Lambourn, Berkshire, Dorset, and Wiltshire may be amongst the areas most commonly associated with National Hunt success, but plenty of talent lies a little further North. Based at the Kinross yard of Arlary House, Lucinda Russell has rattled in the winners since first taking out a licence in 1989/90. However, recent years have witnessed the Scottish operation scale new heights.
The lack of a Grade 1 winner may rankle, but that aside, 2023/24 was a golden year for the Russell team. 75 winners took the trainer past the 1000-winner landmark and helped Russell break through the £1 million prize money barrier for the second year in a row.
Best known to the general public for the 2023 Grand National triumph of Corach Rambler, Russell must do without her retired stable star this season but still has much to look forward to. Ominously for her rivals, 2023/24 was viewed as a transitional year for the yard as a host of recent recruits found their feet. With that in mind, a productive season looks likely as Russell targets her Scottish National Hunt winner’s record.
Here, we turn our attention north of the border - identifying the stars of the Russell yard and the runners we will follow particularly closely in 2024/25.
Stable Stars
Ahoy Senor
Corach Rambler may be reaching for the pipe and slippers, but this fellow flagbearer continues for another year. Despite seeming to have been around forever, Ahoy Senor only turns ten in January and is the only remaining proven Grade 1 star in the yard. Successful in the 2021 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle and 2022 Mildmay Novices’ Chase, he goes particularly well at Aintree, making the Aintree Bowl look like a suitable long-term goal following a 2023/24 campaign afflicted by niggling injuries.
Apple Away
This daughter of Arctic Cosmos rocketed through the Novice Hurdle ranks in 2022/23. Kicking off with a debut success at Bangor, Apple Away added three more wins before the season was out, including the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at the Aintree Grand National Meeting. Hopes were, therefore, high as she set out over fences last term. However, she proved a little short of top-class over the larger obstacles, with three defeats in as many Grade 2 starts. On a more positive note, she signed off with a bang with an easy Listed success at Perth and may yet hit the heights with her debut chase campaign under her belt.
Eight For The Horse Tracker
With the retirement of Corach Rambler, there is a slight dearth of proven top-level talent at the Russell yard. However, we expect that to change in the coming years. Perhaps one of the following eight may progress to become the next leading light at Alarly House.
- Cadell – Lucinda Russell excels with staying chasers, and it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise to see this six-year-old ply his trade in the biggest staying handicaps before long. A strapping sort who won two Point-to-Points with ease, anything Cadell achieved over hurdles was likely to be a bonus. Sent chasing this term, he stepped up on his debut third to slam the useful Farnoge by 15l at Wetherby. At his best on good ground, he may develop into a live contender for the Scottish Grand National.
- Choose A Copper – Another who didn’t show much over hurdles but always looked likely to fair better as a chaser. That opinion was backed up when he scored in good style on his Novice Chase debut at Hexham, but he disappointed on quicker ground at Kelso next time. Soft ground may be the key to this one, and he looks well handicapped off 121, granted his favoured conditions.
- Clovis Boy – Initially clueless over hurdles, Clovis Boy showed marked improvement following a wind operation before the start of last season. Unlucky when slipping up at Ayr, his only other disappointment came when pulled up at that venue in March. A win at Newcastle on his final start saw his hurdles rating climb to 99, but we would be surprised if he isn’t rated a few pounds higher than that at the end of his debut chase campaign.
- El Elefante – Picking up two wins in her debut season, Ele Elefante showed promise last term in climbing to a mark of 124 over hurdles. Two starts into 2024/25, she already looks more suited to chasing. Impressing with her jumping when running away with a Novice event at Worcester first time out, she was pitched into the Listed Houghton Mares’ Chase at Carlisle next time. She found that a step too far at this stage but looks up to landing a Listed Mares Novice.
- Jet To Vegas – Five-year-old who landed his Point-to-Point in good style in May 24. The form of that event hasn’t worked out particularly well, but he backed it up with a solid second in a Carlisle Bumper on his return before again filling the runners-up position in a Maiden Hurdle back at that track in November. He found only the highly regarded We’re Red And Blue too good that day and there was a decent gap back to the third. On that effort, it shouldn’t be long before he finds his way to the Winner’s Enclosure.
- Myretown – An easy winner of a 2022 Point to Point, this horse has had his issues but began to make up for lost time at the back end of last season. Set to go close when falling at the last in a Maiden Hurdle at Ayr, he made no mistake when hacking up by 11 lengths next time. Looking like a chaser in the making, we like his chances of scoring in Novice company before climbing the ladder.
- Primoz – The fact that this son of Westerner was plunged into Grade 2 company on only his second start for the yard suggests he is held in high regard. He disappointed that day and subsequently at Kelso but bounced back with an excellent handicap success on his final hurdles outing. Impressing with his jumping when claiming a handicap chase on his seasonal return, he threatens to improve beyond a mark of 132 when moving up in trip from 2m.
- Rocheval – By Kapgarde and out of a Martaline mare, this nicely bred sort was unbeaten in three outings in his debut season. He’s been handed an opening mark of 120, but this soft-ground lover looks like the sort who may be a bit better than that.
Paul Harrison
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
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