I RODE my first winner of the year on Al Najashi at Lingfield earlier this month. Having only come back from Dubai the previous week, it was great to get off the mark so early in 2026. Havachoc then made it two when winning at Newcastle last Sunday.

Although I’m not one for setting targets, I would hope to at least double last year’s tally of six winners and anything after that would be an added bonus. I don’t mind travelling the length and breadth of the country; I actually get a great kick out of doing that in search of winners.