We had been given the chance to send a few questions to Sir Mark, having been training since the mid 1970’s, I started by asking…..
1 – How has Racing changed since you started training?
Trainer number’s have increased vastly, especially in National Hunt Racing since I started when Fred Winter was Champion Trainer, with less than 50!
2 – Having spoken to a few trainers, is it harder today to find single owners or are Syndicates the way forward with owing a race horse?
Single owners are disappearing and they were the best
3 – Do you tend to follow the same path with certain horse’s or does it depend on how the horse copes?
That depends on the Horse’s we have at home
4 – One thing I have always wondered is… Weighted saddles…. Are they used to gauge how much weight a horse can carry comfortably to certain distances?
NO! But we do gallop horse’s at different weights using weight cloths
5 – There has been plenty of talk recently, from trainer’s regarding the current handicap system, with one telling me that it is from the dark ages, what is your view?
Handicap are hard to place, especially as English owners don’t like claims
6 – Marsha was a fantastic horse, how was she to train and how difficult will she be to replace?
Marsha was easy to train and will be very hard to replace
7 – If you could of trained ANY horse who would it be and why?
Frankel – The best flat horse in my time
Arkle – The best National Hunt horse I saw
8 – And finally, can you give our readers a couple to keep an eye on for the up coming season please?
NO! – You would be surprised and Suspicious if I did!
arseonlineracing 