James Fanshawe revealed it he “wasn’t surprised” when hearing the news that his star three-year-old Ambiente Friendly has been moved across town to James Owen.

Owned by the Gredley family, who are enjoying a fruitful jumps campaign with the likes of Burdett Road and Triumph Hurdle contender East India Dock, Ambiente Friendly put himself in the Epsom Derby picture with a smooth success in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial with a smooth success under Callum Shepherd.

The son of Gleneagles was subsequently involved in a dramatic jockey change when Callum Shepherd was controversially replaced by Robert Havlin just days before the Epsom Derby. James Fanshwe's three-year-old would only find City Of Troy too strong that day before going on to place third in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh.

Ambiente Friendly has spent most of the winter at the Gredleys' Stetchworth Park Stud and as a result, former trainer James Fanshawe was unsurprised by the move.

"To be honest it wasn't a great surprise, I haven't seen him for a whole and not since October," said Fanshawe on Nick Luck Daily.

"The Gredley family have decided to move him to James Owen and James is having a great season.

"It was great to have him in the stable last year, it was a great run in the Derby, and we will be forever grateful for that.

"When the horse came to us, he was very free-going and took a lot of time to settle down. The yard did a great job switching him off and getting him to stay a mile and a half from being a bit of a tearaway was a real reflection of all the yard's hard work."

Whilst the loss of Ambiente Friendly will clearly leave a sizeable hole in Pegasus Stables, Fanshawe remains upbeat about his team going into the 2025 season, which will be headed by star sprinter Kind Of Blue, who was last seen landing the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot in October.

Fanshawe said: "We started going up Warren Hill with him this week, said Fanshawe. "We're very happy with him but it's just steady away at the moment.

"The plan at the moment will be to work back from the Diamond Jubilee and work out a way of getting him there.

"The family have always improved as they get older and I'm sure he will look a lot stronger this year. He's bulked up quite a lot over the winter."