Liam Roche has signed a five-year lease to take over as the new trainer at Churn Stables in Blewbury, near Didcot.

The 35-year-old handler has moved into the yard formerly occupied by Gerard Butler, who moved to Newmarket last May after nine years at the state-of-the-art Oxfordshire stables owned by Swedish businessman Erik Penser, who lives at Compton Beauchamp, near Wantage.

Roche, a nephew of seven-times Irish champion jockey Christy Roche, previously trained at the Curragh where he saddled around 20 winners during a three-year spell.

Before that he worked as a master farrier.

Roche, who is set to have 40 horses in training, is due to visit the British Horseracing Authority later this month to have his licence approved, and hopes to have his first runners in February.

He said: “They are fantastic facilities. We have a new Polytrack, and Mr Penser has been very good with everything.”

Meanwhile, Henrietta Knight is warming to the idea of letting Calgary Bay take his chance in the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy after his New Year's Day success at Cheltenham.

With the exception of a mistake at the fourth last, the huge six-year-old, from Knight’s West Lockinge stables, near Wantage, produced some tremendous leaps under Tony McCoy to beat Kicks For Free by two and three-quarter lengths in the Grade 2 Dipper Novices' Chase.

The trainer is concerned about dropping Calgary Bay back to two miles for the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, she is now leaning towards that contest over the minimum distance rather than the RSA Chase of the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase.

She said: "We still haven't decided what to do with him and need to think about it."

East Ilsley trainer Hughie Morrison also enjoyed success at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day when Cill Rialaig followed up her Exeter win with victory in the Listed bumper.

Milton Harris, who trains at Edgcote, near Banbury, suffered the ups and downs of jumps racing when he had a horse put down and later saddled a winner on the New Year's Day card at Fakenham.

Harris had expected a big run from Mysterious Green in the opening selling handicap hurdle, but the four-year-old suffered a broken leg and had to be destroyed.

Compensation awaited Harris in the ironically-titled Happy New Year Handicap Hurdle when 7-4 favourite Snake Charmer bolted up by 27 lengths.

With Britain shivering in the icy grip of the big freeze, all-weather Flat racing is in its element and Hook Norton trainer Peter Hiatt added to his tally when My Friend Fritz scored at Southwell.