THERE'S NO denying that racing is tough – to get a horse fit and ready to race to actually making it the racecourse takes time, perseverance as well as a bit of luck.

Mike Smith, from Galston in Ayrshire, knows all about this. Having tried various discliplines in the equestrian world, racing is the one sport that he has came back to time and time again.

Based at West Loudoun, it's a working family yard; his sister Gail runs a busy riding school and livery yard and dad John has a vet clinic on site.

Mike has ridden in more than 100 point-to-points and has been succesful as a rider and trainer of his own horses. After spending a number of years of frustratingly watching jockeys on his horses he'd train get jumped off he decided in 2007 to get back on and ride for himself. It was certainly a memorable year – he rode at double at Mordon in 2008, his first proper win having won a walk over in his initial spell being a jockey.

Maintaining the weight to race is a challenge for Mike and two years ago he decided to forego the gruelling dieting to concentrate on training. He still rides out each day, working on the philosophy that when it comes to the racetrack his horses will find it easier with a lighter jockey. He does though still have one wish to ride in the foxhunters at Aintree and, if he finds a good enough horse, has promised himself that he'll get down to racing weight to give it a good shot.

Despite giving up race riding Mike still keeps a yard of point-to-pointers and he also has some horses that run under rules.

After a frustrating start to the season when racing ground to a halt with frozen tracks, Sullivans Hill opened up the start of the 2013 Northern Area season with a second at the Dumfriesshire at Overton. The seven-year-old was bought in May last year from Ireland where he'd been second in a point-to-point.

He has two five-year-olds, Katie's Choice, by Croco Rouge and out of a Roselier mare, and Mr M, by Milan out of a Saddlers Wells mare.

Other horses in the yard include Running Brook, trained by his dad John, the resident vet. He is by Alderbrook and is owned by Mike and Angela Matheson.

Last year, Hawthorne Bay and It's Bobcat won at the Dumfries Overton meeting to get the season off to a flying start.

"They were fit and both ready," remembers Mike.

He likes to work the horses on an interval training system and likes to keep things "fairly simple."

"Training wise we are always learning. I like to keep things fairly simple; good feed and steady work and good staff," said Mike.

The horses each go on the horsewalker for around 1hr to 1hr 15mins each day and then are ridden up the gallops. Last year, Mike changed his gallops and layout. Previously it was a purpose made woodchip gallop – a circuit loop of a nearby wooded area across from the stables. Now Mike has changed the design.It's been made longer and to make the horses work harder takes in an incline. It's now five furlongs, but Mike is not content and is adding a further two furlongs at the start which will also remove the sharp angle of the gallops as it starts climbing.

The horses are taken for a short hack to warm up before galloping. Mike likes them to canter up the hill, turn and then canter back down, something that he knows teaches the horses to become more balanced and points out that few point-to-point courses are beautifully flat.

He also likes to jump them twice a week out on the gallops where there are schooling fences. Alternatively, there are also a indoor and outdoor all-weather arenas back at the yard for loose schooling.

Mike belives the weight scales are an important piece of equipment for the horses. "We weigh them before and after racing, and try and have them at their best," points out Mike.

In 2008, Mike got a racing permit and part of the licence required him to put in a separate yard. It has an impressive island in the centre where the horses walk round before setting off to the gallops.

Knight Woodsman got the yard their first win of the season by taking the Country Refreshments amateur riders' handicap chase at Musselburgh last month under Callum Bewley. In the same race Hawthorne Bay was fourth.

Running Brook had a third at Corbridge point-to-point on his first run with Callum in the saddle.

"I was pleased with that; the horses that beat him had both had a run and this was his first time out," said Mike. "I think a lot of him."

Knight Woodsman hasn't raced since his Musselburgh win, he next goes to Haydock and Hawthorne Bay was scheduled for Newcastle's abandoned meetimng this week.

The weather has not helped matters and the point-to-point season has been slow to get started but tomorrow at the L and R and Eglinton's meeting at Overton, Mike has four entered. Katie's Choice and Mr M make their debut, while Running Brook and Sullivans Hill also make the journey to Lanark.

A win at their local track would be the icing on the cake for everyone who supports the team at West Loudoun.

Mike is quick to acknowledge the support he receives from people who work hard and help out behind the scenes, highlighting Raymond Gibson and Jen Beattie for their particular help.

"We all need people to help and I'm lucky to have a lot of help. We try to be as professional as possible – we may be small, but we've big ambitions," added Mike.