Gloucestershire yards have produced our leading conditionals

Gloucestershire can take some pride in the fact that two of the county's conditional riders fill the first four places in the race for the Conditionals Championship. It's a reflection of the Cotswolds' increasing prominence in the sport as a centre of excellence for training and riding racehorses. 

Luca Morgan is the emerging talent to have hitched his waggon to Ben Pauling's Naunton yard, and he has no reason to regret that decision. Pauling has supplied 89 of his 132 rides, and 26 of his 33 winners. Michael Scudamore's Herefordshire yard has supplied 6, Amy Murphy 1. He looks well placed to continue this run of success provided Pauling's run of form continues. 

Lilly Pinchin has enjoyed a slower burn to get to her current status. A televised winner at Cheltenham in December was followed up by another at the same venue on New Year's Day. A record crowd of over 35,000 plus a solid TV audience will have seen an accomplished an neat finish from our leading lady conditional. She looks set to step up and challenge Bryony Frost some time in the fuiture as the sport's leading lady. More importantly, their collective efforts are spawning interest from other girls eager to change the gender dynamic in the sport. 

Pointing rider Lilly Pinchin, now a fully fledged professional 3 years after winning around the West Mercian area

With 20 winners under her belt this year, Lilly is enjoying her best season to date, irrespective of where she sits in the championship at the end of April. And of course, followers of Andoversford will recognize that early talent from Open wins at both Cotswold and Cotswold Vale fixtures in past years. Lilly is a text book example of the sport's ability to develop young talent and propel it into the mainstream. 

More reason if you needed it that the amateur division is a route to nurturing talent.