Fergal O'Brien breaks century in season after Ravenswell Farm switch

FRESH from firing in a maiden century, Fergal O'Brien is keeping up the pace into the National Hunt summer season.

At Southwell on May 25, the Course and Distance stable member saddled three horses and ticked off a full house of winners.

Coole Well, Byzantine Empire and As High Say were ridden to victory by Paddy Brennan, one of the most experienced members of the weighing room relishing every success for Ravenswell Farm.

"Touch wood the horses have been running very well this summer," O'Brien told www.cdhorseracingtours.com.

"We are delighted with the way everything is going.

"People say we have set the bar high after getting to the 100 winners, but if you are competitive that's what you want to be doing.

"A lot of things have clicked to get us to where we are now. Moving to Ravenswell Farm has given us space to grow.

"Our landlords are very good to us and when I first came to look around I was impressed with how much ventilation there was in the barns, the animals were healthy.

"Having a flat three-furlong round gallop and the hill give us work areas for different horses.

"It's a fantastic place to train."

Formerly with the Nigel Twiston-Davies operation, a short distance away in the Cotswolds, O'Brien had his licence by 2011 and became a Grade 1-winning handler in 2017 when Poetic Rhythm won the Challow Hurdle at Newbury.

With 63 winners in the 2019-20 season, he reached 104 at his new base in the heart of Gloucestershire, collecting prize money just shy of £800,000.

It was an even more impressive total as two months was lost to the coronavirus pandemic.

Oscar Rose, O'Brien's first scorer from his new base in October 2019, fittingly helped him and his partner Sally Randell reach the 100.