Richard Fahey on his 2025 and hopes for 2026

Richard Fahey reflects on the 2025 Flat season for his team

By Richard Fahey

Horse Racing

Tue December 23, 2025 · 3h ago

For large chunks of the spring and summer, the 2025 season was a very frustrating one for the team at Musley Bank.

We just couldn’t get the horses right and ran all sorts of tests to try and find out what the issue was. In the end the pollen count around us was very high and we had a few problems with sinuses etc off the back of it.

With so much warm sunshine we were turning horses out in the paddocks more than before and I don’t think we’ll do that next year.

We didn’t have usual flow of early two-year-old winners either. That was partly down to a change in policy I’d had at the sales over the last couple of years where I was trying to buy more staying types but I’ve given up on that project.

You can’t get your hands on the right ones. They’re either too expensive for our budget or the very best ones don’t even come through the sale ring full stop. We’re very lucky that we get some very well bred colts and fillies from Sheikh Rashid and Sheikh Hamed Dalmook Al Maktoum and horses like Arabian Desert and Mr Colonel are two good examples of that.

It was tougher than ever at the sales this autumn, but I went back to trying and buy speed. That’s easier. You can pick up quick horses by a fast sire with very little pedigree cheaply still and they are able to do the job for you. It isn’t that way with the horses who are bred to want a trip.

And through the slow spring and summer months it was frustrating to have Powerful Glory there in his box rather than out on the racecourse.

We always knew he was very good and there were reasons for his disappointing return in the Sandy Lane at Haydock.

From there we were just waiting. Ascot became the target; he went to Beverley to tee-him up for that and his win in the QIPCO British Champions Sprint meant the world to me and the team here. It gave us a boost when we really needed one.

He was never a 200/1 chance in my eyes – or for most of the day to be fair – and there was no fluke about the performance. The news that he stays in training was very welcome. He’ll help the winter nights pass by quicker. The programme for him is obvious and it’s wonderful to think we might have a champion sprinter in our ranks.

Powerful Glory wins the Champions Sprint

And the rest of the team are finishing the year strongly. We had plenty of winners in the closing weeks of the turf season and on the all-weather of late. We’ve some nice two-year-old running and plenty who have been put away for next year who will make lovely three-year-olds.

It’s been a frustrating year but not a disastrous one by any stretch. We've won just shy of £2million in prize-money.

The problem is when you’re perceived to have had a quiet year it’s reflected in orders for the sales. We’re found it hard to attract new clients this time around and are down on numbers a little at present.

But we’re not finished – not by a long chalk – and are ready to build again. A different approach at the sales, some lovely homebred yearlings and two-year-olds, and of course Powerful Glory.

There’s so much to look forward to the New Year and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

Can I sign off by wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.