With a sparkling double this week, Storrington trainer Richard Rowe has reached double figures for the first time for several years.

Pocket Aces, scoring for the third time this season, brought Rowe's winners to ten at Kempton Park on Wednesday. It followed Burren Legend's easy victory over fences at Fontwell the previous day, with both horses ridden by Paddy Brennan in the absence of the injured Barry Fenton.

Rowe said: "When you have had a succession of poor seasons you begin to question yourself.

"My best score in 17 years of training was 25 winners but last season we had only six and the previous two or three years were no better. You do begin to wonder what to do."

Every summer Rowe virtually closes shop when each stable is disinfected and left empty for two or three weeks. He is a traditional trainer who has hardly any runners during the summer jumping programme and only a couple of horses on the flat.

He added: "There is no doubt we have suffered for some time from a low-grade virus which is undetectable but debilitating.

"Blood counts and scopes (which monitor lungs and airways) were always clear but still the horses weren't performing."

Now, all that is a thing of the past. The ten winners apart, Ashleigh House Stables has had 20 horses finish second and another 17 in third place.

Rowe's cheerful demeanour has never given away his worries but now his habitual smile is 100 per cent genuine.

Last summer a new six-furlong cushion-track artificial gallop was laid down at great expense and there is no doubt that this has contributed to the well being of his horses.

He said: "We also switched to Canadian hay which is pretty expensive but it seems to be more palatable than the home-grown variety and the horses are thriving on it."

Rowe began training in 1991 after a career as a jockey which produced nearly 600 winners. For most of his riding career he was attached to Josh Gifford's stable at Findon and Rowe says he learnt a huge amount during his time with Gifford.

"Josh was very particular about stable routine," he said. "He in turn learnt all that from the maestro Ryan Price and I have taken on board the same principles. I am sure that Josh's son Nick follows the same route - attention to detail, looking at every horse during evening stables and listening to what the lads have to say about the horses they look after."

There was a time when Ashleigh House coped with 50 horses but today there is only just over half that number.

"You have got to have the guts to get rid of the moderate ones and aim for quality," said Rowe. "I am lucky in that my owners have been both loyal and realistic and that is what has kept us going. At last the owners are being rewarded for their patience."

Rowe will have just one runner at Newbury today provided the going is no worse than soft. Elliot will be ridden by Nick Gifford's claiming jockey Jay Pemberton in the Racing Post Hands and Heels Hurdle finale, a two-and-a-half mile race for provisional jockeys and amateurs.

On Sunday, Mister Pink runs in the Intercasino.co.uk Handicap Hurdle at Kempton and Acertack is in the Big Jackpot Chase on the same card.

Rowe hopes to have runners at the Grand National meeting next weekend, although not in the big race itself.

"Ryder Storm will run in the Topham Chase over one circuit of the Grand National course on Friday," he said. "King Louis has a choice of the two-and-a-half mile John Smith's Melling Chase on the same day or the Maghull Novices Chase next Saturday."

The jump season has a month to run with the last day at Sandown and Market Rasen on April 26.

Rowe said: "By then, and with some luck, we could total 15 winners and top the £100,000 mark in prize money.

"The horses are running consistently well and we are hoping for the best."