Address: Tinahely, Co. Wexford
Principal Jockey: Shane Jackson
Notable Wins: Alchemy Properties Handicap Chase (Jamies Choice 2008), Guinness Handicap Hurdle (Dark Bolero 2007), Sporting Index Cross Country Handicap Chase (Native Jack 2006), Paddy Power Chase (Black Apalachi 2005), The People Newspapers Bettyville Handicap Chase (Amorini 2005), Woodlands Park 100 Johnstown Novice Hurdle (Black Apalachi 2005), O'Flynn Construction Handicap (Experimental 2001), S.E.R.E. Handicap Hurdle (Experimental 2000)
As Philip Rothwell approaches the completion of his first decade as a licensed trainer, now is perhaps a good time to 
review his career to this point. Rothwell started his training career as a fresh-faced 21-year-old and wasted little time in making an impact, saddling his first winner with just his second runner when Adam’s fool won a bumper at Down Royal on May 3rd 1999. Later that month he saddled his second winner when Little Len won a maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe and the following December, that same horse would give Rothwell the most high-profile win of what was an excellent first season as a trainer when upsetting the mighty Risk Of Thunder in a banks race at Punchestown. Rothwell finished the 1999/2000 season having saddled a career total of 10 winners from 85 runners and with his name becoming more and more well known in racing circles, he well and truly had a breakout season in 2000/1.
Rothwell produced a number of prolific performers that term, with seven of his charges winning at least two races a piece, two of those managing to win on three occasions. Perhaps the star of the season was Experimental, who won twice during the course of the season with the highlight undoubtedly being his win in the valuable S.E.R.E. Handicap Hurdle at Down Royal. The season concluded with Rothwell having saddled no less than 29 winners from 276 runners. Not only has Rothwell enjoyed success in the National Hunt arena, rarely does a season go by without him saddling at least one winner on the Flat, with the win of the aforementioned Experimental in the valuable O'Flynn Construction Handicap at Cork in 2001 being the pick of his winners in that sphere.
Such a successful season was always going to be a hard act to follow for an emerging trainer and unsurprisingly, the next number of seasons saw Rothwell consolidate his position in the Irish training ranks, comfortably registering double-figure tallies of winners without threatening his 2000/1 total or entering the big-race winner’s enclosure.
However, that latter fact changed for the better in 2005 with a sequence of big-race wins being kicked off by the emergence of a horse called Black Apalachi. Having made a successful debut in a bumper at Down Royal in early-2004 and winning a maiden hurdle at Downpatrick in late-2004, the son of Old Vic was pitched into testing company and he duly responded, causing a 20/1 shock when winning the Grade 2 Woodlands Park 100 Johnstown Novice Hurdle at Naas in February 2005. Better still was to come when he was sent over fences the following season, with him winning a maiden chase at Thurles prior to causing yet another 25/1 upset when winning the highly-valuable Paddy Power Chase at the Christmas meeting at Leopardstown. In between those two wins, Rothwell enjoyed another valuable success when sending out Amorini to win The People Newspapers Bettyville Handicap Chase at Wexford.
However, those wins were pushed to the background just a few short months later when, at the Theatre Of Dreams that is the Cheltenham Festival, Rothwell saddled Native Jack for the Sporting Index Cross Country Handicap Chase. Sent off as the 7/2 joint-favourite, the revitalised 12-year-old produced a gritty performance under Davy Russell to get the better of the Cross-Country King Spot Thedifference by two lengths, prompting emotional scenes of celebration in the winner’s enclosure. That win kick-started a revival in Rothwell’s progression and since then, he hasn’t looked back.
The following season he registered his best tally of winners in five years, visiting the winner’s enclosure of 17 occasions and while the season lacked a big-race win, a number of his horses hinted that it would not be long before they stepped up to the plate in valuable contests and that duly happened in 2007/8. Dark Bolero was the horse in question, winning the valuable Guinness Handicap Hurdle at the Listowel Harvest Festival in great style. By the end of the season, his horses had won no less than 26 races, the second-best tally of winners Rothwell had achieved in his career at that stage. Unfortunately, that season also saw the death of one of Rothwell’s most promising horses, the Gigginstown Stud-owned Call Bewleys. The then seven-year-old had impressed when winning a beginners chase earlier in the season and was running well in a Grade 2 event at Leopardstown in January when taking a fatal fall at the last.
If 2007/8 was considered a huge success for Rothwell, 2008/9 bettered it by some margin. In fact, it proved to be the best season in Rothwell’s entire career. Undoubtedly the star performer of the season was the remarkably progressive Jamies Choice who won no less than five handicap chases in the first half of the season, culminating with him winning the valuable Alchemy Properties Handicap Chase at Cork in October. Unfortunately, that would prove to be the second-last start of his career, as he was killed just a few short months later. Other Rothwell-trained horses to acquit themselves very well indeed during the course of the season were the three-time winner Beneficial Spirit, as well as the dual winners Dal Cais, Rockers Field and The God Of Love, all of whom contributed to his best-ever seasonal tally of 32 winners.
2009/10 has started off in highly-encouraging fashion for Rothwell, with him already having saddled 14 winners at the time of writing in mid-September. If he can maintain a similar strike-rate for the remainder, he looks to have strong prospects of achieving yet another career-best tally of winners.
Updated September 2009.