Under Starters Orders!!!

Welcome to Sam Thomas Racing.

And so the journey begins as a trainer.

After a lot of hard work from all the team at Winterwell we finally had our first runner on the 28th of November at Bangor on Dee with a lovely mare called Miss Giselle. We couldn't have been happier with the result finishing a good second to a nice mare of Warren Greatrex's called the Nipper who put in a smart performance.

Following on from that we ran Ballybrowneybridge at Ludlow on the 2nd of December in what will probably turn out to be quite a nice bumper. She finished six and ran with credit just getting tired in the final furlong. Her future lies over jumps and we won't waste any time in doing so shes already schooling over hurdles and I look forward to running her in the near future.

Pennine Panther ran for us a day later at Leicester on ground which was far from ideal for him in a novice hurdle. We were delighted with the way he jumped and travelled before tireing in the straight and he'll have learned so much from his first outing over jumps. Peter Deal kindly offered him to me at the end of the summer and is now being leased by Rasso Hedd Win syndicate who are a top group of guys all from South Wales headed by my brother in law Rhys Jones, he's come out of the race fresh and well and will be entered up soon in a simular contest.

Friday the 4th we ran El Tiburon in a 3yr old bumper at Exeter finishing 3rd which gave me a lot of pleasure. We first saw him in November 2014 through a great friend of mine called Graham Mckeever who organised for us to see some youngsters in Ireland, we loved him and he was in our yard soon after. I broke him in myself at Winterwell Stables so seeing him on the racetrack was a special day and to finish 3rd was a dream, he was green and will no doubt be a different horse next time out from his experience.

Saturday we ran Fort Smith at Aintree in the 2m4f handicap hurdle where he ran with a lot of encouragment to finish 3rd. He was bought from Doncaster sales in September by John Beswick for his son Harry to ride. He's a beautiful looking horse who's still a maiden over hurdles having run constantly well in Ireland without winning. He seems a pretty versatile horse which gives us lots of options and i'm sure he'll give us all alot of fun in the years to come.

I am delighted with the way our first runners have all run and long may it continue!