CHIPPING Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon has been asked to train two horses for The Queen.
The Oxfordshire handler has already welcomed a three-year-old filly called Sports Day, and is set to receive another horse in the spring.
The master of Hull Farm, who saddled a treble on Saturday to move second in the trainers’ championship, admitted he is relishing the prospect.
“It’s a huge honour even to have been thought about to train horses for the Queen.
“Words can’t really describe how I feel.
“Hopefully the three-year-old will be a nice filly in time.
“I’ve had her for a few weeks and have been told another horse will arrive next spring.”
Meanwhile, DropOut Joe capped a memorable week for Longsdon by digging deep to land the Badger Ales Trophy at Wincanton on Saturday.
Following his big-race double with Pendra and Kilcooley a week earlier, Longsdon captured the Somerset track’s feature event with his improving seven-year-old.
The 11-1 shot stayed on well under Aidan Coleman to collar long-time leader Royal Palladium after the last fence in the Listed handicap chase over three miles and a furlong for a game half-length victory.
Longsdon revealed that he almost pulled Drop Out Joe out following heavy rain in the morning.
He explained: “I suppose we will now have to think about some of the major handicaps in the spring, which would include a possible tilt at an English or an Irish National.”
The Chipping Norton handler was also among the winners in midweek when Crickel Wood (8-1) and Leith Hill Legasi (8-1) gave him an across-the-card double at Warwick and Chepstow.
Coleman was on board again as Crickel Wood opened his account in a two-mile handicap hurdle.
Sam Twiston-Davies made all the running on Leith Hill Legasi to take a handicap chase over an extended two miles and seven furlongs.
Longsdon said of Crickel Wood: “Settling him was the key and having a big field helped.
“We fancied him at Stratford last time, but he never got home.”
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