Richard Fahey: Final fling

Leading trainer Richard Fahey talks us through his runners on the final day of the Flat season at Doncaster, including Roachdale House bidding to repeat last year's victory.

As this is my final Sporting Life column for 2014 I’ll spend a little time reflecting on the season that’s gone by.

By all measurements it’s been a good year, we’ve had our highest number of winners, won more prize money than ever before and my only frustration has been saddling 203 seconds!

Garswood winning the Prix Maurice de Gheest was an obvious highlight and he will be missed next season. As things stand we go into 2015 without a Group One horse in the ranks. At the start of this year we had Garswood and Sandiva to go to war with so it’s going to be different.

That’s not to say there isn’t one, two or even three here that can’t make the step up to the top flight though. So fingers crossed we’ll unearth another star or two.

Here are my thoughts on the final runners of the season at Doncaster on Saturday.

Sacred Bond is quite a nice filly who came into us late. She goes well at home but I’m just a fraction worried division one of the Betfred Mobile Cock O'The North EBF Maiden Stakes might come too soon for her. We like her though.

Beardwood is a colt we like too in division two. He will improve for the run and a couple of the others have shown ability on the track already but my fellow definitely has a future.

We’ve been quite tough on Johnny B Goode who has top weight in the Betfred 'Racing's Biggest Supporter' Nursery. But he likes soft ground - his best form is on it - so we thought it was worth giving him another go this season.

We’ve three in the Betfred Supporting Jack Berry House Handicap. Roachdale House has been waiting for soft ground all year and is working well. He won at the meeting last year and we’re very happy with him.

Withernsea won well here the other day and is on the up. We’ve stuck a pair of blinkers on Farlow and he faced them when cantering on Wednesday so hopefully they can help him concentrate.

Paul had to push Latenightrequest all the way round here the last day and ended up getting there too soon. Did I think she’d be running in a November Handicap earlier in the year? Probably not, but the more rain the better for her and she’s a good, hardy mare.

Our final two runners of the campaign are Our Boy Jack and Personal Touch in the Betfred Bingo Apprentice Handicap. It was great to see the latter win at Newmarket and I was delighted with him. If he’s in the same form here -and I’ve a nagging fear he’s best when fresh - then he has a chance in an open race.

So does Our Boy Jack, who might just be suited to a race like this. He wants them to go flat out as he’ll be coming back at them late on.