HEREFORDSHIRE horse trainer Michael Scudamore is joining forces with Grand National winning trainer Lucinda Russell.

It is understood that Scudamore will move his Eccleswall Court operation, at Bromash near Ross on Wye, and most of his horses to Russell's base in Scotland over the next six weeks and that the new partnership will operate under a dual licence which they hope will be in place by July.

The trainer merry-go-round will be completed when recently retired jump jockey brother Tom Scudamore will take over the Eccleswall Court base and it will become a satellite and pre-training base for the new partnership.

Highlights so far in Michael Scudamore’s career include a Welsh Grand National win with Monbeg Dude and Next Sensation winning the Grand Annual Chase at Cheltenham Festival.

Russell, successful in last month's Grand National with Corach Rambler and with a personal best of 71 winners in the jumps season, commented: “Scu and I are aware that the key to our success is in our attention to the horses and in particular the time spent seeing them at home and sourcing them at the sales. In order to continue at the high standard that we have set, we are going to strengthen the team and try for another leap forward.

“We have asked Michael Scudamore to join us in Scotland and plan to combine forces, using Arlary and Kilduff as the main yards but adding the facility of a satellite yard at Eccleswall Court, Hereford, as a pre-training yard.

“Tom will take over the running of Eccleswall, Michael and many of his horses, along with some members of staff, will move to Kinross in June and we will look to operate from a joint licence, Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore.”

Tom Scudamore, commented on the move: "We're all very excited. It's been in the pipeline for a while and the question was how best to do it. We've all had individual success but now it's time to bring it all together and do it as a family, and hopefully it shows the drive and ambition we all have."