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LIST OF LIFE: well-regarded youngster could now run under Rules
photo: Jon Hodd

Yorkshire-based Gill Walford is the latest to answer our questions in 'Trainers in Profile'.

Gill Walford is one of Yorkshire's most successful trainers, taking over the responsibility when her husband Tim took out a full licence in 2001. Punters have long since latched on to her ability to ready a young horse first time out! Tim and Gill's elder son Robert is a professional jockey based with Robert and Sally Alner, while younger son Mark has few peers on the Point-to-Point circuit.

For how long have you been training? Some may say too long! I trained my own horse when I was 21 so I will leave that to the imagination!

Where are you based? Sheriff Hutton in North Yorkshire.

Do you combine training with another job or profession? General dogsbody. As well as doing the horses, I work in the office, and generally do anything and everything.

Are you from a racing background? And if not, how did you get started in Point-to-Pointing? I don't have a racing background, but my best friend at school was the sister of Patricia Russell, who owned Honourable Man [twice runner-up in the Cheltenham Foxhunter]. I used to go to Point-to-Points with her to watch Trish riding, and I thought I'd like to have a go.

What training facilities do you have available? The works, because of Tim's full licence.

How many horses do you train, and are they just for yourself and your family or for outside owners as well? Seven this year, for carefully picked owners!

What was the first winner you sent out? - name, owner, rider, date, course? It was Fellamelad, owned, trained and ridden by myself (I was Miss Gillian Jack at that time), at the Cleveland in 1976. I can remember that Marie Tinkler was runner-up. The meeting was held at Little Ayton in those days and the course included a field of plough, which was really heavy.

Of which horse performance are you most proud? Any horse which can win first time out, and Ask Antony winning the Grimthorpe Gold Cup by 20 lengths in 1997. He was ridden by Noel Wilson and owned by Jim Burns in partnership with David Dickson and Paul Spencer. He was sold to Paul Nicholls later that season, but only ran for him three times.

Did you race-ride before you started training? That is a matter of opinion, but I tried!

Who has been most influential on your training career? The veterinary surgeon Anthony Stirk. I was forever asking him questions; he was always very helpful, and keen for you to try different things. He worked very closely with Michael Dickinson, who himself was extremely innovative but was always open to new ideas.

Which jockeys do you use regularly? Our son Mark, who works as Tim's assistant trainer.

What car do you drive? A very dirty Peugeot.

What kind of music do you like? Anything tuneful, from opera to pop.

What are your favourite films and TV programmes? Film is Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, while on TV, any nature programme.

Describe your perfect night in and perfect night out: In is a long bath, a book and a glass of champagne. Out is a good meal with friends.

Where do you like to go on holiday? Skiing in the French Alps. I go every year, and sometimes twice.

Who would be your ideal travelling companions to the races? Anthony Stirk. His daughter is my goddaughter, and Robert is his godson, so we always have plenty to talk about. Ask Antony was named after him (even though the spelling is different!).

Who are your biggest heroes in racing? Michael Dickinson, for the reasons stated above.

What has been either your own funniest incident, or the most amusing thing you have seen or heard at the races? I heard Cherry Coward, who is a real hoot, saying to an overweight owner that his rather thin horse had obviously not been at the same eating house as he had.

On another occasion we took runners to Dalston. The A66 was closed because of high winds, so we had to detour. When I saw Cherry there, I asked her which route she'd taken, and she replied "The A66." When I queried this because of the closure, she said "A lorry with me in it is never going to blow over, is it?"

Which particular horse would you like to train - either in Points or under Rules? I can't go beyond Kauto Star.

If you hadn't taken up training what would you have done instead? I would have been a classical singer. I've sung in various choirs and in amateur operatics in York. I reached Grade Five in piano as well, but I don't play now so I'd be pretty rusty!

Which horses do you have at the moment that you would consider to have good potential? List Of Life, who won a Maiden at the Sinnington in February. He'll probably run in a Bumper for Tim next, and will then hopefully find a new owner to stay in the yard.

What are your favourite courses and meetings? And for what reasons? Sheriff Hutton and Whitwell-on-the-Hill. They are both very fair and very near!

What ambitions do you have in racing? To keep improving.

What do you consider to be the biggest challenges for Point-to-Point trainers? Keeping the horses sound!

What is your opinion on December racing? It will be good for Pointing as long as there are plenty of meetings - there are not enough as yet.

What are your opinions on the changes in Point-to-Pointing in recent years, and what developments do you think would benefit the sport in the future? We must keep moving forward, and a lot of the changes have helped to do that. I feel it is very important to have the young horses carrying the minimum weight - my pet hate is Maidens at 12st5lbs.

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