Richard Morecombe guides Oli Bell through the Chelsea Thoroughbreds team for 2020

We are a syndicate and partnership organisation with 20 horses in training mainly on the Flat but we do have two National Hunt horses, one with Nicky Henderson and the other Dan Skelton.

We’re London-based and have the Sydney Arms pub in Chelsea as our clubhouse. I’ve picked out 10 horses to follow this year...

BRIAN EPSTEIN

A very well bred four-year-old being by Dark Angel out of a Group Two winner. The mare was trained by Richard Hannon, as is this colt. He was quite an expensive yearling, we paid 140,000 guineas for him, and Richard has always rated him. He took his time to get his act together but won his maiden at Kempton at two and as a three-year-old picked up a valuable handicap at Musselburgh over seven furlongs.

We were all set to go for the Britannia at Royal Ascot after that but he got a mystery bug and almost died. He took the rest of the season to get over it but is fully recovered and is working extremely well this spring. His trainer thinks he could develop into a Group class horse but is currently rated 93 so will start off in handicaps and we’re really excited about him.

SAM COOKE

He’s with Ralph Beckett and always showed a lot at home. He won a good maiden at York at two and we brought him back at Chester at three and were confident he’d win and he duly did in good style. The plan was then to go straight to Royal Ascot for the King George V Handicap off his new mark of 93 where he’d have been one of the favourites. However, he sustained an injury at Chester in the heavy ground and was out for the rest of the season.

He’s back 100% fit, working well and his target is the Duke of Edinburgh at Royal Ascot if it takes place.

TOMMY DE VITO

A three-year-old by Dandy Man who is with Charlie Hills. He was slower to come to hand at two than we were expecting and hoping but when he did he showed up well on the gallops and we expected a big run first time at Newcastle and he finished second. Ben Curtis rode the winner that day and rang up for the ride next time in January and he duly won.

He's in very good form and is a couple of gallops away from a race when we do resume. We expect him to progress through the handicaps and Charlie has said he might well be capable of running a big race in the Commonwealth Cup. That’s probably optimistic but he is progressive and we think he could run up a sequence.

THE CINCINNATI KID

An unraced three-year-old colt by Charmed Spirit who is trained by Richard Hannon. He had a few niggling problems at two but it could have been a blessing in disguise as he’s really come to himself this spring. He’s been working very well and Pat Dobbs who has been riding him regularly thinks he has an engine and a future. I’ve found out over the years he’s a great judge. The horse will start off in a maiden when racing resumes.

OWNEY MADDEN

He was gelded over the winter and is with Martyn Meade. He was always a promising two-year-old and won his maiden at Newbury despite running all over the track. He ran inexplicably badly at Glorious Goodwood for no obvious reason and then won the valuable nursery at York next time. He was too free on his next to starts when he didn’t get cover and on his day is pretty smart. We hope gelding him will help him settle and he could have his day in a couple of big handicaps this year.

Two-year-olds

ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

A son of Oasis Dream with Charlie Hills. He cost 52,000 sterling and is pretty forward and a relatively early type. He’ll probably start out over six furlongs and we’re pretty confident he’ll pay his way through the season.

WILLIAM BLIGH

A colt by Territories who is trained by Ralph Beckett. He’s the only trainer with Chelsea Thoroughbreds to have a winner with every horse he’s bought for us. I’m pretty confident he’ll continue that record with this one who is by an exciting first-season sire. He was bought at Book One for 50,000 guineas. He’s been showing all the right signs at home and will make his debut at six furlongs.

NEVILE CHAMBERLAIN

By another first-season sire in Shalaa and with Martyn Meade. He cost 65,000 guineas and is very forward and shows plenty of speed at home, so much so that Martyn was aiming at the Chester May meeting over five furlongs. When we do get going I think he’ll be ready to go first time and hopefully be our first two-year-old winner of the year.

SIR EDWARD ELGAR

He is a smashing, big but well-proportioned colt by No Nay Never and is the first horse John Gosden has trained for us. He was bought by Charlie Gordon Watson and we feel he was very good value at 82,000 guineas. He’s presently showing the right signs in pre-training and is likely to start over seven furlongs in July or August time. We hope and believe he has a touch of class.

GUSTAV HOLST

A Sea The Stars colt trained by Richard Hannon. He was bought at Goffs for 90,000 euros and was one of the first lots through the ring at that sale and he might just have slipped under the radar. He’s by a Peintre Celebre mare and will obviously need plenty of time but Richard described him as our next Derby runner and let’s hope he’s at least half right. He trained Humphrey Bogart for us who finished fifth in the 2016 Derby, won by Harzand.