Few will look back on 2021 as a year to remember, what with the Covid pandemic having changed all our lives and ended so many.

However, on the positive side, Barbury have just enjoyed our best-ever Flat season, winning more than £1m in prize money for the first time, the stable’s 26 winners being complemented by 66 others who were placed.

Trueshan proved himself a real champion with our first G1 at Glorious Goodwood being followed by an amazing October double celebration at Longchamp and Ascot, where he retained his Long Distance Cup crown.

Gold Cup day at Ascot next year is the prime target for Trueshan – sorry ladies, I hope it pours down the preceding 24 hours – and we also have our two-year-old sprinting star Asymmetric being lined up for the Commonwealth Cup at the Royal meeting.

But for the next six months our focus will be on the jumpers. We signed off last season with Potterman winning the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on the final day, albeit with a little help from the stewards, and we’ve made a pretty good start this autumn at carrying on where we left off.

Sceau Royal and Senior Citizen join Potterman in leading the charge into winter, but we’ve also got some lovely young horses coming through the ranks, so here’s hoping that, besides enjoying a Hot Toddy to keep away the cold over the next few months, we also have good reason to pop a cork or two with a few winners on the big stage.

All that is left is to thank all my owners and loyal staff who stuck with me through troubled times, and to those faithful followers of the Barbury wagon, I have everything crossed that you all stay healthy and we have as fruitful time on the racecourse during the winter as we did last summer.

ALAN KING