Racing Personalities Evening – 13 February 2008
by Stewart Nash
Jeremy Martin, Chris Gordon, Club Chairman Stewart Nash and Charlie Longsdon
With no particular theme in mind we assembled a panel of racing personalities new to the Club and together they provided an interesting insight into various aspects of the world of racing.
Jeremy Martin, Clerk of the Course at Salisbury told us about the background to his career and some of the issues involved in staging a days racing as well as the programme of racing planned at Salisbury during the coming flat racing season and the possible redevelopment of the grandstand.
By contrast our other two guests are both trainers and predominantly involved in jump racing.
Charlie Longsdon was assistant to Kim Bailey and Nicky Henderson before setting up as a trainer in his own right at Mary Hambro’s Cotswold Stud at Moreton in Marsh. Charlie talked about some of his horses as well as about Tom Siddall and Sean Quinlan who both regularly ride for the stable.
Chris Gordon has recently taken over as trainer at the yard formerly occupied by Brendan Powell at Morestead near Winchester. This has been Chris’s first season as a full licence holder but he was formerly very successful both as a point to point rider and trainer from Simon Tindall’s stables at Mayfield in East Sussex. Chris’s wife Jenny continues to train some pointers from their new base.