Reveley warming to challenge

He does not like the word 'hot' – temperatures are still unseasonably cold – but his 13 runners since National Hunt's resumption last Saturday have yielded five winners, an impressive strike-rate at the best of times.

Several others have been placed and he hopes to go close at Catterick today.

Ironically, the last local racing was staged at the North Yorkshire venue on December 15 before the big freeze brought

NH racing to a standstill and placed Reveley's yard, high above Saltburn on the cusp of the North York Moors, under two feet of snow as eight fixtures in the county were called off.

"When it freezes, you've just got to keep the horses as warm as possible," he told the Yorkshire Post. "I just cantered them in the snow and kept plenty of rugs on them.

"I'm only a couple of miles from the sea but I didn't take them to the beach.

"We would have had to take them in the box, and that wouldn't have been easy getting down the hill.

"Though we're a dairy farm and managed to keep the access track open for the tanker, I just wanted to keep the horses warm. Hopefully, it is paying off."

Close to the coast, Reveley believes he is fortunate that his stables were not hit by the minus 15 degree overnight frosts which affected stables at Malton and Middleham.

"I remember in the old days, when the winters were harsher, that the Ross-on-Wye trainer John Edwards always did well after a freeze," said Revelely.

"Our jockey at the time, Peter Niven, used to ride for him. All he did was canter his horses in an indoor school on a deep surface.

"That's what we've been doing – except ours have been galloping through the snow which has been pretty deep."

Reveley hopes Brackenmoss will go close in Catterick's handicap hurdle today – provided the forecast rain materialises in time. Like many, he is not too sure how much faith to place in the Met Office's pronouncements at present.

He is also hopeful about the chances of Star Native in the closing Bumper.

"His mother won a couple of races for us," said the trainer.

Looking further ahead, Reveley saddles Jass in tomorrow's Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock which has attracted a 12-runner field headed by Mon Mome, last year's Grand National winner.

Disappointing at Cheltenham on New Year's Day, Reveley hopes the forecast heavy going will be to the eight-year-old's liking.

"Though it was officially heavy, I think the ground rode faster than that because of the frost," said Reveley. "He's finding his way. He ran off 114 last year and now has a handicap mark of 132. He does need soft or heavy ground."

Conversely, stable star Tazbar needs good ground and Reveley will only run him in the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival if the course has 10 days of dry weather prior to the four-day March spectacle.

An impressive winner at Huntingdon last Saturday, and a creditable second to the exciting French import Long Run in the Feltham Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, Reveley wants Tazbar to gain more experience if he is to line up at Cheltenham.

He has meetings at Doncaster and Musselburgh next month in mind and, while some doubted Long Run's jumping prowess at Kempton – he is a short-priced 4-1 favourite for the RSA Chase – Reveley believes the horse is capable of getting his rider out of trouble and will make it to the very top of jump racing. In the meantime, Reveley is hopeful that he can retain his advantage over his rivals for at least another 10 days. "Touching wood," he added with his trademark caution.

Wetherby have applied to the BHA to stage a replacement fixture on February 12 after its last four meetings had to be abandoned. A decision is expected ne xt week.