TROT back far enough through history and you'll discover that five-year-plans haven't always enjoyed the greatest of success.

Point that out to Richard Fahey, half way through a 60 month scheme for world domination, and expect to receive short shrift.

What the Musley Bank trainer had in mind when he earnestly put together those best-laid plans was ambitious to say the least - a desire to make his yard the best in the country.

164 winners, £2,4 million it prize money and six Group wins last year sugests he is well on the way to making it happen.

That's before you even take a peek round his rapidly expanding stables, JCBs and fresh piles of earth the clearest indication that even more horses will soon be on their way.

Three plush new barns, with another 42 boxes, will shortly allow him to train the thick end of 200 horses and he's not finished building yet.

Just how far can he go?

"It's something you set in your mind and I'm lucky that I am training winners so I can afford to do it," Fahey says, surrounded by the emerging fruits of yet another construction project.

"After this I have only one more and then I can sit and try and keep some of the money I am earning.

"It's all about the horses. Horses come first and if I can do anything to make their lives more comfortable, with better barns and better facilities, then I'll do it."

It is been a big, relentless, rise up the ladder. From a handful of horses at Butterwick to an empire of winners and a string that could soon reach a double century.

"I have been shocked with the progress we've made in the last few years," he adds. "We've improved year in and year out but you have got to have the owners and the winners. If you have the winners you get the owners so it is a vicious circle.

"No one could predict this and, if it carries on, I'll keep on improving. It's a huge team effort. My assistant Robin (O'Ryan) is a huge part of this place and with Jess (McLernon), my pupil assistant, I'd like to think we've got the best staff in the north of England working here.

"I am sure other trainers will disagree with me but we head-hunted and made a plan and it hasn't just happened. We set out to do things and we are lucky we are in a position where it's happening and we can progress."

"It's one thing in our job, you can never take it for granted.

"There are some trainers who have had exceptional seasons and five later they are in trouble. That's one thing I don't want to happen.

"We'll keep working at it.

If the winners keep coming then the owners keep coming, so that's what we need to do - keep training winners."

"The more horses we have the better, in my opinion," he said.

"I know some people think if you get too many horses you can't give them all individual attention, but I don't think that's a problem.

"I can't do it all on my own, but if you have the right staff it works fine and I'd have no problem training over 200 horses.

"I'd love a runner in every race and there are more than 200 races a week."