Chipping Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon has set his sights on scaling the heights of two seasons ago as the National Hunt campaign prepares to move up a gear.

The 39-year-old master of Hull Farm Stables posted a highly respectable 50 winners last term, but it was down on his excellent return in 2013-14.

Longsdon, who held his annual open morning on Saturday, said: “We need to get back to the 78 winners we had the season before last, and our £450,000 in prize-money needs to rise well above the £500,000 barrier.”

With 20 winners on the board already this term, he has taken a big step towards his goal.

Longsdon welcomed a crowd of about 300, who were treated to a jumping exhibition in the outdoor school featuring firstly Coologue, Ely Brown, Orange Nassau and Bob Tucker followed by The Lizard King, Crazy Penguin, and Nightline.

Coologue was partnered by Marcus Foley, the Oxfordshire-born ex-champion conditional jockey who is now a freelance schooling rider after calling time on his pre-training businessat Broad Hinton, near Swindon, after finding it was “flatlining”.

Returning to his home village of Lew, near Witney, Foley’s arrival at Hull Farm comes after Longsdon parted company with stable jockey Noel Fehily, whose at the end of last season, with the Irishman’s commitments elsewhere often made him unavailable on big days.

Longsdon said: “Marcus has a wealth of experience and as well as the schooling he will also help teach the young lads.”

They are conditional jockeys Gareth Malone and Tom Humphries, while the trainer plans to use the best jockeys available, concentrating on a small core of Richard Johnson, Aidan Coleman, Daryl Jacob and Fehily.

Back in the yard, Longsdon paraded around half of his 80-strong string.

Star billing went to Kilcooley, who provided the yard’s biggest success last term when landing the Grade 2 National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell and is now the trainer’s highest-ever rated horse at 161.

The six-year-old will have the top staying hurdles as his target.

“We will see how he goes and if he is not ready to take on the Cole Hardens of this world then he will go novice chasing,” said Longsdon.

He believes Kalane, winner of the Listed EBF & TBA Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Finale at Newbury in March, is “extremely well-handicapped”.

And he also feels Drop Out Joe, Our Kaempfer and Pendra can land big handicap prizes, while 12-time winner Grandads Horse could be aimed at the Crabbie’s Grand National.

A Vos Gardes, Wilberdragon, Promanco, Midnight Shot and Monbeg Charmer are among his band of exciting youngsters, while he picked out Western Miller and Scorpion Princess as ones to watch out for in bumpers.