Taking the Reins: Episode 3 – Frozen Sky
In an exhilarating third part of Taking the Reins, we join Joe Tizzard as he prepares for the start of a new year and the pressure is on to deliver more winners after a quiet spell.
“We’re in the height of the season, it’s full on and I expect every horse to run well – and if they don’t, then I’m disappointed,” comments Joe.
Viewers get an insight into how hard it is to attract quality staff and the financial costs involved in recruiting the right people.
With cold weather and dark mornings making life hard, one team member admits with a wry smile: “I don’t think I’ve ever done a season where in January I haven’t thought this is my last one.”
With his reputation on the line, Joe opens up about the scrutiny and judgement he faces as a trainer and the immense pressure to produce results.
The bad weather causes cancellations and rescheduling of big races, including the Clarence House Chase, but Joe has to find a way to make it work for his owners and horses.
Our favourite Episode 3 quotes
Joe: “We get judged on winners all the time, so if you have a winner, you think it’s brilliant and you’ve got to celebrate it, because the next four or five might get beat and you’re sat questioning everything.”
Brendan Powell: “As a stable jockey, you come in and school them and try to get to know them as much as you can before you ride them at the races. You have to get to know a horse’s personality…we all love the horses and it’s a challenge just trying to work them out.”
Colin: “Joe’s gone skiing for five days so I’m up here today to step in, but I’ve got things to do – I’ve got to pick up some pigs!”
Trainer’s assistant Amanda Hibbs: “I just love working with horses. You get a relationship with these guys…Joe cares a lot about his horses, he cares a great deal about his team, he’s very sympathetic.”
Brendan: “You’ve got to be competitive to be a jockey, but try not to let it over-boil. It’s good to have outside interests as well, otherwise you just get so engrossed in racing and too much of it will send you crazy.”
All six episodes of Taking the Reins have been released on the Coral Racing Club YouTube channel, making it easily accessible and free-to-view.
Coral PR Director and Executive Producer Simon Clare said: “Coral is a horse racing brand through and through and our main aim is to get our customers closer to the action to enhance their passion for the sport.
“Given the huge popularity of fly-on-the-wall sports documentaries, we decided to take the plunge, and with our partners at Equine Productions, embarked on a major project charting the progress of Joe Tizzard’s first season as a racehorse trainer.
“Over a six-month period, focusing on a wide range of compelling stories featuring his racehorses, his owners, his family and his hard-working team, around some of the biggest race meetings in the calendar.
“We hope viewers will find this an entertaining and exciting watch and would like to thank Joe and everyone who participated in the series for their willingness to open their lives and emotions to the cameras.
“The Equine Productions team have done an amazing job but we couldn’t have produced the series without the support of many individuals and bodies within the racing industry to which we are indebted.”
Other episodes
Episode 1 – Chasing Gold
Episode 2 – Second Best
Episode 4 – Another Chance
Episode 5 – Cheltenham
Episode 6 – The Grand National
