The Pipe Academy

There are many now successful trainers that have worked here at Pond House. We like to say that they have been through the 'Pipe Academy!'. Below is a list of such names, all of which have worked for the Pipe's at some point in their career:

Ralph Beckett (24/06/71) - Worked For Martin Pipe 1994/1995. Now a successful flat trainer based in Whitsbury who enjoyed his best season to date in 2008 when Look Here won The Epsom Oaks and Muhannak was victorious in the Breeders Cup Marathon at Santa Anita.  He has gone on to land the Oaks again with Talent in 2013 and recorded a third Classic success when Simple Verse won the 2015 St Leger. www.rbeckett.com 

Gordon Elliott (02/03/78) - Worked for Martin Pipe 1997/1998. Gordon was a highly successful amateur jockey over fences and had numerous rides for the Pipe team, including a winner at Cheltenham aboard Iris Bleu. Following an injury Gordon turned his attention to training and took out his licence in March 2006. Since then he has trained plenty of winners - the most famous of which are undoubtedly his 2016 Cheltenham Gold Cup success with Don Cossack and Silver Birch in the 2007 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree. www.gordonelliottracing.com 

Jeff Pearce (06/10/47) - Worked for MCP's Uncle Tony in the early days and rode numerous winners including Old Paint during his riding career that spanned from 1966 until 1982. Indeed, MCP would occasionally ride out with Jeff back in the time when he was working in his father's betting offices. Jeff took out his training licence in 1986 and has enjoyed a successful career alongside his wife Lydia. They have two children, Emma and Simon (who has already ridden winners on the flat as an amateur). 

Venetia Williams (10/05/60) - Venetia Williams worked for Martin Pipe during the 1993/94 season as an assistant in the yard. Now a successful National Hunt trainer in her own right, Venetia has enjoyed countless successes most notable among them with dashing grey, Teeton Mill in Newbury's Hennessy Gold Cup and the King George VI Chase at Kempton. She also enjoyed a very successful 2009 Cheltenham Festival with two winners and landed her biggest success to date when winning the 2009 Grand National with 100/1 shot Mon Mome, ridden by Liam Treadwell, who was having his first ride in the race. Venetia provided the Pipe Academy with their third consecutive winner in the Grand National:

Tom Dascombe (30/04/73) - Tom was employed at Pond House between 1989 and 1995 and soon became one of the conditional jockeys' attached to the yard. During his career he rode 96 winners and has now firmly established himself as a successful flat trainer. Indeed, in only his third season with a training licence he enjoyed 42 winners, the highlight being Group 2 winners on consecutive days at Newmarket's July meeting in 2008. www.onewayracing.co.uk 

Tom George (04/06/67) - Worked for Martin Pipe 1992/1993. Now a successful National Hunt trainer with over 350 career winners, including at the Cheltenham Festival with the Polish-bred Galileo in the Sun Alliance Hurdle. Tom's other notable wins also include the 2009 Racing Post Chase at Kempton that he won with Nacarat.

Ian Williams (27/06/68) - Ian worked for Martin Pipe as pupil assistant trainer during the 1991/1992 season. Since taking out his training licence in 1997 Ian has sent out over 500 winners including Grade 1 events in Britain and France.

James Lambe (01/10/67) - Worked for Martin Pipe during the 1996/1997 season as an assistant in the yard. James returned to his native Ireland to take out his trainer's licence and has since sent out numerous winners under all codes in Ireland and Britain.

Len Lungo - Len was present right at the start, riding Martin Pipe's first winner under rules, Hit Parade at Taunton in 1975. Len subsequently moved back to Scotland where he has become a very successful trainer, and holds the record for most winners trained in a season in that country (63 in 2002). Len was responsible for Scotland's last winner at the Cheltenham Festival - Freetown in the Pertemps Hurdle Final in 2002.

