JAMES TATE had to an endure a frustrating 2020 with his potentially top-class Far Above suffering an injury which forced his retirement after landing the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket in June. Tate’s final figure of 28 winner for the season failed to continue the upswing in fortunes of a very much upwardly mobile trainer previously.
The early signs are that Tate is back on the right road with seven winners from 46 winners so far and the prospects looking bright that he can head toward his personal best of 72 in 2019 which netted the Jamesfield Place outfit £926,098.
The appropriately-named Top Rank kicks off his new season in the Listed Unibet Doncaster Mile on Saturday and the winner of a Group 3 event at Haydock last September looks just the sort that Tate can eke out further improvement from.
Tate will also have Shimmering Dawn and Victory Heights in action at Lingfield on Good Friday on All-Weather Finals Day and there are plenty other emerging talents in his team that will be testing their mettle shortly, too.
James kindly spoke to Tony Elves for attheraces.com about those inmates he hopes can carry him forward this season.