Caspar Fownes is facing up to one of the hardest tasks in racing - defending a trainer's premiership title - but believes he has the quality and numbers of ammunition to get the job done.
Fownes celebrated his 40th birthday in Las Vegas during the break and has come back raring to get on with the new season, proving that his title triumph in 2006-07 was no one-off event.
'It's always tough coming off a premiership season, but I'm confident of another good year,' Fownes said.
'On face value, it looks as though John Size has geared himself up strongly and it could be his season, so he'll be very hard to beat, but the main thing for me is to keep on doing what I've been doing, and I hope I can always finish in the top three and prove that I am a good trainer.'
Fownes said that although a number of his major contributors last season might have reached their peaks in the ratings, he has some promising young horses ready to come through.
'During the break we have replaced a few of the older ones and have a few more to go after the first few months of the season,' Fownes said.
'There are some horses there that are still reasonably graded on their better form, and I'll have them very forward in condition so they can hopefully win early in the season and then maybe call it quits with them. That's the plan anyway.'
