Marten Julian’s Weekly Roundup 10 February 2025

I cannot think of another top trainer under either code who is so willing to grant interviews to the media as Nicky Henderson.

What is so surprising is that Nicky is entitled to be considered ‘old school’, having started his career in 1978 after acting as assistant to the great Fred Winter.

Back then there was nothing like the amount of media coverage that we have today, and most trainers now embrace the belief that they are part of an entertainment industry and so need to be seen to market ‘the product’, as it is now called.

Mind you the trainers of the bigger yards are invariably wearing an item of clothing bearing a bookmaker sponsored logo … a relationship that would have been inconceivable when Nicky began his career. Indeed they may be obliged to do so in accordance with the terms of any contractual arrangement with their sponsor.

Nicky runs a very tight ship these days, but in the early days of the exchanges a market drift would invariably precede the announcement of a setback.

Sir Michael Stoute, who preferred to keep his own counsel at the best of times, apparently withdrew even more into his shell when he attracted vitriolic criticism on social media after he cautioned the public that Russian Rhythm had not been ‘eating as well as she can’  and had been ‘slow to come to hand’ only for her to then win the 2003 1000 Guineas at 12/1.

Any trainer or jockey will tell you about the highly offensive and sometimes deeply personal comments that come their way through social media following the defeat of an odds-on chance, but most of them have become immune to the criticism and still offer their views when approached by someone with a microphone.

Paul Nicholls has always been very approachable while Willie Mullins seems keener on staging stable press and media days. In his case he often doesn’t decide on running plans until a few minutes before the deadline, as was the case with Martin Pipe.

Yet despite the volume of access to information and coverage on a daily basis there is no evidence that suggests punters are winning more. In fact I am not alone in finding that the analysis from a plethora of pundits and trainers’ comments can be quite overwhelming and a distraction from the principles that have served me well over the years.

With the rounds of Cheltenham Preview evenings soon upon us, this is something that we should all bear in mind.

I’ll be back next week with more thoughts.

Bye for now

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