Rod Millman - Rod was also around in the early days, having ridden Carrie Anne to land an early Haydock gamble in 1980. Since retiring from race-riding, Rod has established himself as a very successful trainer, and is best known for his exploits with Sergeant Cecil who he trained to win the Northumberland Plate, Ebor and Cesarewitch handicaps all in the same season. He later prepared the horse to land the Group One Prix du Cadran at Longchamp in 2006.

Alastair Lidderdale (31/03/64) - Alastair was employed at Pond House between 1987 and 1995 as a pupil assistant trainer and oversaw operations at our satellite yard for a while. Alastair took out his own training licence in 2002 and now trains from Eastbury Cottage, just on the outskirts of Lambourn. He has trained many winners on the flat and over jumps. 

Andy Hobbs (1/11/62) - Worked for Martin Pipe during the 1993/1994 season as an assistant in the yard, having worked for David Barons previously. Andy now divides his time between training jumpers under rules and in point-to-points from his yard in the Malverns. 

Jean-Rene Auvray - Worked for Martin Pipe between 1994 and 1996 as an assistant in the yard, where he met his wife Alison, who worked in the office. "JR" as he was affectionately known, had previously worked for Luca Cumani in Newmarket, Criquette Head in France and L Camici in Italy. He took out his training licence in 2002 and trained in Warminster as the only French trainer in Britain until calling it a day 2010.  JR enjoyed numerous successes on the flat and over jumps, and now works for a company that manufactures all weather racing and training surfaces.

Dr Jeremy Naylor - Jeremy worked at Pond House for two seasons from 1993 and was present when Miinnehoma won the Grand National at Aintree. He took out his trainers licence in 1999 and is the only yard in the UK to be run by a veterinary qualified exercise physiologist. The yard is located in the shadows of Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain and to date Jeremy has trained in excess of fifty winners. 

Lars Kelp - Was employed at Pond House and rode for MCP as a conditional jockey. Eventually returned to his native Denmark to train racehorses at Klampenborg where he enjoyed a successful international career (had runners as far afield as the United Arab Emirates) before retiring towards the end of 2008. 

Florent Monnier - Worked for Martin Pipe between 1989 and 1992 and rode 20 winners on the flat in France as well as winners in this country as an amateur jockey, including a double at Wincanton in 1990. Went back to France to train and enjoyed his most successful season to date in 2008 with 28 winners. 

Mary Sanderson - Employed at Pond House between 1987 and 1994, Mary now trains point-to-pointers from her yard near Tiverton, Devon and has enjoyed considerable success in that sphere. Best known of her horses to date is probably Jabiru, a multiple winning pointer and Hunter Chaser. 

Rory MacNeice - Rory worked for Martin Pipe from 1986-1990 and rode several winners as a conditional jockey. He subsequently trained as a solicitor and has been extremely successful - he is now a partner in the sports unit at Ashfords solicitors and has been key in many high profile sports related cases.

William Jordan - William worked for us at Pond House between 1997 and 1999 as an assistant in the yard.  These days he spends his time travelling between racecourses as an official starter.

Owen Burrows (8/7/74) - Owen Burrows joined the team at Pond House in July 1990 and stayed for six seasons until June 1996 and during that time he obtained his conditional jockeys' licence and finished up riding 35 winners 'over the sticks'.  He went on to be assistant to Sir Michael Stoute in Newmarket and then Barry Hills, taking over as trainer upon his retirement in 2016.  He has a very nice string of horses 

Chris Durham (8/6/79) - Worked at Pond House between October 1995 and January 2000 as a groom and work rider before earning his conditional jockey's licence. He had a few rides for Martin including aboard Martin Pipe Racing Club horse Allegation in the Coral Cup at the 1998 Cheltenham Festival, although he never made the winners' enclosure.  During his time at the stable Chris looked after such great names as Make A Stand and Blowing Wind (pictured right).  Chris went on to work for the late David Nicholson, Alan King and then moved to Dubai for a few years before joining John Ferguson.  He is currently travelling head lad to Classic winning trainer Hugo Palmer.

Pictures courtesy of Racing Advertiser Ltd.  www.thejockey.co.uk 

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