RICHARD FAHEY heads into York’s final meeting of the year on Friday knowing he is on the brink of rewriting the record books.

Fahey is set to claim the Charles Clinkard Top Trainer of the Year award, having recorded 16 victories on the Knavesmire this season.

His tally leaves him seven clear of his closest challenger, John Gosden, and means he has already broken the record for the most winners recorded by a trainer at York in a single season. He set the previous best of 15 in 2010.

Fahey started the current campaign with a bang, recording a treble on the opening day of May’s Dante Festival, and has claimed five doubles over the course of the summer.

Last year, York’s top trainer award went south to the Newmarket stables of William Haggas, and Malton-based Fahey is delighted to have reclaimed the crown for North Yorkshire.

“I wasn’t too happy when William won it last year,” said Fahey, “The difference was, this year, I set my stall out early – I didn’t want Haggas getting it again!

“The thought at the beginning of the season was to try and get it put to bed. It doesn’t always happen that way, but luckily it did.

“There have been some good days this year, but we never take York for granted. It’s a tough place to get a winner, so to get 16 is quite a lot – the team have done well.”

Fahey boasts 170 winners in total this season, and while the decision to send Ribchester to stud robbed him of last year’s stable star, he has still enjoyed some notable successes thanks to the likes of two-time York winner Mr Lupton, Sands Of Mali, Forest Ranger and Red Balloons.

He will be represented by a typically strong team as York’s season ends with a two-day meeting that spans Friday and Saturday, with the highlights coming courtesy of the Listed Coral Rockingham Stakes and £100,000 Coral Sprint Trophy.

“There’s never any gimmes at York, so if we could get another one or two (winners) I’d be delighted,” said Fahey. “We’ve got two in the Rockingham – Cosmic Law and Space Traveller. You’d like to think they’ll be competitive. We’ve got George Bowen, Brian The Snail, Kimberella and Bengali Boys in the Sprint.”