Exclusive Harry Fry Interview

Firstly, your success considering your age is just incredible. Could you tell us a bit about how you started out training and what you feel has brought about such massive and immediate success?

"We were extremely lucky to start out with a horse of [Rock On
Ruby's] calibre"

From a young age I had my heart set on being a jockey but Richard Barber whom I used to ride out for as a schoolboy used to tell me that my hands and feet were too big – he was right! I rode point to points for a few seasons but suffered a number of injuries that made it very hard for me to control my weight. After a very short spell at Circencester university (4 days), Richard encouraged me to join Paul Nicholls as pupil assistant. I was very lucky to be part of a great team at Ditcheat for four years during the Denman/Kauto era. Paul and Clifford were very good to me and I learned a lot there. During the summer of 2010 I moved back down to Seaborough to assist Richard with the running of the satellite yard where in 2012 we prepared Rock On Ruby for the Champion Hurdle. After this Ciara and I had a chat and decided it was now or never, bit the bullet and went out on our own. We were extremely lucky to start out with a horse of Ruby’s calibre, not many people are as fortunate as us and we will forever be indebted to Richard Barber for giving us the chance to train from his yard.  Our very loyal owners stuck with us during this transition and  therefore we were not technically starting from scratch as we knew our horses and had a routine in place.

What does the Cheltenham festival mean to you and what does it take to win there? From a more technical perspective, what’s different about the track and what does a horse need to do to win there?

The festival is the Olympics as far as I'm concerned, it’s the cup final and where every owner wants  to go. I think in every sport there has to be a final, and in racing it’s Cheltenham. Winning at the festival is better than winning 50 mid-week races - for that week in March each year, the eyes of the racing public are firmly fixed on Cheltenham and there is no better way to market your yard. It takes a very good horse to win there, they need speed & balance for the blistering gallop around a sharp undulating track and stamina to get up the hill.

Jollys Cracked It, Thomas Brown and Bitofapuzzle are all entered in multiple races at this stage. Could you give us any idea as to which races you might be leaning towards for them?

"Thomas Brown in the Albert Bartlett unless the ground turns
soft in which case he will run in the Neptune"

At the moment the plan would be to run Jolly's Cracked It in the Martin Pipe, Thomas Brown in the Albert Bartlett unless the ground turns up soft in which case he will run in the Neptune and Bitofapuzzle runs this weekend at Doncaster in the 3m listed mares novice hurdle.

Rock On Ruby was very impressive at Aintree at the end of last season, what would the plan be for him if he doesn’t get the World Hurdle trip? Could this be his last festival?

There is one thing for sure and that is that Ruby will try his heart out, he stayed in the Neptune and the Relkeel on soft ground so if the ground on the day is good I think he will stay; he is a class horse. He still thinks he is a 4 year old so we will let him tell us when he has had enough.

Jollyallan seems to have a serious engine, is he still a bit green? How would you rate his chances in the Supreme, hopefully on better ground? Could you comment on his opposition?

Jollyallan: "it's a long way from his brain to his legs"

JollyAllan is a very good horse but unfortunately it’s a long way from his brain to his legs and he hasn't been the sharpest hurdler thus far, we have done a phenomenal amount of schooling and grid work but we are hoping that on better ground and with a faster pace he should be seen to better effect. It is a very competitive race but certainly Douvan has looked very impressive and sets the standard.

That was a very nice run from the front from Thomas Brown on New Year’s Day – how much of an advantage will the course form be to him, would he be ridden with similar tactics in a race of a higher class at the festival?

We were very pleased with his run that day, he had to battle all the way to the line, it is always a bonus to have course form as it’s another box ticked before the big day. Whatever he does over hurdles will be a bonus before he goes chasing next year. We don't have to make it as I'm sure there will be plenty of pace, but we will leave that up to Noel.

Finally, what did you make of Fletchers Flyer’s performance last time out and what do you think of his chances at the festival?

Fletchers Flyer "may by-pass [Cheltenham] and go to either
Aintree or Punchestown

He is not a certainty to go to the festival just yet, if the ground turns up good, we may by-pass and go to either Aintree or Punchestown. I was happy with his run at Haydock, he did miss 2 or 3 hurdles but I think it was he was just a bit lonely having had to do all the donkey work in front. He has come out of that race very well and if he goes to the festival he will run a solid race.

Any plans or thoughts yet as to which of your horses will be going chasing next season and which will stay over hurdles?

Fletchers Flyer, JollyAllan and Thomas Brown will, touch wood, all go chasing.

Could you give one tip for the festival and one horse to watch for next season?

Faugheen! As for a horse to follow, we have a couple of nice youngsters that may have one run in bumpers this season and will then be put away until next year, but so far there are 2 or 3 nice ones that will hopefully live up to our expectations.

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