“I haven’t won a category one race for 30 years, if I have to wait another 30, I’ll be 110.”
Pos | Trainer | W | R | % | TPM | Pts |
1 | M A Wallis | 175 | 721 | 24% | £157,625 | 957 |
2 | K R Hutton | 114 | 386 | 30% | £250,195 | 602 |
3 | E Mcnair | 72 | 195 | 37% | £66,405 | 521 |
4 | P Janssens | 106 | 400 | 27% | £71,260 | 517 |
5 | A Harrison | 56 | 140 | 40% | £68,665 | 472 |
6 | P J Simmonds | 111 | 586 | 19% | £89,340 | 464 |
7 | J G Mullins | 64 | 441 | 15% | £47,475 | 415 |
8 | M J Dartnall | 67 | 211 | 32% | £63,585 | 400 |
9 | H Keightley | 51 | 116 | 44% | £45,920 | 375 |
10 | S A Cahill | 100 | 377 | 27% | £57,035 | 342 |
Trainer Phil Simmonds afforded himself a chuckle recalling 80 year old owner Bryan Turner’s words before Prime Time landed the 2018 Coral Essex Vase.
It was a long overdue success for Spalding based breeder who was once of the sport’s most successful owners back in the 1980s with the likes of Squire Cass, Long Spell and Olivers Wish.
The former Turkey farmer produced Prime Time and brother Apache Kid, out of Story Time – mother and son achieving the unusual feat of both finishing runner-up in a Produce Stake.
Simmonds said: “I’ve known Bryan for many years and admired Prime Time as an open racer for a long time. A few weeks ago he phoned and asked me to take her because he fancied having a gamble in 575m maiden.
“I have her a trial and then. . .kind of . . . disobeyed him by putting her straight into the Essex Vase. Thankfully for me, it came off on this occasion.”
A second consecutive Cat One success at Romford following Grays Cup Winner in the Puppy Cup sees the local handler move to sixth on the Trainers Championship table.