With the curtain officially down on the 2024/2025 season, we speak to Grade 1 winning trainer Ruth Jefferson who reflects back on the previous campaign, and looks forward to upcoming runners at Uttoxeter this weekend. Read her thoughts, exclusively for kwiff, in her column below.
Ruth Jefferson: Season In Review, May 2nd 2025
There have been no runners for us this week, as plenty have gone on their holidays now, and it seems strange to reflect on a season now in the record books. Time really does fly, doesn’t it! I’m still on plenty of painkillers after last month’s fall, but we’ll be fine. It is what it is – it could have been worse!
Ruth Jefferson: More Winners
We had 12 winners last season, with 7 individual winners and 15 horses collecting prize money. That being said, it was still somewhat disappointing, given the expectations going into the campaign.
Kerryhill and Sounds Russian were our two big flagbearers after G2 and Listed success respectively the prior season. Kerryhill had his season ended prematurely for 23/24 after his River Don success at Doncaster due to a niggle with his knee, and we were never able to get him right again unfortunately.
Ruth Jefferson: Our Bruce
Sounds Russian meanwhile, had an interrupted campaign and spent plenty of time on the treadmill down at Richard Fahey’s in a bid to get fully fit for a spring campaign. We just ran out of time however, and I wouldn’t take much notice of his runs at Haydock and Aintree this season.
He has a rating of 143 over hurdles now, so we may look to nick a handicap with him next season, but ultimately he remains a chaser with a great deal of ability. I’m not saying he would have won, but he was going well enough when brought down in The Gold Cup two years ago, and that still lingers in the memory.
Another disappointment was Hathag Boum who we lost after a bad fall at Kelso. She was a great little mare, winning four times and finishing in the first two in 9/16 starts under rules. You expect to take the rough with the smooth in this game, but that came just after we lost Kerry and it doesn’t get any easier.
Ruth Jefferson: New Season
Nevertheless, we go into the new season with renewed optimism starting with Cindy (Giveupyerauldsins) Uttoxeter bound for tomorrow’s 3m Handicap Chase. We were delighted by her second to stablemate Mobile Mamma up at Newcastle, and hope she can go one better from just a pound higher mark. Henry Brooke takes the ride and takes great pleasure in telling me how great his strike rate is for me!
We’ll be back here in a couple of weeks with Aquitaine Boy (long old day in the lorry waiting for him to run in the 8.30) otherwise it will be winding down for us until next season. You can follow us for more updates at @NRuthJefferson on Twitter or RuthJefferson.co.uk. If not, ta-ra and see you around October time before the new season!
Ruth x
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