32-year-old Josh Newman has long been one of the most successful riders on the South West pointing circuit, with over 150 winners between the flags and under rules since his first winner – Sobre Tresor for his aunt Chloe at Littlewindsor – when he was 19, and he has started to make his mark as a point-to-point trainer too. Based at Blackmore Farm near Crewkerne in Somerset since 2019, he shares a dual yard with wife Kayley (they got married in the summer), who holds a professional licence under her former name of Woollacott.
In 2022/2023, Josh was leading trainer with 6-14 horses, before becoming national champion last season after a close battle with Alan Hill. Jake Exelby travelled down the M5 in advance of the new season – which Josh started with a bang, with a Dunsmore treble – to meet the newlyweds and find out how last season evolved, and what they’re expecting next time round.
Josh and his fellow riders in the autumn sunshine (Caroline Exelby)
Josh and Kayley are unusual among dual yards in that their primary focus is pointers – they have 25 to run next season, as opposed to 12 in the licensed yard, and Kayley explained why. “You want the right quality for the game you’re in and – for the budget we’ve got – we can be a lot more competitive in pointing. For a good horse, you need to be spending at least £40,000 under rules. Mind you, Our Dylan only cost us £3,500 and we’ve won two handicaps with him.”
The couple are also unafraid to swap their horses back and forth between points and professional racing and Kayley cites two recent success stories from their yard. As well as Our Dylan, who didn’t win for them between the flags before his rules successes, they have Stratton Oakmont. A multiple-placed maiden under rules before switching to points, he won a Maiden on his first start, then a Restricted in 2023, before going back to the professional game, where he has since won twice and been placed five times from seven starts. “You need different types of horse for each code,” she confirms. “Often, good horses that travel well can’t win a point because their asset is their cruising speed, and they don’t like the constant changes of pace in points.”
Kayley and I talk while Josh (El Capitaine) leads point-to-point riders Hannah Morgan (who will ride stable stalwart Sixteen Letters this year) on Iris Des Issards and Purdy Peaster on the experienced Paloma Blue, alongside Olli Watson and Ben Godfrey on two of Kayley’s string – winning chaser Stellar Stream and juvenile hurdler Lucky Bere – over the schooling circuit of tyres, logs and brush fences.
Josh leading his string over the obstacles (Caroline Exelby)
Workout over, I ask Josh about another important part of their operation. Like so many yards nowadays, he splits his string between pointers who stay between the flags to hopefully go through the grades, and young maidens who are bought to sell. “It’s hard to strike a balance,” Josh admits, “Particularly with a dual yard. People overestimate how much we have to spend on horses and assume that, if a horse was any good, we’d keep it.”
“Pointing needs more support from race planning and the sales companies,” continues Josh. “It’s important that young horse maidens exclude rules horses, as beating one with a low rating devalues the form, and we need help at the actual sales – we always seem to be one of the first few lots – and Mount Mason, who dead-heated at Charlton Horethorne, didn’t get into the Cheltenham Festival sale because of his low price as a store, but the other winner did. Although he did sell there for £55,000 in April!”
Josh (near side) dead-heating on Mount Mason at Charlton Horethorne (Tim Holt)
Recent graduates of Blackmore Farm to have gone on to success under rules include Park This One, placed in Grade Two company for Jamie Snowden and No Risk With Lou and Wise Guy, dual winners for Alex Hales and Stuart Edmunds respectively, while last season’s Garthorpe winner Big Burt has gone to James Owen. “We’ve come out in front over the last few years, despite modest budgets,” admits Josh. “And, while they were bought to sell, it would have been lovely to keep them here for Kayley to train!”
Josh after winning on Big Burt at Garthorpe, one of five training successes on a pivotal weekend (Nico Morgan)
Josh talks me through his championship winning season. “We’d had a good season the year before, being leading mid-sized trainer, but never thought I’d have a chance of the main title. We switched feeds to Red Mills in the close season, so started slowly (he only had five wins to the end of February), but we changed the horses’ feeding patterns, got them trim and worked them harder. The first time I thought about it was when I had six winners on the last weekend of March – Big Burt won on Saturday, I went to Kilworthy on Sunday with what I thought were four good chances and three of them came in, and we had a double at Cotley.”
Liwah - owned by John and Sonia Gardener - was part of a Kilworthy treble for Josh (Carl Evans)
“That put me right up there with Max Comley, but Alan Hill was having a few good weekends and I assumed Gina Ellis would come from behind despite her late start (she only started training pointers in March when husband Tom took out a full licence), so I always thought we’d be caught,” Josh goes on, “As we didn’t have the ammunition and don’t over-race our horses. Towards the end, we were having a lot of placings and just the odd winner – still rolling, but with a flat tyre!”
