HOME-GROWN training talent in our area doesn't come much better than Sedgefield-born Alan Swinbank, who attracted plenty of rave reviews for his sublime handling of stable star Collier Hill.

For the record, Collier Hill rounded off a magnificent 2005 campaign by capturing the Irish St Leger, registering a first Group 1 win for Swinbank, based at Thorndale Farm, just to the side of the A1 between Darlington and Scotch Corner.

It's hard to recall a similarly high-class horse starting from such humble beginnings, namely a two-mile National Hunt Flat race at Catterick in March 2002, a successful debut for which he bagged precisely £1,722.

Three years down the line and Collier Hill's earnings have swollen to nearly half-million pounds, with raids spanning Sweden, Germany, Ireland, and not forgetting his current location, Dubai, where he is due to line up in next Saturday's Sheema Classic.

It's a classic rags-to-riches tale, having been bought for relative peanuts (5,500 guineas) out of John Gosden's powerful stable as an un-raced three-year-old.

Since then, Alan has been skilfully at the helm, overseeing his money-spinning horse at every stage of an already glittering career, which remarkably included a victory over hurdles at Kelso in late 2003.

Collier Hill was subsequently beaten three times over the sticks and Swinbank helped to solve the mystery of why Collier Hill couldn't reproduce his Flat form when faced with eight obstacles to negotiate.

"He hated hurdles, I never forget the first time we took him to Kelso. Collier Hill backed off every hurdle yet still won. He then had three more unsuccessful hurdles races and I said to his part-owner, Russell Hall, we better get him back on the Flat - and the rest is history.

"We've got room for 80 and are full at the moment, but some of the jumpers will be roughed off during the next few weeks. I never thought we'd get this big, but Collier Hill has pulled the punters in and we're about threequarters Flat and a quarter National Hunt.

"Going down the Flat route is just the way its happened, however I will say this, in the novice hurdle job you just can't be competing against Graham Wylie and Howard Johnson with our type of horse, for the simple reason you flatten them.

"It's all very well for them, they've got another expensive purchase ready to come out the next day, whereas we haven't. We take the view if you can win good money Flat racing, why go knocking them up over jumps?

"There are 15 two-year-olds here - well up on 2005 - and even at this early stage I would think 70 per cent of them are going to make the grade. One of my main owners, David Abell, has got five of them, plus Far Pavilions, Virgin Soldier, Charter Tower, and a quarter share in Collier Hill.

"One of the reasons we're able to train anything from five furlong juveniles to long-distance chasers is we've got good gallops.

"Dean McKeown has also been a huge help, we got to know Dean about 18 months ago and to be frank he's never stopped riding us winners. Of course, he's struck up a great partnership with Collier Hill.

"Ex-jockey Rod Lappin is a major player here, he's in charge of the two-year-olds. Jump jockey Doug Costello comes and rides out, together with Adrian Nicholls, and if Robert Winston passes by, he pops in too.

"You've got to have the best people around you, that's why my assistant, Bill Haigh has been the greatest help of all to me.

Wise words from Alan, but he knows that even given the exploits of Collier Hill, one swallow doesn't make a summer. Fortunately there's plenty more ammunition to go to war with.