Trainer Talk: Tom Ellis & Gina Andrews

The first time I interviewed husband and wife training partnership Tom Ellis and Gina Andrews, they were recovering from what was – by their own admission – a disappointing 2014/2015 with just one winner.

I obviously brought them luck (!) as they had ten that next campaign and an annus mirabilis last season, which saw Tom crowned champion point-to-point trainer for the first time while Gina won her sixth lady jockey’s title, her 58 successes smashing the previous record by a female rider. Their operation is about quality as well as quantity – they also picked up two Cheltenham Hunter Chases and saw success between the flags with the useful Haymount. I made my way to their stables at Marton, near Rugby, to take a look at their impressive facilities and find out if they can repeat the dose in 2020.

Some new recruits are jumping poles and barrels in Tom and Gina’s outdoor school as I arrive. “We’ve jumped 14 and galloped twelve this morning,” Tom tells me. “In total, 38 are being ridden at the moment and we’ve got six more to come in! It’s a good mixture of older and younger types and we’ve bought a lot of new horses. Some are for syndicates – and we’ve got about ten owners new to the yard – with which we’ve had a great success. Personally, I think that’s the way pointing’s got to go. It’s affordable and you can celebrate the good days and commiserate the bad ones.”

“We can’t offer our owners great prize money, so we try to make it as fun as possible. And I think we’ve done a reasonable job!” Tom is guilty of understatement here as the Ellis’ post-racing back of the car parties, led by mother Pippa and father Tony and supported by cheerleaders Clive ‘Oi Oi’ Page and Lenny Owen – “They add a unique twist”, grins Tom – are well-known. “Pointing needs to look after the owners better,” he goes on. “They supply the horses and, without them, there’s no sport.”

After just seven winners in 2017/2018, the Ellis score improved to an excellent 43 last season. “It was beyond our wildest dreams,” Tom admits, before giving a number of reasons for the leap. “Having first call on Gina is a big help. And we had a lot of youngsters the year before. Take Latenightpass – he wasn’t strong or forward enough then, but went from being a Maiden to a Cheltenham winner. We changed a lot last year,” continues Tom. “We resurfaced the gallop, worked the horses differently, fed them better and were lucky to have fewer day-to-day niggles.”

It may surprise some readers that Tom cites Enfant Du Mou’s win at Clifton-on-Dunsmore as his ‘biggest buzz’ last year. “We had high hopes for him and thought he was the real deal, but messed up by running him in 2018, so were really pleased he won first time last season. He’s gone to Willie Mullins now.” A more obvious highlight was his Cheltenham double. “Latenightpass (owner-bred by Pippa) was the first horse we’d ever bred. Mum and Dad thought Cheltenham would be a waste of time and wanted to run in the Warwickshire Members later that weekend (!) but I thought he had an each-way squeak.” Kalabaloo, however, was, “The biggest certainty of the season. She’s a strong stayer, was the best horse in the race and wasn’t right at Mollington, where she’d been third behind two good horses.”

With Gina race-riding and Tom “a farmer who trains” – having retired from the saddle in 2015 following a broken leg, after 120 career victories – the couple have to juggle training their string with other commitments. So how are the responsibilities split? “We used to fight like hell,” Tom jokes, “And it took us three years to find the pecking order! Gina’s here day in, day out, she’s brilliant with the horses and feeds them well. I do the boring office work (because she won’t!) but we run all our ideas past the other. Tom chuckles again when asked how regularly he rides out. “Not that often – I’m busy on the farm and can’t do everything. It would be wrong to say I don’t miss riding but I enjoy the training side far more than I thought I would.”

Gina admits to having ticked off two ambitions in the saddle last season – breaking the ladies’ record and “beating the boys”, finishing 15 ahead of mens’ champion Will Biddick. Two still remain – breaking the all-time score by a female rider and winning the Aintree Foxhunters – however, she plays down her chances of achieving either in 2020. “I want to pass Polly Gundry’s 303 (she needs 48 to do so) and, while I wouldn’t like to say I can do it this season, I might do before I give up. And we haven’t got an Aintree contender this time – our young horses need another year. I’d also like to beat Will’s record of 68 in a season, but don’t think that’s possible.”

As well as Gina, Tom is hoping to offer rides to novices Lucy Burton and Natalya Irvine, as well as Gina’s brother Jack Andrews. “If Gina can’t ride, we’ve got the second best in Jack,” says Tom. “He’s one of our biggest helps – he runs the shop when we’re not here, his form knowledge is awesome, and he’s bloody good on youngsters – he’s quiet, but has the strength if they need handling.” No talk of help in the yard would be complete without mentioning unsung heroine Charlie Tiso, as Tom acknowledges. “She’s been with us seven seasons and is like a sister to me,” he admits. “She’s ultra-reliable, helps me in the office and on the farm too, and never seems to have a day off! She loves horses and thinks of everything as if it’s her own. If she goes racing, you know the horses will be done properly and our owners like her.” Praise indeed.

