I thought I had no chance of making the sale."

To his surprise, the canny Scot decided to buy there and then on behalf of the small syndicate he heads and Bastiman did not retain his usual share in yearlings he sells on.

Consistency, allied to one victory so far this season, has earned connections over £48,000 in prize-money this season and that could swell considerably if the plan buzzing in Bastiman's head comes to reality.

"We definitely go for the Nunthorpe," he said, "then we'll take stock after that. If he runs well – and he always seems to do that – his handicapping days will be over and we will look at more top-quality five-furlong contests for him. He's in his prime now – it's difficult to see him getting any better than he is now – and there is a good race at Tipperary, another at Chantilly and it would be nice to have a crack at the Prix de L'Abbaye on Arc weekend at Longchamp.

"If he does not run as well as we hope at York then he could go for the Ayr Gold Cup then come back next year on the same route, starting in handicaps then working up towards Listed races."

But the unmistakable feeling around buoyant Goosemore Farm is that this just might be the time for Borderlescott to join the ranks of the great sprinters to have won the Nunthorpe. Such timing would also be perfect for the Bastiman family.