In May 2016 Herefordshire’s Jack Jones was gearing up to ride in the PPORA Novice Riders’ Championship Final, which coincidentally is set to be held again on Sunday at Edgcote.
He won the race on Real Milan – the race was held that year at Garthorpe – and six years later, after learning the ropes at some stellar trainers’ yard, Jones has become Newmarket’s newest and youngest trainer. He is renting a small yard on the Hamilton Road, and recently sent out his first runner.
Jones, 27, whose father Nick trained Real Milan to win five point-to-points, remembers his brief time on the point-to-point circuit with fondness and for what it taught him.
He says: “I was lucky to get a few outside rides, but Real Milan was the horse that stood out. What made it more enjoyable was that Dad trained him. We were also placed in five hunters’ chases including at Cheltenham and so I regret not winning one of those, but he was a smashing horse.
“Having a chance to ride in point-to-points taught me a lot. Some of the best trainers have never ridden in a race, but riding a horse gives you another insight to them.
“It annoys me that people go on Twitter and criticise jockeys when they have never ridden in races themselves.”
Jones worked for some top trainers on his way to gaining his own licence, spending time with Paul Nicholls, Kim Bailey and (former point-to-point rider) Richard Spencer, undertaking a stint with Australia’s leading trainer Chris Waller and then returning to Britain and joining David Simcock in Newmarket. He says: “I always wanted to train in Lambourn or Newmarket, and having worked for David I became settled in Newmarket. You can move as you grow in the town – Tom Clover was based in three yards before his final move to Kremlin Lodge and 90 boxes.
“I’m very much a dual-purpose trainer. I have a lot of contacts in Jump racing, and as Richard Spencer has shown, this is a good place to train jumpers.”
Jones has sent out one unplaced runner to date, and he expects his next runner to be Jack D’Or at Windsor later this month