Syndicate record century of 2021 victories

LEADING ownership syndicate Middleham Park Racing are on course for their best ever year after Nelson Rocks registered their 100th winner of 2021 at Taunton.

Trained by Colin Tizzard and ridden by Harry Kimber, the evens favourite won the Summerfield Developments

Novices’ Handicap Hurdle by three-quarters of a length.

The now famous blue and orange colours are becoming a more familiar sight in the National Hunt game and with the all-weather scene continuing apace, the Middleham Park team should get the four winners they need to pass their previous best.

“We have had 100 winners once before in the calendar year but this is just the second time. We’re absolutely thrilled,” said Tim Palin, director of racing for the syndicate.

“Our best total is 103, so hopefully we can get to 104 or 105 in December and that will be a new record. Last December we had five winners I think, so hopefully we will again.”

While there were initial worries about how the business would continue to function when racing shut down during the pandemic last year, a slight readjustment in strategy has seen them flourish.

“Lockdown, like for any business, was a testing time but as people weren’t able to get out and about and they had a bit of disposable income, they decided to put it into one or two new ventures,” said Palin. “Strangely, not only did we survive the last 18 months, we actually expanded.

“While we might not have had a Group One horse this year, we’ve sort of gone back to basics to make sure we didn’t over-expose.

“We might not have spent as much as in the past, we’ve worn sensible shoes.”