Sophie's on a high after her first win

From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Saturday 21st Jan 2006.

WOULD-Be racehorse trainer Sophie Leech, who runs a satellite yard for Banbury trainer Milton Harris, chalked up her first winner at Sedgefield recently with Cyborsun, owned by her father-in-law Carl Leech.

Based at the picturesque Fox Twitchen Stables at East Kennet, near Marlborough, she sent out the nine-year-old chaser to win a competitive handicap chase at the northern venue, ridden by conditional jockey Charlie Poste.

"It was a long way to travel but it paid off and a winner is a winner wherever it runs," said Sophie, 28.

"We were all delighted with him and he will probably be off on his travels again this weekend when he will be journeying to Scotland with some of Milton Harris' horses who are running at Ayr on Monday.

"Cyborsun is entered for a conditional jockeys handicap chase at the meeting and will again be partnered by Charlie Poste, hopefully he will run another good race.

"The horse has had a few problems and was wrong all last year, but since he has been here we seem to have got him right, it's a great place to train."

Another to benefit from the Wiltshire air is the six-year-old Chamacco, who ran third in a novice hurdle and ran quite a good race at Plumpton on Monday, finishing fifth.

"He could be worth keeping an eye on, he will probably run in a handicap hurdle before going chasing."

Married with two young children aged one and two, Sophie and her husband Christian, who works for the British Horseracing Board, moved to East Kennet last year having trained point-to-point horses in Oxfordshire.

Sophie explained: "Basically we wanted to race horses under Rules and we had horses with Milton Harris before, all owned by my father-in-law Carl.

"Milton's yard became full up so it was decided to rent this yard so I could run it and perhaps one day be able to train myself.

"There are quite a few courses you have to go on and hopefully by the end of the year I can get a licence. Milton has been very supportive and I'm sure will help, but at the end of the day it's up to me.

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