Just two years ago upwardly mobile trainer Grant Tuer was farming 400 head of beef cattle on his family’s 800-acre farm in the rolling pastures of Birkby, North Yorkshire.
Today he’s concentrating on his burgeoning career as a Flat trainer with a team of 70, including All-Weather star Walking On Clouds, who is closing in on the first ever £100,000 bonus for Season 10’s Horse of the Year.
“It’s getting tactical now,” he says. “Only the first three runs of the month count so I’m going to be placing him carefully in March to protect his lead. He has another win in him but even if we keep on picking up place points he should be hard to catch.”
Walking On Clouds entered the final full month of the season with five wins for his syndicate owners Moment Of Madness and a seven-point lead over closest rival Man On A Mission.
“Arena Racing Company deserve great credit for introducing the Million Pound Bonus Scheme. It’s got everyone talking – trainers and owners alike – and they’re really thinking about buying the right type of horses for it.”
Tuer also his sights on scooping a significant slice of prize money for Nick Bradley Racing, whose admirable filly Glorious Angel is set to take her chance in the £150,000 Fillies and Mares Final at Newcastle on Good Friday following two possible Listed assignments.
Those two winter stars spearhead a team that continues to frequent the winner’s enclosure, with Fade To Gray and One Hart closing February on a high with a Newcastle double.
“The last couple of years have been fantastic and I’m now pretty much full time with the horses,” he adds. “We got rid of the cattle to concentrate more on training and I have a very capable farm manager who looks after that side of the business.
“The new year has started well and we have plenty of nice horses still to look forward to on the All-Weather, as well as 20 two-year-olds, so it’s a busy time.”
Tuer, who has largely put his faith in regular jockeys Sam James and 3lb claimer Oliver Stammers, trained 40 winners last year after missing out on a half-century by just one in 2021.
Here, he nominates ten horses he expects to make an impact in the final six weeks of the season to Simon Mapletoft of attheraces.com.
