Ed comes from a family steeped in racing having been assistant to his father, James Bethell. Ed took over at the family's Thorngill Stables in Middleham in 2021 and has risen rapidly through the training ranks.
In 2023 he sent out Regional (just a 3500 guineas purchase) to win both a Group One and Listed race and earning his owners over £250,000 in the process!
This will be his first association with our Racing Club, but he ensures we retain our strong OS connection with Yorkshire and will hopefully encourage some younger Old Stoics to join.
Alex trains near Banbury just a few miles from Stowe. He was our first trainer and nearly gave the Old Stoic Racing Club a winner with its first ever runner with Topper Thornton, agonisingly going down by a short head at Carlisle in 2017!
Since then, he has overseen the excellent career of Bourbon Beauty who scored in the Stowe colours in the Grade 2 Mares Final at Newbury in 2021. This victory created a Stowe bred, owned, trained and ridden (Harry Bannister - Chatham 12). Consequently, this victory created a Stowe bred, owned, trained and ridden winner - some feat!
In 2022, Alex secured his first Grade 1 victory in the opening race of the Grand National meeting thanks to Millers Bank and has an exciting group of horses to race during the 2023/24 season, including another Stowe racehorse named Ol'River Shine.
Jonny trains in Lambourn and has held a licence since 1998. He has trained some top-level winners during his career included the well-known Mrs Danvers for the Turf Club as well as having winners at Glorious Goodwood and Royal Ascot.
The Stowe syndicates have benefited from his talents in previous years through Mild Illusion and Sweet Reward. Mild Illusion was purchased for just 1000 guineas, she took all before her in 2019 winning three races from eight starts, includign the Listed Bosra Sham Stakes at Newmarket whilst Sweet Reward has been a very reliable sort winning five races over three seasons at courses such as Epsom, Goodwood and Sandown.