New feather in delighted Fahey's cap as he goes nap on Knavesmire

The accolade, which Fahey refers to as his annual 'Plan A', will cap a simply magnificent season.

He admits to his 2010 campaign having been 'quite productive'. The facts reveal just how modest an appraisal that is.

Over 150 winners and counting, domestic prize money of over 1.8m and Wootton Bassett winning a fabulous Group 1 race on Arc day in Paris are some of the leading feats that confirm the rise and rise of Fahey's stables at Musley Bank near Malton.

There was Royal Ascot glory, a big heritage handicap triumph on King George day and 60 two-year-old victories.

Do not forget, either, the not insubstantial total of 13 winners to date on Knavesmire. That tally is eight more than his nearest rival, who is fellow Yorkshire trainer Tim Easterby.

And finishing once again as the top trainer at his 'home track' will be another feather in 44-year-old Fahey's cap, allowing him to tick off what he considers to be a most important box for himself each year.

"It's the fifth year in a row now," reflected Fahey, who has nine runners at York today and 15 declared for tomorrow's high-quality card. "It's more important than training Group 1 winners at the moment.

"I shouldn't have said that, but it's true. One year I'll get done there, but Plan A every year is to be leading trainer at York."

It is hard to believe, then, that Fahey, who started out as a trainer in 1993, took so long to chalk up a victory on his home track.

He admitted: "It took me a long time to train my first winner there – nearly five years. I had a lot of seconds before I trained a winner (at York).

"It still gives me a special thrill to win at the track. Put it like this; if I don't have a winner, I go home in a bad mood.

"The staff know that, too. It means a lot to us all, especially me. I have a fond affection for the place. It is 20 minutes down the road and all my owners love going."

Fahey's star horse in 2010 has without doubt been the super Wootton Bassett.

Bought relatively inexpensively for 46,000, this hardy colt has more than paid his way. He has accumulated over 520,000 in prize money in winning all of his five starts, the last of which was the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagerdere at Longchamp last Sunday.

Indeed, Fahey cites Wootton Basset's success in the DBS Premier Yearling Stakes at York's Ebor meeting as his personal highlight from 2010 – more so than the horse's subsequent wins at Doncaster and Longchamp that has seen the two-year-old emerge as a leading contender for next year's 2000 Guineas, the first Classic of 2011.

"He sort of stamped himself as a decent horse that day," said Fahey. "We felt he was good, but that confirmed it.

"He is just a real pro. He has had a tough campaign and answered every call. He is a very relaxed at home and professional at the races."

On board Wootton Bassett at York and in France was Paul Hanagan, who has ridden so many of the stable's winners in 2010.

The jockey has been a key part of the Fahey success story as the trainer does not hesitate to point out. Indeed, the two are so close that Hanagan is godfather to the trainer's daughter, Niamh.

"He is a cracking lad," said Fahey.

"We are more like friends rather than work companions. He has been with me so long now we both know how everything works.

"When you've got an association with a jockey like that, the job is easy. He is a true professional and knows how I like it done.

"I wouldn't swap him. He is very reliable and very strong for a light lad.

"It just works well."

Hanagan looks likely to be the course's leading rider for the year – although he is not quite the certainty that Fahey is.

Fahey can already start looking forward to, as part of his prize, a week's loan of a top-line Jaguar, who sponsor the leading trainer at York competition.

Earlier this year he enjoyed the privilege of driving a Jaguar XKR – an experience he will not be forgetting, by the sounds of it.

He said: "Not that I was speeding or anything in it, but it did frighten me – it was a very fast car. I'd like to have a horse like it!"