After winning more than 100 races as an amateur and then as an apprentice jockey, Nina Bach set up as a trainer in 2004 in the Rhineland-Palatine in Germany. Through hard work and a level head she has had an upward curve of success ever since.

Imagine a handful of race meetings every summer in Richmond Park in London or Central Park in New York, writes Geir Stabell, on turf strips that have simply been rented by the racing authorities, to show off the sport to a wider audience. A sort of a science fiction idea, far removed from the realities of horseracing? Not necessarily.

Hanging is a common problem. In some horses it occurs as a one-off due to a new injury whilst in other horses it can become a ‘normal’ trait. There are many possible causes of hanging but these can be broadly grouped into mouth problems, front and hind limb pain, other musculoskeletal problems, temperament/vision problems and cardiovascular or respiratory problems.

It’s the same story at every dinner party, writes Frances J. Karon. A stranger will invariably ask, “What do you do?”, as if the response will somehow explain the very essence of one’s being. Similarly, the first question we have for the owner or trainer who tells us he has a nice yearling on the farm is, “What’s it by?”

A horse with raised muscle enzymes is always a cause for concern for trainers, whether it is a single isolated incident or a regular occurrence. When present at a high level in blood, the muscle enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) usually indicate muscle damage.

A harmonised rulebook across the globe would benefit racing, writes Katie Roebuck, but with the world unable to agree on more pressing issues such as climate change or the economic crisis, how easy would it be to implement?

The National Trainers Federation (NTF) recently held a forum to cover the topic of medication control in racehorses. This was a platform that brought together the influential people within the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and regulatory laboratory with trainers, assistants, vets and other industry professionals. It was hosted at the newly opened Newmarket Equine Hospital (NEH) and was well attended, with representation from across the racing industry.

We asked some of Europe’s leading experts a series of questions relating to jump racing.

The second ITBA Expo took place in Ireland at Kildare’s Goffs Sales Complex in January and the bi-annual event looks certain to establish itself as a major part of the European calendar. The 2010 renewal boasted 85 trade stands, varying from familiar and well-respected products to innovative product launches, as well as representatives from major stud farms and industry publications, all of whom reported brisk trade throughout the two days.

The 2009 AGM was held at The Churchill Hotel in Portman Square, London in December. As always the AGM proved to be a useful forum to discuss issues from across Europe which affect trainers.

The TRM Trainer of the Quarter award has been won by Devis Grilli. Devis and his team will receive a selection of products from the internationally-acclaimed range of TRM supplements worth €2000, as well as a bottle of select Irish whiskey.