Blaze rips through racehorse trainer's home

Trainer Oliver Sherwood and family are recovering after the fire spread through their home yesterday evening (Wednesday)

A FIRE ripped through the home of racehorse trainer Oliver Sherwood (pictured) and his family in Lambourn last night (Wednesday).

Half the roof was destroyed as was 40 per cent of the ground floor, although the family escaped unharmed.

The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue service were called to the cottage in Sheepdrove Road at 8.13pm and several fire crews attended the blaze.

Two appliances from Newbury, one appliance from Hungerford, one from Lambourn, two from Oxfordshire and two from Wiltshire all attended the scene.

Also in attendance was a command vehicle from Reading and two water bowsers - one from Pangbourne and one from Wiltshire.

Four breathing apparatus were used, four main jets and two hose reels.

The fire was extinguished at 1.42am today (Thursday).

Oliver Sherwood has previously enjoyed success at the Cheltenham Festival and Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, while he was the first trainer to have guided a horse to victory in both the Royal and Sun Alliance championship races at Cheltenham, thanks to The West Awake, ridden back in 1987 by his brother Simon.