"Historic stables are in fine fettle  under doctor's orders"
As Cleeve prepares to open its doors to the public, Sarah McQuillen keeps an appointment with the hands-on Dr. Naylor.
(Article by Salisbury Newspapers)

AFTER a nine-month dry spell, Shrewton racehorse trainer Dr Jeremy Naylor has been riding a wave of good fortune – and enjoying every minute of it, writes Sarah McQuillen.

Cleeve Stables in the picturesque hamlet of Elston experienced a purple patch of early summer form that would be the envy of many a yard ten times its size.
At the end of May, Dr Naylor hit the headlines when he went from having had no winners for nine months to four in a fortnight, including a remarkable one-two at Bath.

But rather than resting on his laurels, the man at the helm of the 20-horse yard is preparing to throw open the doors of the historic stables and invite racing enthusiasts to share in his success.
When Journal Sport pays him a visit, the equine heroes of that remarkable day, Heart Springs and Jayer Gilles are outside in the fields enjoying the sunshine, pottering about side by side looking for all the world like a pair of well-loved pets. Which, in a way, is what they are.

Dr Naylor has long specialised in taking on the racing world’s so-called hopeless cases, coaxing them to give of their best with infinite love and individual attention. With just three full-time staff at his beck and call, the doctor is about as hands-on as it’s possible to be. A former in-house vet for racing giant Martin Pipe, Naylor cares for all the horses and personally rides them out each morning.

“The most successful horses have competitive natures but if they’re not willing and feeling good about themselves, they won’t run well,” he said.

Success with the winning quartet of Indian Chase, Laurollie, Avanti and Heart Springs was all the sweeter for Dr Naylor because it came hard on the heels of a horrific run of bad luck for the yard.
One of the down sides of his patient, persistent method of training is that the owners can occasionally be the first to lose hope.

In the past he has even had to dissuade an owner from giving a horse away to a local girl as a riding pony, convinced that just a few more months could tease out its winning potential.

He said: “It’s very dispiriting indeed when you don’t have a winner for a while.

“We’d had a run of really bad luck in races. There had been injuries, we’d had horses taken away from us that we felt were doing well and were just about to get somewhere. It was one thing after another.

“Our first winner Daphne’s Doll lost her foal late in the pregnancy and we were feeling pretty low about that. Then, in the space of one week, it all turned around for us.”

Dr Naylor’s six-foot-plus frame determined he was never going to cut it as a top-class jockey. Although he can claim to have once had a ride for Martin Pipe. “It was one of those weeks when everyone else was riding either elsewhere or point-to-pointing and I said tongue-in-cheek: ‘I’ll ride for you.’“To my surprise, he didn’t say no. I came third at Fontwell!”
Any success these days is savoured.

“When this business goes right, it’s a lot of fun. We make the most of the good times, take the staff out to eat, drink and be merry. To us, every win is vitally important. “It’s a confidence thing. We know we can do the job but sometimes other people need reminding. Something like this can really make them sit up and take notice.”

Pundits were not the only ones taken aback by the victory of 33-1 shot Heart Springs over 25-1 stablemate Jayer Gilles.
Dr Naylor himself was watching from the stands at Bath Racecourse, scarcely able to believe the drama unfolding before his very eyes. Before he could start celebrating, he faced the unusual task of explaining the embarrassment of riches to the disappointed owners of the runner-up.

He said: “Fortunately they were very understanding. We have a few good horses at the moment but they are all stayers and they all like the same kind of conditions. “Placing them in the right race is every bit as important as training them.
“Circumstances just conspired to put both of them on favourable terms, in a race that suited them where there was going to be some pace. It just happened to be the same race.

“The horses seem to like running together – Jayer has beaten Heart Springs at Chepstow before. “Actually, I think it’s sweet that she came back and won one for herself. “She always has to be held up right at the back because she pulls like a train. “It’s been the making of her, finally discovering that she’s a stayer, not a sprinter and she’s not going to be able to do it all at once.
 
“A bigger yard would have chucked her out long ago for being a bit of a nutter.” Today, the ‘nutter’ is a picture of patient contentment, making no fuss at all about being asked to leave the fields to pose for photographs while Dr Naylor explains the idea behind Cleeve Stables’ forthcoming open day.

He said: “We planned the open day a long time ago but, with this run of success, it turns out we couldn’t have timed it better. “This has been a racing stable for more than 100 years, so this is a chance for local people to come in and see what goes on here.” Elston, has a grand history and was once the home of the legendary Sceptre, which won an astonishing four Classics for Bob Sievier at the turn of the 20th century.

And right now, Naylor could be in the process of making more history, developing his own system of monitoring his horses’ performances. The PhD in exercise physiology, who still lectures in the subject at Bristol University is a pioneer of what he describes as a combination heart-rate monitor and speedometer for horses.

Scrolling through the complex graphs and tables flashing across his computer screen, he explains, “While I’m riding I can tell all the time exactly how fast we’re going and what effect it’s having on the horse. “I spend a lot on time working out how fast races are being run, so that we can give our horses exactly the right work to get them fit at home.

“As far as I know, I’m the only trainer in the country doing this. I hope it gives me an extra objectivity. “Whether the horses are just having a run of good form, or whether this is part of it, I don’t know.” Naylor is hoping that his recent high profile successes will encourage some racing fans to take a punt on him and his staff and support Cleeve Stables by buying a share in a racehorse.

He said: “I’ve been thinking for a long time about getting together a syndicate for people who have an interest in racing and would like to get personally involved, but can’t afford a quarter share in a horse.” As proved by the jubilant scenes that followed The Motivator’s success in this year’s Derby, when the vast majority of its 230 owners swamped the winners’ enclosure at Epsom, having a stake in a racehorse can indeed make dreams come true on a grand scale.

Naylor can’t promise to deliver a Classic winner, but has high hopes of founding a tight-knit family of owners for one lucky racehorse. He explained: “If we set up a racing club with one horse and maybe 25 or 30 people, it would be few enough for us to keep in touch, send regular updates and have people over to visit, but the initial costs could be as low as £250.
“Members could make suggestions and then decide the name by a vote.

“We can’t guarantee it’ll be a winner, but you never know.”
Looking at the month Jeremy Naylor has just enjoyed, I wouldn’t want to bet against it.