Desert Island Discs

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Castaway guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

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Desert Island Discs: Lucinda Russell, horse trainer

Lucinda Russell, horse trainer

BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Lucinda Russell, horse trainer

Lucinda Russell, horse trainer, shares the soundtrack of her life with Lauren Laverne.

Lucinda Russell, horse trainer and Grand National winner, shares the eight tracks, book and luxury she would take with her if cast away to a desert island. With Lauren Laverne.

Lucinda Russell is a Scottish racehorse trainer. Her stables in Kinross have sent out almost 900 winners, including two Grand National champions. She is one of only two Scottish trainers and four women to have celebrated a Grand National win since the event began in 1839, and her yard is the most successful in the history of Scottish jump racing.  

Lucinda was born in Edinburgh in 1966. Although she didn’t come from a racing background – her father ran the family’s whisky business – she was obsessed with horses from a very young age. After many years of pleading, she finally got her first pony at the age of 10. A few years later the family moved from Edinburgh to Arlay Farm near Milnathort in Kinross-shire, where she still trains her horses today.

After studying psychology at the University of St Andrews, Lucinda began riding competitively, which she funded by buying and training horses before selling them on. She took out her professional trainer’s licence in 1995 and built up her stables on the family farm. 

Lucinda’s first success at the Grand National was in 2017 with One for Arthur, ridden by Derek Fox. She had helped buy the horse for the owners, two self-described ‘golf widows’. She was awarded an OBE for services to horseracing in the Queen’s Birthday Honours the following year. Then in 2023 she won again with Corach Rambler. 

Lucinda runs her stables with her partner the former National Hunt jockey Peter Scudamore.

DISC ONE: Some Nights - Fun.  
DISC TWO: Forever Young - Alphaville 	
DISC THREE: Wand'rin' Star - Lee Marvin
DISC FOUR: Piano Man - Billy Joel
DISC FIVE: This Is The Day - The The
DISC SIX: To Win Just Once -The Saw Doctors
DISC SEVEN: Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Andy Williams 
DISC EIGHT: Andante, Andante - ABBA  

BOOK CHOICE: Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery by Andris J. Kaneps, Kenneth William Hinchcliff, and Raymond J. Geor  
LUXURY ITEM: A camper van        
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Andy Williams 

Presenter  Lauren Laverne
Producer  Katy Hickman

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Lucinda Russell, horse trainer

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