Methwold trainer Toby Bulgin back in the winners' enclosure after more than three decades with Luckofthedraw

Thirty-two years after celebrating his previous victory, Toby Bulgin was back in the winners’ enclosure at the weekend.

The Methwold-based trainer stepped away from the ranks in 1989, with a change of career taking him to London.

He still remained involved within the horse racing business in different capacities, but it was not until last year that he took out his trainer’s licence again.

And there was delight for the small team at High Fen at the weekend as Luckofthedraw made a successful late challenge to land the John Rogerson Memorial Handicap Chase at Fontwell.

Bulgin, 61, said: “I’d always planned to get back training again but there was always a good reason not to – mainly financial.

“But I’d stayed involved with selling horses, doing bits of breaking in and things like that so I was never totally out of it.

“The Covid outbreak is not the best time to start up but we decided to go for it because we had the space on the farm.

“It’s really nice to have got the win after such a long time, it helps bring the confidence back.

“He’s a lovely little horse but does have a tendency to get hot and bothered.

“He’s a gentleman around the stables but kicks up a right fuss when there is a bit of work to be done.

“Thankfully we’ve got a great rider from Hockwold – Lily – she rides him out and is doing really well with him.”

Bulgin currently has a string of just five horses, but is hoping that number will swell over the coming months.

He added: “Every trainer would love to have a decent number of nice horses to train.

“You see what some of the trainers are doing – Olly Murphy has 120/130, Dan Skelton had 200 a couple of years go. I never want to do anything like that, but a few more would be great.

“Of course you need people to buy the horses and the best way to get them interested is by winning races.

“We’ve got 21 boxes and the space for a few more – it would be great to be able to fill those up.”

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