Josh came to the final day of the season one clear of Alan and he takes up the story again. “We went two clear when Whitsand Bay won the first at Upcott Cross, Alan pulled one back at Chaddesley Corbett and, if his final runner had won, he’d have beaten me on countback. But it didn’t, we won the last with Bruce Gobbler and ended up winning by two. We stayed at Upcott Cross for a while – all the team from the yard were there, along with lots of our owners, but didn’t celebrate when we got home, as it was late by the time we’d unloaded, and we had the kids with us.”
Team Newman celebrate winning the trainers title at Upcott Cross - Josh is holding daughter Hazel (Tim Holt)
“Of course it’s an ambition to be champion trainer again,” confirms Josh about his plans for next season. “But I just want the horses to be fit, healthy and run to the best of their ability. If you start the season thinking about the title, you put too much pressure on yourself. You can’t tell until March or April. Gina will be the one to beat – she’s got so much ammunition – and, of the up-and-coming yards, Harry Ryall is one to watch. He’s a good lad who’s got his head screwed on. He’s worked in a few different yards and has learnt from them but does things his own way. I rode for him in his first season.”
While Josh obviously rides many of his horses himself, he also uses Darren Andrews – he’s ridden a lot of winners, has got a lot of experience, comes in once a week, knows our horses and routines and rides to instructions – Callum Pritchard (who has now turned conditional), who he helped get started, and even gave female champion jockey Izzie Marshall a couple of wins on Sixteen Letters. “(Her future father-in-law) Alan told me he wouldn’t bring anything to Cotley if I let Izzie ride him,” laughs Josh.
“To be champion jockey is unrealistic,” Josh admits, despite totals of 20+ in each of the past three seasons. “But it would be nice to win the area title in Devon & Cornwall or Wessex – because I split my rides between them, I’ve never won one. And I’ve no plans to retire yet – I’ll only do so when I stop getting the buzz.”
Asked about his favourite horse, Josh surprisingly (to me at least) nominates not one he’s trained himself, but Ed Walker’s mare Wind Tor, on whom he won six. “She was small and compact but jumped well for a little horse. She was game and you knew you’d always get a tune out of her.” As for a pointer he’d love to have in his yard and ride, his response is more predictable. “Latenightpass has been fantastic for the Ellises. He’s homebred, has won multiple point-to-points, the Aintree Foxhunters, a cross-country chase at Cheltenham and ran in the Grand National.”
“Pointing is a great education,” continues Josh. “It allows everyone to learn before taking the next step. Sometimes I think people rush to go under rules – horses, trainers and jockeys. You see young lads who want to jump on the bandwagon and think they can go professional and fly through their claim. For me, it’s better to wait two or three years and turn conditional later, having had a hundred rides and 20-30 winners, rather than half that number.”
“I love pointing because it’s competitive – I ride in the same way and put in the same effort as any professional – but relaxed and sociable at the same time. We always go to the races with a basket in the back of the lorry and have a drink afterwards, win, lose or draw,” concludes Josh. “It’s all about our owners and staff. We celebrate the good days and endure the bad ones… it’s a team effort.”
Josh’s Three to Follow for 2024/2025
Cue Jump
A big, strong mare who’s related to Cue Card. She ran well when second at Larkhill with Callum Pritchard, and we decided not to rush her and put her away. She’s come back even better this year and will run in the autumn, potentially in a young horse Maiden. If she continues to improve, she could be smart.
Josh and Cue Jump (Caroline Exelby)
Impakt St Georges
A new six-year-old for John Symes who’ll come in shortly and run after Christmas. He’s still a maiden but has been placed in points and hurdles in Ireland and is rated 107. His form’s solid and he can go through the ranks. He won’t be a one-season horse as John’s a pure pointing person and looks after his horses. He’s had the likes of Sixteen Letters, Steeltown, Whizzaar and Parkam Jack with us.
El Capitaine
Came from Ireland, where he was owned by Chris Jones – who has Paloma Blue with us – and trained by Tom Dreaper, and had a hurdles rating of 114 after only being beaten four and a half lengths by Buddy One. Owned by Ivan Thompson and we’re excited about him and think he could get up to Novice Hunter Chase level. We’ll also try and get a handicap mark for him over here. Second at Knightwick on his seasonal debut and entered at Great Trethew on Sunday.
Josh on El Capitaine (Caroline Exelby)