Oliver Sherwood's revival helped by Many Clouds' good form

Last updated on .From the section Horse Racing

Pride of place amongst the stack of congratulatory cards and emails received by Oliver Sherwood following the Hennessy Gold Cup win of Many Clouds goes to one from fellow trainer David Pipe.
An elaborately designed note sent by Pipe and his retired, 15-time champion-trainer father Martin, declares: "You can't keep a good man down."
Not so long ago Sherwood wasn't so sure.
The Pipes have seen close up how the then fashionable 'bright young thing' climbed quickly towards the top after starting out on the training ladder in 1984, only to dramatically falter and slip back down again a few years later.
During a prolonged lean spell, the one-time top amateur jockey went perilously close to the edge: winners began to dry up, stable numbers dwindled and the write-off merchants circled in ever increasing numbers.
More recently, the Sherwood's family home was badly damaged by fire.
But now, not least thanks to Many Clouds, owned by businessman Trevor Hemmings, and the winner of a total of seven races so far, there's a feeling that the fortunes of Sherwood, 59, are on the up again.
Many Clouds profile |
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Age: 8 (Foaled April 21st, 2007) |
Sex: Brown Gelding |
Breeding: Cloudings - Bobbing Back (Bob Back) |
Trainer: Oliver Sherwood |
Owner: Trevor Hemmings |
Record: Wins 17, 1st 7, 2nd 5, 3rd 0, Win % 41.18 |
Asked what went wrong, the trainer of 998 winners - six at Cheltenham Festivals, though none for 20 years - agreed that success had perhaps come too easily early on in his career.
He said: "I might have taken my eye off the ball. I was spoiled, I accept that, I hadn't had to sell myself.
"And we had a couple of quiet years - bad years - and the horses weren't right.
"I lost big owners who are hard to replace overnight, and I'm the world's worst at selling myself.
"I don't like rejection, and hate ringing up somebody to sell a horse, it's just not me. It's like chatting up a girl, and her saying 'no, I'm not interested in you', awful.
"It was hard and my confidence was severely dented, and you start doubting yourself, but the Hennessy brought a lot of the confidence back again which is great."
To be fair, signs of revival have been detected in recent seasons with decent wins for Puffin Billy, Deputy Dan and Mischievous Milly.
Those indications gathered pace when jockey Leighton Aspell steered the Many Clouds - whose mother is, appropriately, Bobbing Back - to what was an emotional return to the big time in Newbury's Hennessy feature.
Always a popular figure, based just a few miles away from the Berkshire track in the Lambourn racing centre, he was feted noisily by the crowds, and tears welled.
Ironically, only days earlier Sherwood, older brother of Desert Orchid's jockey Simon, had been in hospital after a piece of meat became stuck in his gullet.
Yet he discharged himself, telling nurses: "I can't stay here. I train one of the Hennessy favourites and have to be home to supervise his final piece of work." Hopefully they took the tip.
Now the next step is to build on all that, and aim the powerfully-built eight-year-old at the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March for which he's already rated sixth-best behind Silviniaco Conti at 16-1.
To that end, the 'gentle giant' faces fellow big-race hopefuls Dynaste, Smad Place and 2014 winner The Giant Bolster in the Betbright Chase, Cheltenham's own Gold Cup warm-up.

He will also be entered in the Grand National at Aintree.
For a trainer who puts so much store in both himself and his horses having a confident outlook, Sherwood is delighted to report Many Clouds is thriving in that department.
He said: "There's no doubt in my opinion he's changed this year and has got much more confident over what's done; it's sky high at the moment which is very important.
"He's quite cocky when he's in his work, he thinks he's King Kong and his jumping and schooling at home since [Newbury] have been electric.
"Despite all the effort he had to put in he got over it quickly, and we think that he's improved. I'm very happy with where he is.
"Whether he's good enough [to be a Gold Cup contender], time will tell, but the gut feeling and instinct is that he is good enough and is a very realistic prospect."
Naturally, Sherwood dreams that every horse that enters his historic 50-horse Rhonehurst base is a potential winner of jump racing's number one prize.
Of course most are not, and in over 30 years he's only ever saddled one runner in the race, portentously perhaps his previous Hennessy hero Arctic Call, though he was pulled up behind Garrison Savannah in 1991.
But the belief is clear that Many Clouds, for whom rain-softened going is desirable but not necessarily essential, could be different as he "ticks the boxes" on jumping, stamina and quality.
Now the horse just needs to pass his next test, and it is actually a David Pipe-trained runner, Dynaste, the King George runner-up, who heads the field.
I wonder if Pipe will soon be wishing Sherwood had taken a temporary dive back into the doldrums.
Follow all the news from Festival Trials day, Cheltenham (Jan 24) including the Betbright Cup at 1350 on BBC 5 Live
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There'll be plenty turning up for the Gold Cup with less chance than him.
well done on that one. only a matter of time before you waste any winnings you may have so hold onto that 100% as long as you can. scotty will let you down eventually as he doesn't really win that much
maybe try wasting your money on the lottery? at least you have the comfort of knowing your cash may well be going to to someone who really needs it
Now off you go to give that ton straight back to the nice bookie man.
and dont forget to only tell peeps about your wins. Be like every other loser gambler and conveniently ignore the 10 losses for every win ratio
and bang on about how much you think you know about the sport of horse whipping. you sir should be circumvallated
Smad Place was a close second in last season's RSA chase, the previous race won by last year's Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere, and rarely runs a poor race...
On the other hand didn't think Dynaste jumped very well & didn't stay but that does not undermine the performance
Great effort by Big Fella Thanks 28/1 this AM & thought a big pay day was coming for my EW double on the two
Looks about 7ibs below gold cup standard but 4/1 today against that lot.Wow what a price ,wish i had been at the bookies.Wish chanel 4 had showed more of the first 2 races today .that was pathetic,never got a good look at peace and co,Looked ok though.
Funny enuff I had 10 losers b4 Scotty dug me outta that hole but as he obliged at 20/1 that makes me 100% up on investment i fink.
I consider meself an investor but only when de odds is in me fava unlike said 'loser gamblers' who plays dem nasty pick-pocket machines in the bookies and hav a pony on which way da winds gonna blow, geter it?
I concur Jack, but most forums get hijacked, by who's the best horse, Denman, Kauto, etc, or people congratulating themselves on their betting prowess, people probably don't see the point.
I would love more proper articles on all the horses and racing people, and don't even wait for the headline success, give them a platform, let them compete, give a voice for the whole industry
Thanks, interesting article - seems quite an honest self-appraisal.
Slightly gauled by your comment
Tried throwing money said off pier, it blew back past me and landed on some fellas noggin, he said finders keepers grrrr,
Had a deep sea diver on Scotty 'dog' Mitchell at 20s in the darts and bookies gave me back a ton !!! thank yew vewy much.
You sir know as much about the sport of kings as Julius Caesar
arf arf arf