Noel’s waiting game pays off

7:30am Friday 6th July 2007

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FOR Noel Wilson, it has been a long time coming.

The North Yorkshire trainer is looking at a bright future after settling into his own purpose built racing yard at Flaxton.

Wilson, a leading amateur jockey for 20 years and trainer since 2000, had to wait patiently before moving into his 30-stable and seven-furlong all-weather gallop facility at the turn of the year.

More than 100 people turned up last weekend for an open day, when Wilson showed off his impressive yard and launched a new racing venture - The Six Pound Note Club.

But Wilson, who has tasted success on the track this season with Hotham, at Pontefract, and Dodaa, at Southwell, isn't finished yet.

"We've 30 stables here with expansion to build another 30 and the plan is in maybe a year to expand more as we progress," he said. "We've got a seven-furlong all-weather gallop and we've also laid a grass gallop, which will take around ten months to settle in. Then we will have all our own facilities here - grass, all-weather, schooling fences, starting stalls - we will have an all-in-one facility."

Good things definitely come to those who wait. It took around four years for the planning permissions and building work before Noel, and wife Nikki, were able to finally move their string into the yard.

Now alongside the new racing club, Wilson wants to concentrate on getting better quality horses into the yard, and more owners, and be competing with the top trainers - at bigger meetings - in the not too distant future.

He added: "We've started this new racing club, called The Six Pound Note Club. We've got three horses at the moment, where people can get into racehorse ownership for a small amount of money. We want to build this up to around ten horses."

Hotham was Wilson's last winner a few weeks ago and is set to run again later on this month - but he's just one of a number of stable stars in the yard.

"Hotham's a five-furlong horse, he might see six out. He won at Pontefract and he's been unlucky since. He'll probably run in the next fortnight," said Wilson.

"We've got a couple of nice horses. Nanton's a very good horse for the Flat, as is United Nations. Jumping wise, there's Arctic Ghost and, also, Michaels Dream has been a stable star for us winning six races.

"We've got some nice two-year-olds to go with it who are just taking a bit of time and we've got a nice stream of horses to suit the whole year. Times are very exciting and we are building up the strength of horse.

"We need to keep developing - not grow in numbers but grow in quality. We want better quality of horses - good quality owners and good quality horses.

"What I would like to do is get a nice number of all-weather horses for the winter and keep the job running 12 months a year as well as building up in National Hunt. I don't want to get away from the jumping side of the job. We want to be a dual purpose yard."

For more information about the Six Pound Note Club, phone 07875 091355.