Clive Cox has enjoyed the journey during his many years as a horse racing trainer - and hopes there’s more success to come.
Cox trains out of Beechdown Stables, which is located on the edge of Lambourn Downs and currently owned by John Francome.
The trainer has been housed at the stables since 2000 and during his 19-year stint, he has enjoyed plenty of winners.
He said: “It’s been a progressive journey. It’s a wonderful place to be and I am very fortunate that over the past 20 years, we have had some very good horses.
“The first one we had was New Seeker and he was a Royal Ascot winner twice, including a win in the Britannia Stakes.
“As time has gone on, we have been lucky that we have had champion two-year-olds like Reckless Abandon, course record holders in the July Cup [Newmarket] with Lethal Force and it’s been progressive all the way.
“Harry Angel was crowned the champion six-furlong horse in the world in 2017, so it’s all about staying at the top level with these horses.”
Cox has had another strong season and he played it down to having a good relationship with everyone at Beechdown Stables.
He said: “It’s great to have some good two-year-olds to look forward to this year.
“We had a couple of Group 3 winners recently, including Streamline in the Sirenia Stakes at Kempton.
“Our prize money has just passed the £1m mark, which is wonderful, and I am really grateful because we have a great team of staff, wonderful facilities and some really supportive owners.”
Cox enjoyed his first Group 1 winner in the Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury in 2007 with Beacon Lodge.
And although he has had success in the top races since then, the first one will always be well remembered.
He said: “It’s a landmark victory that sits in the mind and any horses with qualities for top races are great to train.
“They are the Premier League performers really and to have horses at that level is what it’s all about – you don’t need an alarm clock to get you up in the mornings if you’re dealing with horses like that.”
Among the many winners that Cox has had during his time as a trainer, two performances have stood out from the rest.
“I think winning the July Cup at Newmarket with Lethal Force [2013] and Harry Angel [2017] was amazing,” he said.
“I think the latter broke the course record in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.
“It’s moments like that when the hair on the back of your neck stands up.”
Cox’s Beechdown Stables are located a little further away from the heart of Lambourn village, and he believes it has its benefits.
He said: “It’s nice to be independent. We have nice facilities here and I think that lends itself well, especially to the sprinting type.
“It is quieter, you can take the horses off individually and even though we have had 100 horses in training, I’d like to think we treat them all as individuals, which is important.”
In 2018, Cox and his team enjoyed their most successful year with a total of 62 winners, a target they are very much aiming to beat this year.
“Our most winners in a year was 62 last year, so we’re on target to hopefully better that – it’s onwards and upwards.”
As well as having horses run in England, the team travels all around the world aiming to crack a variety of races.
And although the travelling can be difficult, Cox believes it has become easier to get to the different racetracks across the world.
He said: “I think the travelling is more of a test because you’re going further, but the world has become a very small place.
“We have had runners in Dubai, Canada and a couple that have raced in America after training from here, so I think the knowledge of travelling with horses has improved.
“We can plan to take a horse with a chance almost anywhere in the world now, but France and Ireland are regular trips for us.
“I have a great team who are all well prepared and very professional at sorting it all out.”
In any job, having a strong team reaps the rewards, and in horse racing, Cox believes it’s no different at all.
“It’s crucial having a good team,” admitted Cox. “It’s hard work, but it’s about passion and a way of life and in the same breath it’s exciting and there’s nothing quite like the feeling of success.
“When you win a big race, it’s what people are chasing and one of the reasons why people get involved in the first place.”
Cox didn’t think about becoming a trainer during his time as a jockey.
He spent a lot of years as an assistant to the late Mikey Heaton Ellis and when he passed away in 1999, he decided to become trainer.
“I didn’t set out to train,” he said. “I was very happy being an assistant-trainer to a very nice man and trainer in Mikey Heaton Ellis over at Barbury Castle.
“Sadly when Mikey passed away, nine years after I joined him back in 2000, it was the reason we came to Beechdown.
“When I finished as a jockey, the path just opened to become a trainer, but like I have said before if Mikey was still alive I would still be happy working for him,” he added.
With new horses in training, including a vast amount of two-year-olds, Cox believes the next few years can be as successful as ever.
He said: “We have had nine individual Group 1 winners, so it’d be great to get to 10 or above and I am pretty hopeful that it may be possible.
“The yearling sales have just started and it’s exciting when we bring a new horse into the yard.
“With the two-year-olds, it’s like being a school teacher in the sense that you’re trying to spot the talent and prepare them for the races where they have a chance to fulfil their individual potential.”
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Photos by Steve Ambrose