Graham Wylie, racehorse owner, revels in the fast lane after Sandown Park victory

There were fears that Wylie, a technology tycoon, who has been a regular entry in the Sunday Times Rich List for a decade, had become disenchanted with the racing game following the four-year disqualification of his trainer Howard Johnson last August. The BHA found Johnson guilty of running a horse, who had been ‘de-nerved’ in one leg, and Wylie publicly declared “they treated Howard like a criminal, and he’s not.”

When Johnson did not appeal against his ban, it left Wylie with 60 horses, and a key decision to make, though having already sent six horses to Nicholls, his mind was half made up. In the event, he dispersed almost half his racing stock at the sales and kept the rest.

“I chose the best trainer in England and the best in Ireland,” he declared. He sent 12 to Nicholls, and seven to Willie Mullins in Co Carlow. “And, I’ve also got another 18 in a field somewhere,” he reported.

Wylie has not been to visit Mullins as yet, but he has several times travelled to Ditcheat, and been impressed with what he has seen. He has also been quick to acknowledge that throwing hundreds of thousands of pounds at agents and trainers in an attempt to purchase quality horses does not necessarily always pay off.

“It may minimise your risk, but it is no guarantee that you will get a champion,” he said. Inglis Drever, who won Wylie and his wife Andrea three Ladbrokes World Hurdles, cost £100,000, which was a modest amount for what he went on to achieve at Cheltenham.

Having made that point, he will also keep on buying horses. “I recently bought one in partnership with Andy Stewart, and it has already won for us. I’ve always had the passion for racing,” he explained. That is good news for the sport.

Trainer Alan King sticking to tried and tested formula as he aims for victory at Triumph Hurdle

Even in a changing world, the fundamentals remain the same, and the good trainer uses judgment based on experience to keep getting results.

Take Alan King as an example. King, who boasts an extensive owner base that is the envy of the jumping game, knows what is required to win the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March. He has already saddled two winners of the four-year-old hurdling championship, so is fully qualified to offer an informed opinion on the subject.

When King announced at Taunton last Friday that he felt he had a particularly strong hand in the four-year-old ranks this year, it was the signal to sit up and take notice. Grumeti - who came off the Flat from Michael Bell’s yard - had hacked up against older opposition at the West Country track to attract a quote of 14-1 for the Triumph, while the next day Vendor worked hard for a determined win at Newbury and was priced up at 25-1 generally.

Then on Monday, in front of a holiday crowd of 3,000 at Plumpton, it was the turn of the French import Balder Succes to post another four-year-old victory for the Barbury Castle trainer. The gelding, who had won his only previous start, at Auteuil in October, drew clear to win by eight lengths at odds of 4-9.

The victory certainly added weight to King’s theory that he has a strong bunch of four year-olds, but the trainer was not committing Balder Succes to any target just yet. “He’s a very likeable horse, but I don’t think he’s a Triumph Hurdle horse. He didn’t run on the Flat, and he may not have enough experience for that type of race,” he explained. Again, King had pitted the four year-old against older opposition.

Assessing his strong hand at the moment, King added: “Grumeti is likely to run again at Cheltenham at the end of the month, while I think Vendor is very good, as well. He’s got a lot of scope.”

As mentioned above, trainers’ habits die hard. King, who won the Plumpton/Cheltenham bonus with Voy Por Ustedes six years ago - the bonus is now £60,000 - is trying to repeat that feat with Kumbeshwar, who romped home by 16 lengths in a novice chase at the Sussex track on Monday. The bonus is paid to any horse who wins a chase at Plumpton before going on to win at the Cheltenham Festival in the same season. In other news, King believes Invictus had a valid excuse for his defeat in the Dipper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on Sunday.

The six year-old was never travelling with his usual fluency and it later transpired that he had lost a shoe.

“Invictus lost a shoe and was quite sore afterwards, and, while I hate making excuses, I am sure that he is better than that,” said King.

“He never travelled like he can and could not get into a rhythm.”

Nicky Henderson Captain Conan signals a bright future with the victory of Sandown Park Tolworth hurdle jump

It took the House by a short head in some respects that a lucky victory was bad in the final as finalist Squadron color threw his luck far by hanging. But the result can be found in the years to come as a very brilliant career start.

"It seemed, was a fun starting point, but there is method is, said Henderson later." It is a horse of very, very talented, but it is a Dragonfly. "" I expect that I shall this course be featured yet somewhere [Cheltenham]. "

The biggest surprise was the starting price. Previously mentioned despite him, Captain Conan, ridden by Barry Geraghty, led in the Paris on the course and 9-1 was sent.

There was a difference of 13 lengths magnificent third star, with which wells a tame fourth views. Owner Graham Wylie said that the Paul Nicholls trained Fontaine Vista probably had the effects of his final race. "It was a more difficult version, no doubt that we thought [threshold] Ladbroke at Ascot," Wylie said.

Nicholls and Wylie had previously combined the 32Red handicap Chase quickly hold under a confident ride from Ruby Walsh victory. The eight years won seven lengths all for free, with a short head to tanks for the third.