New trainer Tom Symonds

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Nicky Henderson's former assistant Tom Symonds embarks upon his own training career with two runners at Exeter on Thursday.

Only in his mid-20s but with a wealth of experience, Symonds rode out for Venetia Williams in his school holidays and was also an assistant to James Fanshawe.

He saddles fair Flat performer Tweedledrum in the opening Bathwick Tyres Taunton Novices' Hurdle and is later represented by Strathcal in the Bathwick Tyres Plymouth Handicap Hurdle.

Symonds' association with the Gold Cup-winning trainer, and, indeed, riding work on Gold Cup hero Long Run, has paid dividends in terms of owners and interest.

"We had about 300 people at our owners' day, which was crazy, and even people like Long Run's owner Robert Waley-Cohen turned up," he said.

"I should be getting more bumper types later in the year and we're actually nearly full. But we've only got 30 boxes and there is a lot of room to expand.

"Scholastica is a nice horse, while another of Nicky's owners, Michael Buckley, has sent me a French horse he's quite excited about called Mirific.

"We're also lucky to have been sent Duc De Regniere from Nicky.

"He's going to be quite hard to win with because of his rating and his campaign is fairly simple to map out, conditions-wise."

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My mate Chris picked this up from a book he has on trainers.

Tweedledrum - Great attitude, recommended to the new trainer by Andrew Balding and jumps great. Will be winning a few this year.

Could he kick off his career with a winner? :ninja:
 
Looks like he has the Pipe horse Shallow Bay to beat. Nice to see him get a good start. He's in way more a privileged position than many starting out though.
 
Tweedledrum didn't eactly strike me as an enthusiastic type on the Flat, usually racing in snatches, so not sure she's the type to relish going hurdling.
 
Pulled up - disappointing start. Mmm... do you think NH might've kickstarted him with a few quid, Grey?
 
Perhaps, Kriz, but I was thinking more along the lines of NH encouraging some of his more loyal owners to send a few horses to Symonds to get him started.
 
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