Sean Murray winner of the 2019 Toby Balding Award for training tells us more about his journey since winning.

We managed to grab a few mins with Assistant Trainer to Roger Fell and Toby Balding Award winner, Sean Murray to hear how he’s getting on since we saw him win the award in February.

‘Small steps achieve big goals.

The season seems to fly when your busy with runners and it’s hard to stop and think about what has happened up to now, however the past week watching Royal Ascot has given me the chance to think about my goals for the future and achievements already made.

My goal for the future is to become a successful trainer for this to become a reality, small steps need to be made. This is also true for the horses we train each horse may have a long term goal and to achieve these short term plans for each individual must be made. Daily theses plans may change and alter depending on circumstances, whether that may be due to how the horse is training, or what ground conditions are and what they run best on, to if the horse becomes injured or unwell. Helping Roger to train the horses so they can achieve the best results possible is my main aim day to day. We are constantly discussing how each horse is progressing through the season, talking to owners and reviewing options.

With the flat season well and truly under way it is safe to say so far so good for the team here at Arthington Barn, the horses are running well at a 13 % strike rate for Roger and winning the Carlisle Bell was another great success.

I look forward to attending the Weatherbys one day seminar in Wellingborough in July, this will give me a chance to expand my knowledge of the industry, also the work that Weatherbys undertake.

Royal Ascot is one of the most prestigious weeks of the racing calendar and there are many great success stories that come from the week, however these dreams are not realized overnight. Much like the dreams made true during Royal Ascot I know it will take time, hard work and a good bit of luck to achieve my goals‘.

The Toby Balding Award was set up for Racing Grooms in memory of the late racehorse trainer Toby Balding,
who was dedicated to the support and development of young people in the horse racing industry.

Each year, the Award is presented to a member of stable staff who demonstrates a desire to further their career and to train for a higher level qualification or undertake personal development training.

Applications for the 2020 Toby Balding Award are now open! Log in to your Racing Groom account or sign up, head to Training and Funding for more details.