GET to know Jack Channon
by Frances de Haan
1.You grew up around racing with your father, Mick Channon. What are your earliest memories of life in a racing yard?
My earliest memory has to be the excitement surrounding Queen’s Logic during her training in 2000/2001. She was a champion two-year-old filly and arguably the best my dad has ever trained. I vividly remember the thrill of her winning the Cheveley Park Stakes by around six lengths, as well as the disappointment when she was unable to run in the Guineas despite being the odds-on favourite.
2. What was the moment you realised you wanted to become a trainer yourself rather than pursue another path?
The earliest moment I realised I wanted to be a trainer came at a very young age. From around seven or eight, when I first understood what racing was, it’s all I ever wanted to do. I’ve never really wavered - it has always been my ambition, and I’ve never seriously considered doing anything else.
Jack (right) with his father Mick (left)
3. To what extent does the expectation of training racehorses align with the reality?
I’d say the expectations of training are, on the whole, fairly similar to the reality. The biggest challenge any new trainer faces is how daunting the actual running of a business can be. Working with the horses is something you’ve effectively learned through your apprenticeship, but the real difference lies in managing the business, its scale, scope, and the constant need to stay on top of everything.
4. Taking over the licence from your father was a significant moment. What were the biggest lessons you learned from him that you still apply today?
The greatest lessons have come hand in hand with training the horses. The routine my dad established and maintained so successfully for 30 years remains a fundamental part of what we do here today.
I suppose the most important lesson he has passed on to me is to “treat people on the way up as you’d want to be treated on the way down.” It’s about doing right by everyone, so you can put your head on the pillow at night and sleep soundly. That is the most valuable lesson he’s taught me.
5. Your father trained horses for Highclere. Training the likes of Treat who came fourth in the Guineas. What do you remember about that connection?
I was still quite young when Highclere were first based at West Ilsley, but I have very fond memories of some excellent Highclere horses trained here. Treat was a particularly talented filly, I remember she was beaten on her debut, which surprised everyone, but she then went on to win impressively at Nottingham on her second start and later ran a superb race to finish second in the Fillies’ Mile.
Those were great days, with the whole Highclere team here, and it’s wonderful to see their colours back at West Ilsley once again.
6. What is it like to train horses for Highclere Thoroughbred Racing yourself now, given their reputation and the history behind the operation?
It is a great privilege to train for such an established racing syndicate as Highclere Thoroughbreds. The quality of horses they have had over the years speaks for itself, and to have their colours in the yard is a real vote of confidence in the whole team here, as they entrust us with some of their horses.
7. Talk us through the two Highclere horses you have in training. How is Concert? What are your hopes for her this season?
I am really delighted with how Concert has taken to her time here at West Ilsley. I believe she has improved significantly both physically and mentally since the change in regime, and she is training very well. Her work has been very good, and we are hopeful she can win off her current handicap mark before hopefully progressing up through the grades. How far she can go, only time will tell, but I couldn’t be happier with the way she has been training, the way she is moving, and the way she looks at the moment.
8. How is Topaz progressing? How is she to train?
Topaz is progressing very well and is a very nice filly. I’ve been delighted with everything she has done so far at West Ilsley. She has been very straightforward, both in her mindset and physically. She is doing plenty of nice work alongside some of our sharper two-year-olds, and I believe she will be out racing before Royal Ascot. If she were to win her novice on debut, then we could certainly consider our options, but she is a very nice filly and I am really looking forward to getting her on the track, as she looks to show me plenty of ability.
9. If it isn’t too early to say - When do you see her making her debut and over what trip?
As I mentioned previously, I think she will be racing before Royal Ascot at some point, although the exact timing is a little more uncertain. I believe she has enough speed for five furlongs, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we ended up starting her over six furlongs. She has plenty of scope, and I’m confident she will definitely get six furlongs, particularly as the summer progresses.
West Ilsey stables
10. How would you describe your training philosophy?
I would say my training philosophy is to try to maximise the potential of each individual horse in our care. I wouldn’t say we are better at training any one particular type of horse; I want to show that we can train stayers, sprinters, colts - everything. My main philosophy is to be patient, but also to be mindful not to miss opportunities when they arise.
11. Which horses currently in your yard are you most excited about and why?
One horse that is really exciting me this spring is Getreadytorumble. He didn’t run at two due to physical issues, but he put together a very solid three-year-old campaign last year, ultimately finishing placed in a stakes race. He gives me the impression he could be the type of horse capable of reaching the very top of the sprinting division. He will start off in the Palace House at Newmarket, with major targets this year including races such as the King’s Stand and the Nunthorpe.
12. What is your favourite horse you have trained? You can have a most successful and a favourite that wasn’t necessarily the best.
My favourite horse that I have trained is a horse called Certain Lad. He is now going into his eighth year of training with us here at West Ilsley, and he is now 10 years old. He was my first Group winner a couple of years ago and has achieved multiple pieces of black type, taking us all around the world.He’s the horse I’ve broken my number one rule for - don’t fall in love with them. He has been a very special horse for my dad and, more recently, for my own career as well.
13. What is your favourite racing memory to date?
My favourite racing memory is Johan winning the Gold Mile. He was such a tricky horse to train, so to get him spot on after a year off for that big day was incredibly special for me. My favourite memory from my father’s training career would have to be Samitar winning the Irish Guineas - finally landing a Classic win. It felt long overdue given all the outstanding fillies and the bad luck dad had experienced over the years, so it was a fantastic day that I will never forget. My overall racing memory would be Sea The Stars winning the Arc. He beat us that day, as we unfortunately finished second with Youmzain, but in my opinion he confirmed himself as the greatest racehorse of all time.
14. Do you have any interests outside of racing that you like to pursue in your ‘down time’ – if there is any in racing!
Outside of racing I am a massive fan of sport, in particular cricket and golf and playing those as and when I can in between running the yard and racing.
15. Which aspect of training horses do you find most rewarding, and what do you most look forward to?
The aspects of training I find most rewarding are winning on a big day and delivering for owners. Seeing the joy on owners’ and staff’s faces when everything comes together is what you do it for. It’s that buzz that keeps you going, and being able to give people the immense pleasure of being involved in any kind of winner is the most rewarding part of all.
16. If you could train a winner in any race in the world, which race would it be and why?
Obviously, there are bigger races to win, but the one I want to win more than any other in the world is the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket. That is driven largely by a sense of unfinished business. My father had four or five fillies when I was growing up as a teenager who were capable of winning the 1,000 Guineas, but for a variety of reasons none of them were able to get it done. That has left it feeling like something of a lingering frustration for the family. I know he won the Irish 1,000 Guineas, which went some way to easing that disappointment, but the English version remains the race I want to win more than anything else.
17. Outside of your Highclere horses – which of the other Highclere horses would you like to be training and why?
I think despite his set back at the end of last season the obvious answer is Merchant. He looked a very good horse for William Haggas, and we managed to catch him on probably the one day we could beat him at Newmarket on Guineas Day, with a horse called Lightening Mann, when he was still very green. Since then, Merchant has taken one big step forward after another, and you never know - he might be the type of horse who could go on to emulate a top class horse like Harbinger. He looks to be very high class, and fingers crossed he comes back after his set back to bring his owners plenty more fun in the future.