An obvious question is whether Tom can emulate this success in the coming campaign. “I don’t set targets and I’m not going to start now.” he smiles. “But I thought we had a nice bunch last year and now I think we have a really nice bunch! Some of our horses who went through the grades will find it tougher but I hope we’ve bought well – 18 are new to the yard. What we look for depends on what we’re buying,” Tom answers in response to my next enquiry, before confessing that he and Gina “Would probably come back from the sales with different horses. I like a big horse that fills the eye who will make a nice chaser in time, while Gina prefers a nipper, handier type who will come to hand quicker.” Which is why the Ellises use Hampshire trainer David Phelan to help buy for them. “David’s been involved in the game for a long time and we’ve learnt a lot from him. He’s got a great eye for a horse and is good to take advice from – without him, I’d be like a lamb to the slaughter!”

The coming season analysed and dissected, we move on to Tom, Gina and Jack’s views on the sport, starting with hunting. Tom opens with, “The link between pointing and hunting’s important and we need to be careful we don’t distance ourselves,” before adding, “But, although we take the odd one out – like Haymount, to sweeten him up – we don’t hunt many of our horses.” Gina is typically forthright. “I didn’t agree with the rule (that pointers should hunt) in the first place. How does a big yard have time to go hunting? And the hunts shouldn’t get shirty about it – they still get the money for the certificate. But I do think horses should have to hunt to be able to run in Members races.”

Asked what he’d do if he was in charge of the sport, Tom exclaims, “That’s an impossible question! I wouldn’t want the job – you’re just there for everyone to moan at! But I do think Peter Wright’s doing a reasonable job – he seems willing to listen.” As we talk about the three new series of races for the coming year, it is inevitable – with the Ellis yard’s strong hand of young horses – that we focus on the 4-5 year old Maidens. “While it seems like a good idea,” Gina says cautiously, “I don’t think there will be many runners.” And the often contentious issue of four-year-old weight allowances provokes a response from Tom. “A stone and a half is too much but if you’ve got a good horse and it wins well, it will sell, regardless of the weight it carries.”

Opinions are split on the growing phenomenon of point-to-point flat races. Tom: “They give you more options.” Gina: “I don’t like them. Riding in them is lethal, the tracks are too tight and jockeys don’t have experience of riding in bumpers, and the horses are too green.” Jack: “I do like them! If you run a horse in a bumper, you find out if it’s good enough to go over fences.” And Gina appears partially swayed by her brother’s argument, admitting, “Forgiving was beaten miles in one, but it made her streetwise so she had a bit more idea what was going on when she ran in a point.”

Gina and Jack are again at odds about the length of the season, Gina preferring to start early and finish as soon as the May Bank Holiday, while Jack offers, “I’d start in July and finish in June with a two week break! You’d make money summer pointing – you’d get a crowd.” However, all again concur on what they love about the sport. “Winning!” chimes Tom. “We’re the worst losers,” agrees Gina, while Jack puts it into perspective with the final words that sum up the Ellis-Andrews ethos. “Good day or bad day, we end up at the back of the car!”

TOM’S TOP TIPS

Tom prefers not to give a list of horses to follow, in case it brings bad luck. Instead, he gives me the lowdown on half a dozen of his string, newcomers as well as familiar faces.

Benefaktor

Placed twice from three runs in Irish points. Owned by Gina’s father Simon Andrews, Garthorpe Clerk of the Course Brian Crawford and stand-up comedian Keith Loads. We should have fun with him.

Bertimont

We got him from Dan Skelton. He was seventh in Faugheen’s Champion Hurdle and is still only nine. He’s small and may not get the trip, so he’ll be a Ladies horse.

Celtic Silver

A proper yard favourite. Will probably go to Cottenham and Mollington (where he has won multiple times) again, and maybe Dingley, where he was impressive last year. He’s improved more than any horse in the yard and, though ten, doesn’t have many miles on the clock.

General Arrow

An improver, who could be a good Ladies horse. Disappointing at Stratford, which was one race too many. I don’t have favourites, but have a lot of time for him.

Haymount

He’ll have to impress in his first couple of runs to go to Cheltenham. He came in late last year, so was a bit of a rush job and – while this sounds daft to say about an 11-year-old – I hope he’s improved. He’ll start in points again and may go back to Sheriff Hutton, where he won last year.

Samarnni

Our winningmost horse, with eight (in a row in points). It’s just a shame about the owner – Trevor Bourne – you can print that! He’s has two wind operations and two leg injuries and, if every horse tried as hard as him, the job would be easy.