This is a Classic big step into the unknown

STEERING a three-and-ahalf-ton horse box to the track could be the new normal for trainers more accustomed to taking a back seat in a rich owner’s stretch limo.

Or in a luxury four-by-four, or in a private plane even.

Whether Coolmore and Godolphin expect Aidan O’brien and Charlie Appleby to drive their 2,000 Guineas hopes to Newmarket today is uncertain.

But Roger Teal is a man happy behind the wheel, ferrying his cut-price competitors into battle against the training powerhouses of British horse racing.

Of the 15 starters that will go to post for the first Classic of the season, seven come from the allpowerful, all-dominating Coolmore and Godolphin setups.

Forty-five grand is not far off the cost of a month’s feed for their charges. Forty-five grand was the mark which brought the hammer down on Kenzai Warrior, who will line up against a blue-blooded field this afternoon. “And that is a top-end price for our horses,” says Teal (below). “It would be nice to get the ammunition to take on the big guns but it’s just a question of attracting the big owners.

“It’s a fashionable sport and everyone likes the glamorous stables. Ours is a family affair. My wife Sue is a rock. She runs the yard, mucks out and rides out. My son Harry is assistant and, to this day, I drive the box.

“But we are fiercely ambitious and if you can prove you can do the job, one day they might say ‘I’ll give Roger Teal a chance’.”

That day cannot be far off. After an amateur riding career and assistant training roles in

Epsom, Teal,

53, officially struck out for himself when setting up his own operation in

Lambourn four years ago.

He only had nine horses when he moved to Great Shefford but as he started to make a name for himself, he switched to larger premises just before Christmas of last year.

“We took the plunge and moved to Windsor House,” he explains. “Peter Walwyn trained here and it has a lot of history. “But then the coronavirus came along and it has been squeaky bum time, to say the least.

“But we have 41 horses now and the owners have stood by me and been fantastic.” Amongst those loyal owners are Rae and Carol Borras, relative newcomers to the racing scene, who shelled out that £45,000 for the unbeaten Kenzai Warrior.

“Kenzai Warrior won a good race at Salisbury and then won the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes,” explains Teal. “After that, the phone never stopped ringing with offers for the horse.

“That’s what happens. They come with these big prices – and I know money makes the world go around – but when you are a trainer trying to make your way and be successful, you don’t want to lose your best horses.

“Fortunately, Rae and Carol told me they did not want to hear any offers – he was not for sale.

“It’s nice when the owners stand their ground and back you. So please god, we can repay them.”

While Kenzai Warrior’s form is solid, the fast ground is a concern for Teal.

“It’s a step into the unknown, to be honest,” says Teal, who saddled Tip Two Win to a 50-1 shock second place in the same Classic two years ago. “But we are very optimistic. Unfortunately, Rae and Carol can’t be there because of the coronavirus restrictions.

“The Coolmore and Godolphin people will be back many times but this might be a one-off for my owners, which is a shame. “But hopefully, we will do them proud.”