TAFFY Salaman, who trains at Russley Park, Baydon, had a welcome change of luck at Uttoxeter last weekend when his charge Pocket Too won the juvenile hurdle under a good ride from Jimmy McCarthy.

It was the trainer's first success for several years, having gone close on quite a few occasions.

He said: "I train just a few horses for some friends and everything I have run has run well.

"It has been a long time since having a winner. but on saying that we did have a winner with a horse named Bandbox but he was disqualified on a technicality.

"If you equate the number of horses we have run it's not such a long time because we have had only a very few horses in training.

"At Kempton the previous Wednesday Venir Rouge was just touched off by the shortest of heads at 25-1 in the two-year-old nursery.

"The judges studied the photo for almost five minutes before deciding that the Mark Johnston-trained My Secrets had just got the nod. I think if ours had got the decision the bookies at Covingham would have been skint."

Salaman said that Pocket Too was formerly trained at Lambourn and probably got a bit stressed out there.

He went on to add: "He was given to me by his owner because it was cheaper than sending him to the sales and I thought he showed some ability so I turned him out for a bit and got him relaxed.

"He came back in training, seemed happier and kept on improving. He did it very well at Uttoxeter and you could have run him again the next day. He showed quite a bit of promise."

Asked about his future plans for Pocket Too, the Baydon handler said: "He is down to run in a juvenile hurdle at Newbury's Hennessy meeting next Friday but no doubt he will come up against a couple of ex-Flat horses from the big yards.

"He should run well but we are hoping to run him in a good hurdle race at Newcastle on December 16 where perhaps he would have a better chance.

"As for Venir Rouge he will be turned out and be back in action on the grass next year. He's a big horse and should make up into a good three-year-old."

Despite more than 40 years in the racing game, Salaman senior was quick to praise his 31-year-old son Matthew, who will be taking over the reins at the start of next season, adding: "Matt does most of the training these days and the recent revival in fortunes has been up to him.

"He spent three years as a student at a racing academy before going to America for a year with trainer Michael Dickinson.

"On his return he went to Ballydoyle and was one of Aidan O'Brien's assistant trainers, looking after the two and three-year-old fillies and colts including the great Giants Causeway.

"He then spent a year in Australia with their top trainer John Hawkes before coming back to the UK to be assistant to Nick Littmoden."

Asked if he was looking forward to taking over at Russley Park, Matt said: "Becoming a trainer in my own right has been my ambition. It is what I have been working for over the years getting experience at different yards and countries. I'm really looking forward to it."

Many senior racegoers will remember Taffy Salaman as a jump jockey in the 70s riding for all the top trainers.

He rode Well To Do to win in his last race at Exeter, Tim Forster retiring him after that race, and he rode Dulwich to win the Grand Annual Chase at the Cheltenham Festival meeting, was champion jockey in Norway for two years and won every big race in Scandinavia.

When he turned to training he saddled Churchtown Boy to finish second to Red Rum in the 1977 Grand National.

Salaman said: "Churchtown Boy created a record that year that will never be beaten. He won the Topham Trophy at Aintree two days before the National, and horses are no longer able to run the big race if they have run a couple of days earlier."

Russley Park has been home to several trainers over the years and is steeped in history.

It was built by the Duke of Westminster and almost every classic winner and Grand National winner, including the legendary Golden Miller has been trained there.

The great Fred Archer started his jockey apprenticeship at Russley Park and Ossie Bell held the record for the most winners trained from a stable in one day until Michael Dickinson broke it.

Salaman said: "It's a lovely place to train and I'm pretty confident when Matt takes over next year there will be no shortage of owners.

"In the meantime, I will keep going and hope to get into the winners' enclosure more often."