Tom George the latest Gloucestershire handler to get going

Slad-based Tom George wouldn't be at the forefront of any pundit's list of pushy summer jumping trainers, although his record in recent seasons has illustrated a steady growth in winners from April - September. 

However, he's the latest of the county's strong cadre of trainers to chalk up early season winners with a double at Cartmel on Friday, where Seddon justified 7/4 favouritism in the Holker Group Novices Handicap Chase, and Stop The World in the half mile longer equivalent 35 minutes later. Both were ridden by stable jockey Adrian Heskin. 

Tom's 2 winners from 10 runners to date gives him an attractive 20% strike rate, but in all truth, his runners are always well placed to win or be placed. He sports a very attractive 39% strike rate of win and placed horses in the past 5 seasons - a model of consistency. 

Cartmel's Friday card continued the scorching start by Withington trainer Fergal O'Brien, who is averaging a winner at virtually every National Hunt fixture. It's as if his current dictum is Arthur Stephenson's Gold Cup winning phrase (speaking from Hexham) of "Little Fish are sweet". 

As if July's 10 winners wasn't a fast enough strike rate, August's 10 days so far have added a further 5 winners from 13 runners, with only one out of the first 4. The Ravenswell Farm loco is rattling along at a pace his competitors can only look upon with envy.