PHIL Rowley enjoyed his best point-to-point campaign, numerically, during the 2017-18 season when sending out 38 between the flags, a figure which saw him crowned champion point-to-point trainer that term.

Shropshire-based Rowley failed to hold on to that title last season, his 28 victories only being good enough for third behind Tom Ellis (42) and Alan Hill (34).

However, one of his winners was Hazel Hill who, having claimed the men’s open at Chaddesley Corbett in late December, was to end the season unbeaten, winning all three of his starts in hunters’ chases including the St James’s Place Foxhunters Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

In all four races, Hazel Hill was ridden by Alex Edwards, stable amateur at Poplar Cottage Farm, who had partnered the Rowley-saddled Barel Of Laughs to finish third in the ‘Amateur Gold Cup’ in both 2018 and 2017.

Trainer and rider therefore were not winning out of turn when, last March, Diana Williams’ Milan gelding, who was sent off as the 7/2 favourite, came home four lengths and seven lengths clear of Shantou Flyer and Top Wood.

The last-named, who had finished second to dual Cheltenham Foxhunters winner Pacha Du Polder in 2018, went on to win last season’s Foxhunters Chase at Aintree while Hazel Hill rounded off his campaign when narrowly justifying odds of 1/4 by a neck in the Timico Mixed Open Gold Cup Hunters’ Chase Final back at Prestbury Park in early May. This is a race won for the yard in 2017 and 2018 by Barel Of Laughs who is also a son of Milan.

Defend title

Rowley had hoped to follow the same campaign as last year as he prepares Hazel Hill to defend his title at Cheltenham but the Harkaway Club point-to-point at Chaddesley Corbett was abandoned because of waterlogged ground, delaying the horse’s seasonal debut.

The 12-year-old made his first appearance of the new campaign on January 12th at Sheriff Hutton where he recorded a comfortable 15-length success as the 4/11 favourite in the six-runner men’s open. The bay then had his final prep at Wetherby on Saturday, February 1st but jumped right and was beaten by Minella Rocco (gave 4lb) but Rowley is confident he will have his star back to his best for March13th.

Hazel Hill, who is the second foal out of the Presenting mare Resenting, failed to meet his reserve at the sales and failed to win, but was placed three times, in four point-to-point runs in the spring of 2014 for his north Cork breeder, Paddy Moakley.

Sold privately to Diana Williams that summer, Hazel Hill made his debut under the owner’s trainer daughter Jane (national ladies’ champion in the 2011-12 season) in February 2015 at Chaddlesey Corbett where they won the maiden for four, five, six and seven-year-olds. This victory on heavy ground in testing conditions was the first of five for the pair and the first of 17 between points and hunters’ chases for the horse.

Transferred to Rowley in the summer of 2016, he has only once been beaten under Edwards, that defeat, when beaten one and a half lengths into second, coming in a three-runner men’s open at Sandon in March 2018.

“He is a straightforward horse to have in the yard albeit that he is like a grumpy old man!” answered Rowley when asked about Hazel Hill’s attributes. “I think what stands him apart from so many is his ability to stay so relaxed both in his work at home and, more importantly, on the racecourse. He is very happy to switch off and just swing along in a lovely rhythm but, when he is asked a question, he will always respond very positively which is just what you need in these longer races.

“We do have another Cheltenham prospect called Wishing And Hoping who has run for us four times and won on each occasion. He would be a contender but, as we would only run one in the Foxhunters, we would only consider Wishing And Hoping for the race if, for some reason, Hazel Hill didn’t run.”

The 10-year-old Beneficial gelding Wishing And Hoping, who was previously in the care of Alan King, won two opens last spring and an open and a hunters’ chase (at Ffos Las and Taunton) this season.

“We have about 65 horses at the yard of whom about 30 are pointers,” revealed Rowley who started training about 10 years ago but, with his wife Melanie, had already established a well-regarded breaking and pre-training operation. “We have a lot of young stock that are sourced from Doncaster and Cheltenham in this country and Goffs and Tattersalls in Ireland so there is no particular bias in any direction.

Highflyer

“Most of our buying is done in conjunction with David Minton, of Highflyer Bloodstock fame, who lives only two miles from us and we are very lucky to have a great relationship with him and his wife Juliet. If we want to buy privately in Ireland, Neil O’Donnell is our eyes on the ground as we wouldn’t have time to go over during the season.

“We produce between eight to 10 young horses each season to sell but do find it difficult to command the sort of prices that some of the Irish horses make.”

“However, we will continue to do it to the best of our ability as the value-for-money horses that we sell do seem to go on and find their mark under rules and, at the end of the day, we want punters to come back and buy from us again.

“We employ about 10 full-time and three or four part-time staff and have a handful of core people who have been with us for 10 years plus. It is a constant worry and it is becoming increasingly difficult to source good, reliable staff so we do our best to make it more appealing to stay than to go! All staff members live within driving distance of the yard as we have no permanent accommodation on site.

“Alex has been with us for about 10 years and is an integral part of the team. He came off the flat and has learnt his trade with us becoming champion jockey the same season as we won the trainers’ title. He always prioritises our horses first but is available for outside rides if we aren’t running anything. Alex rides all the runners at home on a daily basis which is invaluable from a racing point of view.

“We do use other jockeys when necessary including Noel George, who comes and rides out when he can, while Michaela Tallett, who is our head girl, has her own horse to run for fun. Ben Bromley, son of Highflyer Bloodstock’s Anthony Bromley, is with us for the season as a novice rider and to learn his trade as he is only 17 years old.”

Facilities at the yard include stabling for 65 horses in four American barns, a five-furlong all-weather gallop, access to on and off road hacking, two horse-walkers, 20 acres of turnout paddocks and 200 acres at the farm for horses convalescing or on holiday. While we often read these days of trainers utilising the skills of outside dressage/event riders to school their horses, when it comes to flat work at Poplar Cottage Farm it’s all done in-house in a 20m x 60m fibre sand/rubber arena with mirrors.

“Melanie has a dressage background – she has competed to Grand Prix level – so that has been instilled in each and every one of our riders, and all the horses are worked correctly in the sand school even if it is only for 10 minutes before they do a piece of work.

Core strength

“This definitely helps their core strength and their ability to shorten, lengthen and balance – particularly when jumping. This is so important especially for the young horses who are learning their trade.

“This also helps when horses retire as we will always try to rehome them privately. Both Barel Of Laughs and Billyvoddan (the winner of six races on the track and nine between the flags) have competed at the Retraining of Racehorses championships in Aintree while others have gone to hunting homes or are used as Riding Club all-rounders. The flat work we do with them then comes into its own and generally makes them very easy to work with.”

While point-to-point horses in Britain no longer have to hunt to qualify for a hunters’ certificate, Rowley, who never did any race-riding himself, maintains a close connection with the roots of the sport and is vice-chairman of his local pack.

“It would be very difficult to hunt all of ours as used to be required as we just wouldn’t have the time. As it is, while I have cut out milking cows on the farm and the flock of 1,200 breeding ewes has been cut to 60, who help keep the pasture clean and tidy, we still have calves and store cattle to look after.

“After all that, we have very little spare time but I do enjoy shooting and play the odd game of golf when someone is desperate for a partner! I have two young children, Isabella and Edward, so any spare minute is spent supporting them with ponies, rugby, swimming, hockey, dance etc, etc – although I will confess Melanie does do the lion’s share of this!”