TELEGRAPH – Racing Diary: Winning debut – Aug 2006

It always pays for a trainer to send out a few winners for his yard sponsor. It helps keep them sweet.

At Newbury on Friday Jonny Portman excelled in this department when Russian Rosie, in which his sponsor Jeremy Brownlee has a share, was the particularly impressive winner of the two-year-old maiden fillies’ race. She has a bright future. Jonny has also won for him this season with Odessa Star and Inflagranti.

Of course part of the sponsorship package at Hamilton Stables is to have the horsebox decked out in the logo and livery of the sponsor, in this case Jeremy’s company Pump Technology Ltd. But therein lies a minor problem.

Pump Technology Ltd is a company that makes pumps for the sewage and waste water industry and its logo, which Jeremy would like to have plastered all over the lorry, is ‘Pumping Poo with Panache.’

“I’ve told him it’s not quite the image I’m trying to foster,” insists Jonny dryly. “I’ve said he can only do it if Odessa Star, which he bought out of a claimer, wins a Listed race. I think I’m safe.”