All-Weather Champions Crowned At Newcastle

[Wandering Eyes]

The all-weather season drew to a close on Good Friday, April 18, with Tony Carroll named the All-Weather Champion Trainer for the first time.

Carroll, who finished second to Mick Appleby last season, saddled 57 winners, 11 clear of his nearest rival, James Owen.

“For me personally, it is a great achievement and I am very proud of it,” said Carroll. “A big thank you to the team at home–Titch, Mary, and everybody else involved. They are people that never go racing and are never seen, but they are the backbone behind it all. They do all the work really, and I'm just there making sure everything is as it should be.

“The horses have been fantastic all winter. The horses have been really healthy, right the way through, and the owners have been fantastic. ARC have put a great thing on and we have all really enjoyed it.”

Added Carroll of All-Weather Champion Apprentice winner Jack Doughty, “Jack Doughty has been fantastic for the yard and it's great for us both to win together. He is only 17 but has been with me for a while, so it's marvellous. He has been a pleasure to have in the yard, all the way through from day one, and you could always see that he was just a bit different from the rest.

“We have had 57 winners on the all-weather this season, but I think Init Together (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}) is the only one that has won four. The rest has been made up by individual horses, so it's a great performance from them.”

Billy Loughnane was a first-time winner of the All-Weather Champion Jockey title. He was the All-Weather Champion Apprentice the past two years. Godolphin earned its 11th consecutive All-Weather Champion Owner title with 15 wins, two better than Rabbah Racing.

Loughnane, who had 75 wins, four better than Hector Crouch, said, “I am chuffed. It has been a good winter and a long hard battle with Hector for the past few months, who's obviously a great jockey, and it's been a big last push to get it over the line.

“It was good being able to get away for a little bit of time in Australia as well, but to come back and get a lot of support from numerous different trainers who've helped me and my agent Tony Hind, who is a super-agent and doing a great job.

“Obviously, dad runs the majority of his horses on the all-weather and I've grown up around it.

“Dad's got a big team and George Boughey is my main boss now, but there are a lot of trainers, the Kublers and Ian Williams to name just two, who have given me a lot of support so it's great.”

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