Wolverhampton by Will O'Hanlon

Activity, who has hardly lived up to his name in recent years with just a handful of appearances, proved he is no back-number despite his training problems when he landed a long priced touch for his connections in the 7f apprentice handicap.

A first Flat winner for Kings Lynn trainer Matt Gingell, the 25-1 shot got up in the final stride under Duran Fentiman to beat Imperium by a short head to the delight of his owner Sean Kerr, who had backed his horse at 33-1 although someone else beat him to the best price with £50 at 50-1.

'We fancied him to win ', said Kerr, 'but you wouldn't want a huge amount on because of the problems he's had '.

Quote of the day

'He's got shocking legs, but is a class act for all that', Matt Gingell

Five Star Display by Mark Pointer

Local Hero New Perk turned in five star performance to win the Tim Barclay Memorial Handicap Chase to record his fifth successive win at the north Norfolk track this season.

In his own 'war of attrition' New Perk had to dig deep to maintain his winning streak at Fakenham. Two flights out of the eight year old gelding still had it all to do, but somehow jockey Chris Honour galvanised his mount with a beautifully timed run to overhaul Haffa on the run in and record a two and half length success to the disbelief and amazement of the hardy local crowd , who had braved the bitterly cold weather to witness this fantastic achievement.

'I thought he was beat down the back straight , but somehow he found another gear around the home turn', said an overjoyed trainer, Matt Gingell.

'He is a horse with a very big heart, who does not know when he is beaten round here. All credit to Chris, he gave the horse a breather down the back straight and produced him with a wonderfully timed run after the second last '.

Gingell went on to suggest to David Hunter, the clerk of the course, about the possibility of a bronze effigy of the horse in the winner enclosure!

Gingell's New Perk is truly to the four by Mark Pointer

Course specialist New Perk raised the roof of the grandstand at Fakenham yesterday after completing his fourth racecourse win at the north Norfolk track this season.

The eight year old gelding put in another trademark gutsy performance with his regular pilot Chris Honour in the saddle as he was made to work all the way to line by Henry's Gift finally holding on in a thrilling finish to win by a head.

There were smiles all round as Fakenham's newest folk hero was given a fantastic reception as he entered the winner's enclosure ton the joy of his local connections - owner Arthur White and trainer Matt Gingell. An overjoyed trainer said afterwards , 'We decided to send him over hurdles again because the horse would have been given a lot of weight to carry today and would have been there to be shot at. As it turned out, we have been proved right , he is such a game horse and just keeps battling. The crowd were going wild on the run in and when the result was confirmed you would have thought the horse had won the Gold Cup. of five months.

Overall it was a wonderful training achievement by Gingell, based at North Runcton, to win four consecutive times with the same horse and at the same course over the course .

Perk of the job by Mark Pointer

North Norfolk trainer Matt Gingell gave local supporters plenty of Christmas cheer at Fakenham, when New Perk followed up his course and distance win last month with another gutsy performance to take the gg.com Novices Handicap Chase at odds of 5-1.

Ridden off the pace by regular pilot Chris Honour, the seven year old gelding jumped into the lead at length final open ditch, and never looked back before pinging the last to run out a two and a half length winner from Kyne in and give Chris his 10th victory at the track.

'He's jumped brilliantly again today and we'll be back here for the meeting on January 27. It took Chris five and a half hours to get here today from his home in Exeter and thankfully it was worth the drive', said a delighted trainer afterwards.

Eastern Daily Press, Thursday, October 19th 2006. Extracts from an article by Paddy Davitt

North Runcton Trainer Matt Gingell insists his new purpose built fibre sand training facility can help Norfolk compete with the elite. Gingell has plunged more than £70,000 into constructing a six furlong all weather gallop at his Runcton Hall base. The innovative trainer believes the pioneering project will allow his emerging 25 strong yard to challenge National Hunt's established order.

'This is a tremendous facility - top of the range', he said, 'outside Newmarket there isn't anything of this type that I'm aware of - certainly in Norfolk'.

'Newmarket is difficult to use because it is always full. We now have somewhere to exercise the horses all year round- something only the top trainers and top yards usually have. I would appeal to local people with a keen interest in the sport to come and have a look to see if they could use the gallop. Its open to everyone - from point to point enthusiasts to the big owners'.

East Anglian Daily Times, Suffolk. Issue 21 February 2002. Extracts from an article by Laura Scamponi, photographs by Keith Mindham

Racehorse trainer Matt Gingell, moved to east Suffolk after a stint training point to pointers in Hertfordshire. Matt's equestrian roots originate from the Cambridgeshire village of Cottenham, where he spent his formative years riding horses on the Gingell's arable farm and practicing on the family owned Cottenham Point to Point Course.

'The involvement with horses comes from my grandmother who was the longest serving Master of Hounds at the Cambridge Harriers. My grandfather also rode to hounds and then as an amateur jockey, as did my father and myself.'

After racing successfully for fourteen years, gaining 40 wins and having been training on a part time basis, Matt decided to make this his next career. Gaining a licence to train is a lot harder than it used to be. Completing three courses in Newmarket followed by a final assessment by a Board of Jockey Club officials.

Matt, based a stones throw from the beach at Thorpeness, states this is an ideal base from which to train horses. Matt sees the beach training as beneficial, 'it does their heads the world of good. They can go down to the big open spaces and the sea. When they first go they snort, paddle in the sea and just relax'.

At Manor Farm

Training in the point to point ranks for ten years has been great fun and I have made many friends. I am grateful to you all for your friendship over the years and for supporting me in this new venture. I aim now to get under way as quickly as possible and gain the support of as many new owners as I can - from outright owners to shareholders and everyone in between.

Flat racing is an area of the sport that interests me more and more. There are several flat horses now in our yard and, thanks to Basil White, we can offer leased horses for this activity.

At present we have fourteen loose boxes with plenty of space for expansion. We have the use of a covered, floodlit lunge pit for breaking young stock and for routine training in bad weather. The post and rail fenced ménage is situated next to the stable block and has a rubber compound surface.

I am a great believer in horses gaining their confidence on their own. Consequently maidens start their schooling in the ménage over poles and from there we progress to tyres, gradually increasing in size. Thereafter we use either hurdles, of which we have three flights, or our three fences, one of which has an open ditch. To preserve the quality of the ground only my horses have access to the hurdles and the fences.