Alan is now king of his own castle

13 April 2012

Alan King doesn't stretch, thankfully, to being one of those annoying American positive-thinking evangelists, the sort who travel the world telling willing audiences that a problem is an opportunity in disguise, but he has never been one to sit around feeling sorry for himself.

The fact that he worked as assistant to David Nicholson for years would qualify him for an honorary sainthood in most branches of the church, so few people - and many fewer in racing - are better equipped to deal with King's trials of the last two years.

It is just under a year ago, on the eve of Cheltenham's meeting now known as The Open, that Nicholson announced he was bringing forward his retirement date, then set for the end of May this year, and was handing over his licence to his assistant.

In the previous seven years, the pair had sent out nearly half of Nicholson's 1,500-winner total from Jackdaws Castle - the lavish training centre which now, it seemed, was to be under King's control.

Nicholson may not have been every journalist's idea of the perfect interviewee, but he was nothing if not loyal and the veteran trainer gave his prot?g? a public vote to stay in charge.

But Colin Smith, the owner of the yard, wouldn't commit himself to King and it was announced that the Scot would be moving on after the end of the season, and taking a lease on Barbury Castle in Marlborough, a one-hour drive from Jackdaws.

Typically, King has got on with the job of nurturing his solo career rather than shake his fist at not being given a chance of carrying on the achievements which he played such an integral part in. After all, the current 54-box complex he moved into in June is hardly slumming it.

King said: "Everywhere was steam-cleaned and painted when we came in, so there hasn't been much to do.

"We have done a bit of work on the schooling ground, and the horsewalker is going in, but the gallops were in good condition.

"We have had to get new tack and everything - when I left, I didn't have a head collar to my name - but we are getting things together pretty well."

Many may have considered King's tenure of Jackdaws to have been prematurely cut short, but with a diplomacy rarely found in his old teacher, that's not how he sees it.

He added: "It was always pretty clear to me that it was just going to be short term, for the remainder of last season.

"In that sense it was a joint decision, as Colin couldn't guarantee me a lease for longer than the coming season, and I couldn't accept that. One season can be lost very quickly in this business, if your horses are wrong. I've got a 10-year lease on Barbury Castle, so I can sit back and plan, and not have to worry about moving next season."

In King's estimation "80 per cent, if not more" of his owners stayed loyal with him, and despite a small number of runners, he hasn't had an agonising wait for his first winners, Diva and Lord Cyprus scoring for the new operation this month.

Numbers are only marginally down on Jackdaws, half of whose 107 boxes were empty last season. "I had 50 horses last year and I have got 40 this year, with new owners coming in, so I am happy with that," explains the trainer, who still deals regularly with his old employer. "It is good to get a few winners. It helps boost the confidence of everyone in the place, including myself, because it is always difficult to tell early on how forward your horses are.

"The move took place at the right time of the year because the horses were all out at grass.

"You wouldn't want to move mid-season and have to get used to a new place, but a lot of the older horses love it here."

Of the established stars, Windross is set to run at Ascot this weekend before taking in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on 24 November, while Spendid's target is a return to Cheltenham for The Open fixture.

King admitted: "I would like to run Windross at Ascot because I want to give him a bit of space before the Hennessy and I would like to get a run into Spendid before he goes for the three-and-a-half mile chase at The Open meeting."

MORE ABOUT

Churches

Alan is now king of his own castle

Read More