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Trainer of Daily Star's racehorse wins 'best-in-the-business' award after 'incredible' year

EXCLUSIVE: Jamie Snowden clocked up his highest ever number of winners last season with a 24.56% success rate - two of which were by our very own horse Wendigo

[Wendigo looks a very good thing at Ayr on Thursday says the Daily Star's chief tipster Jason Heavey]

Wendigo looks a very good thing at Ayr on Thursday says the Daily Star's chief tipster Jason Heavey(Image: PA)

The trainer who schools the Daily Star's very own racehorse has won a best-in-the-business award after enjoying record-breaking success.

Jamie Snowden, who trains our horse Wendigo, won Timeforms Special Recognition Award at the company's annual Jumps gongs which mark the exceptional performers of the racing season.

He achieved his highest number of winners in the 2025-26 season with 86 at a strike rate of 24.56% - the highest of any trainer who saddled at least 100 runners.

His victories included two by Wendigo at Newbury and Ayr. Jamie pocketed more than 1m in prize money for the first time in his training career.

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Wendigo

He said: It was an incredible season really which was built on the last five years. Each seemed to better the previous one and it culminated last season in an incredible time.

We had a winner with our first runner of the season and a winner with our last runner so the horses kept their form the whole way through.

Its all credit to the whole team that work incredibly hard behind the scenes and our wonderfully supportive owners.

It was brilliant to do it with some big wins along the way.

We bought a hoof of Wendigo via The Racing Club syndicate minutes before he competed in front of the Queen on Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The club is designed to allow folk who would not normally be able to afford a thoroughbred to take part in the sport of kings.

[Jamie Snowden - Golden Maverick trainer. Credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo]

Award-winning trainer Jamie Snowden

In his first race for us Wendigo - who boasts six victories - stumbled at the last fence while a promising fourth and unseated jockey Gavin Sheehan.

He went on to finish sixth in the William Hill Mildmay Novices' Chase on Aintree's Grand National's Ladies Day and is now on his summer holidays.

After appearing at Britain's two biggest racing festivals within a month, Wendigo is set to head next to the 250,000 Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in November, won previously by legends Denman and Arkle.

Jamie said he is likely to have a 'prep run' before then. He then hopes to enter him in next years Grand National.

Of his gong, Jamie said: These awards show what a lot of work people put in behind the scenes. Its phenomenally important.

Yes, my name is above the stable door as it were, but ultimately, its the team in behind that put the hard graft in.

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