Kirk careers ahead

Sylvester Kirk is one person unlikely to be over indulging this Christmas.

While most people relax at this time of year Kirk will be busier than ever. The 37-year-old from County Tyrone announced in the autumn that he would be moving on from his job as assistant to trainer Richard Hannon to set up on his own.

Now, with everything in place at his yard - the Cedar Lodge stables in Upper Lambourn - Kirk is preparing to send out his first runners, most likely the ex-Hannon inmates Social Contract and Waffles Of Amin, at Lingfield on Thursday week.

Kirk, who expects to double his team of 16 thoroughbreds by the time the Flat turf season starts in March, leaves Hannon's yard with fond memories. Just to emphasise the point, he married the trainer's daughter Fanny last month.

Kirk, eight years in East Everleigh after a similar period working for the Coolmore Stud and seven months with Irish trainer Mouse Morris, said: "I had a great time with Richard. It was like being a trainer and owner rolled into one, but without the buck stopping at you.

"The brilliant thing about Richard's was that everybody in the yard was happy."

To begin with Kirk will attempt to copy Hannon's expertise on the Flat, but the son of jumping trainer Syl Kirk, hasn't ruled out the possibility of training jumpers.

But what Kirk has learned from Hannon is to keep things simple. "Richard is very straightforward and doesn't complicate anything," Kirk said.

"People think he is hard on his horses but he is the opposite. He brings them along steadily and without doing much with them. He keeps the horses happy without being severe on them, and they all get fit in their own time."