William reflects on 2011

THE 2011 flat season has been a very satisfactory one for trainer William Jarvis and his Phantom House team.

The yard sent out 25 winners from 148 runners, recording a very healthy 17% strike rate – one of the highest in the country.

Unfortunately, winners at the top-level were hard to come by but there were many good performances from horses at their level and a few exciting prospects for 2012 and beyond.

William said: “On the whole the season has gone well. We have had a good number of winners and our strike rate of 17% is very solid. The horses kept their form well throughout the season and ran with credit at their level.

“Unfortunately our prizemoney total (£117,954) reflects the state of the industry and emphasises that unless horses are running at the top-level it is hard for them to earn good money.

“Despite this many of our horses did us proud most notably Diverting who won four races on the bounce. She ran a very encouraging race on her final start of the year at Newmarket and hopefully she can pick up where she left off next spring.

“Qushchi was another filly who progressed well throughout the year with victories at Doncaster and Newmarket. She, too, remains in training and I hope she can gain some ‘black type’ next year.

“Beaufort Twelve made a very impressive winning debut at Newmarket last month and the form has already been franked with the fourth, Press Baron, winning at Wolverhampton. On appearance one would hope that he will improve physically from two to three and hopefully he can make up into a useful horse next year.

“I was also taken by Lothian Sky’s debut at Newmarket. Being by Authorized he should make a better three-year-old and he could be a nice middle-distance prospect next year.

“Oriental Scot, Loki’s Revenge and Rock A Doodle Doo all did their bit by picking up handicaps and they all remain in training.

“We are currently breaking-in next year’s bunch of two-year-olds so fingers crossed there is a star amongst them.”