Venetia Williams watchers her team work (Debbie Burt/The Jockey Club)

Venetia Willams watches her team (Debbie Burt/The Jockey Club)

Venetia Williams interview on training methods and her career

By Graham Clark

Horse Racing

Fri December 05, 2025 · 2w ago

Graham Clark talks to Venetia Williams about her 30-year training career and the methods that she finds work best for her horses.

Everything about Venetia Williams oozes class. From her elegant dress sense to her silky-smooth tones and the high-powered sports cars that sit outside her stunning house.

Even the drive down to her yard on a cold, but sunny, winter’s day suggests this is a place that has quality running through its very heart and foundations.

There is no stable dog tearing about the place ready to lap up fuss, but instead perfectly plumed peacocks who are the first topic of discussion amongst those assembled to quiz one of Britain’s finest trainers. However, what we are here for is not to talk about the Aston Martin Rapide, which takes pride of place on the driveway, or the Audi RS7 parked up next to it, or even more so those peacocks, but horsepower on four legs.

For someone with a love of cars, it seems remarkable that Williams is better associated with staying chasers revelling in the mud than super, slick speedsters that have both style and panache. But that is not a fair reflection on someone, who recently celebrated 30 years as a trainer with a fixture at Hereford commemorating the achievement.

Yes, her 2009 Grand National winner Mon Mome fits the profile of the horses she is best associated with, but the likes of ultra-tough mare Lady Rebecca and dual Grade One winner Teeton Mill are two high-quality individuals that go against the grain.

Djelo preparing for the Peterborough Chase (Debbie Burt/The Jockey Club)

And, while like most trainers habitually are reluctant to compare like-for-like, in French recruit Djelo she could just have a horse that takes her back to some of the biggest races.

Williams said: “It is difficult to compare horses, but he is competing now at the top level. We were fortunate enough to have those good horses in my very early days as a trainer. Lady Rebecca was a wonderful hurdler. Teeton Mill we had towards the end of his career as he was a nine-year-old when we got him and we had one golden season with him.

“It is lovely to have a horse that can compete at that level and it is nice we have three at this stage that we have got three that can compete at that level with L’Homme Presse and Royale Pagaille.

“You don’t know how much more there is to come. Horses reveal their hands largely on the racecourse rather than at home. You don’t want to be doing the work at home that will answer too many questions. I think that would be a mistake to be asking them at home.

“It depends what you mean by class. Just because a horse stays it doesn’t mean to say they are less classy than a horse that runs over a shorter distance. I wouldn’t want to categorise too much. One hopes there is a Grade One in him.”

The dial on the temperature gauge might be hovering just above freezing, but the combination of multiple layers and the stunning views surrounding the yard help keep out the cold out as Djelo and his equine pals prepare to have their daily stretch on the gallops.

But addressing those few hardy souls gathered to listen to what Williams has to say before sending her troops on the way, it is clear she really does have the best interest of all her horses at heart.

She added: “You can see we have got ten turn out paddocks just in front of us and we have got another 35 all around the back and sides. We can pretty well turn out all the horses for a few hours every day, and we do. The only time they won’t go out is if it is teeming down with rain.

“Horses are designed to be moving a large part of the day night. They are not designed to be moving for an hour and cooped up in a stable for 23 hours.

“I know some people might put them on the walkers as well, but having them turned out here they can have a proper gallop about and have a proper roll.

“That is what horses are designed to be and if we can train them as closely as we can to how they have been designed by nature then I think that gives them the best chance for them to be able to do their best on the racecourse.”

Mon Mome wins the National

If there was a time to insert a clapping emoji then this would be the point given how the issue of welfare in the sport has become such a hot topic in recent seasons.

But where did such an idea come from? And as much it pains me to say it with the second Ashes test about to start, it was from those cunning Australians.

Williams added: “I worked for lots of trainers, but the main idea of the turning out I picked up from time in Australia with Colin and David Hayes. Some of the horses there had a chicken run extension to their stables. However, as you can imagine the climate in Australia lends itself to that better than a British winter, but I decided this was something I really wanted to do.

"It is quite a big ask and I employ an army of yard staff. There are about six or seven of them that don’t ride out and one of their jobs is to turn horses out as it has to be done properly.”

As touched on earlier, 2025 marks the 30th year of Williams operating in her current role. In that period she has sent out more than 1,700 winners, but she has also moved with the times in becoming accustomed to the age of social media with her Instagram page boasting more than 22,000 followers.

But while Williams has mastered the fine art of training top class horses and showing off her handy work with a camera the likelihood of her sitting back and saying job done are about as remote as Wolverhampton Wanderers winning the Premier League title.

She added: “I didn’t realise it was 30 years until Camilla Esling (general manager) at Hereford spoke to me about it. I have to be pleased with how it has gone. It has always been challenging and thrilling. When it goes well, particularly in conjunction with the challenging times, it is wonderfully exciting and rewarding.

“I’m happy to embrace social media. I do our Instagram and it is nice to be able to portray not only our success, but also visually how lovely it is here. To bring people sitting in their homes, wherever they might be, up to date with what we do here today is something we couldn’t even do ten years ago.

“It is nice to have that Instagram for my staff, for my owners and the people that support us. At the end of the day you start every season with what you hope are some nice horses, but you never stop learning that is for sure.”

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