Now in her second season as a trainer, Lewes-based Susie Smith has welcomed the rain that means she can get serious with her small string of horses.

Susie, who stables in what used to be the Tote building at the old racecourse, caught the imagination a year ago with her mare Material World who only has one eye.

At the time there were only five horses in her yard, but Material World provided her first two winners and was placed second twice while other horses ran well. Now she has increased her string to nine.

"I have four new owners this season," she said.

"I think people were waiting to see how things went last season and I'm happy to say they are beginning to show confidence in how we do things."

We is Susie and her partner Sergio Gordon-Watson. The two met while working for Gardie Grissell at Robertsbridge. Between them they are now exercising nine horses each morning as well as covering the routine jobs of feeding, mucking-out and grooming.

"We can call on outside help when we have a runner," says Susie.

"I drive the lorry myself and I have a friend who will lead-up in the parade ring at the racecourse."

Most of the runners are ridden by Colin Bolger, a popular jockey among Sussex trainers.

"We like him because he is good value for his five pounds conditional jockey's claim," Susie said.

"And also because he always has an intelligent view on a horse after a race and that is very helpful."

Susie rents the stables and gallops and is not inconvenienced by the fact that she has to share the one mile uphill all-weather track with neighbour Mark Hoad. The landlord has just built six new schooling fences so the facilities are first-class.

"Because of this we have been lucky during the dry weather and now the racecourses themselves are becoming raceable after the rain, we can really get going," added Susie.

Material World remains the star of the team. Having begun her career in National Hunt flat races - bumpers - she has now won her first Novice Hurdle. But it was in defeat that Material World put up her most significant performance.

"She was second to one of Jonjo O'Neill's good horses, Diamant Noir, who is favourite for the final of the Mares' Hurdles Championship," said Susie.

"Material World was beaten only five lengths with the rest of the field much further behind and I think that was a very good run indeed."

Restricted to right-handed circuits because of her visual impairment, Material World will improve for that run and is being aimed at a novice hurdle at Ascot in three weeks' time.

"That is the plan and although I welcome the rain I hope the going won't become too heavy because I would not run this mare in very testing conditions," said Susie.

Ultimately, Material World will run in steeplechases, but for the time being she will be kept to hurdles.

The larger obstacles, though, are the destiny of Dads Lad, due to run at Folkestone on Monday.

"He's a lovely horse who came from Henry Daly's yard in Shropshire," says Susie.

"He's a good jumper and pretty consistent, but he has been lumbered with weight by the handicapper.

"I'm pretty pleased with him anyway and the going at Folkestone should suit after all this rain."

Susie runs Jim Jam Joey at Towcester tomorrow. Once trained by her ex-boss Gardie Grissell, Jim Jam Joey had a bad fall and lost his confidence.

Susie has called on the expertise of Yogi Breisner, the manager of Britain's three-day eventing team who is a past master at persuading horses to jump correctly. Jim Jam Joey is currently in Breisner's school for a confidence-boosting session.

"Ben Hitchcott has ridden this horse before and he keeps the ride now as they get on very well together," said Susie.

Material World, too, has benefitted from the Breisner treatment. The man has a magical knack of getting horses to enjoy their jumping and trainers all over the south of England make use of his experience.

Susie, 26, had her own horse at Epsom as a teenager and began to ride racehorses for Andrew Denson, who trained there in the 1990s. It was always training rather than riding that fascinated her - she has never had an amateur jockey's permit - and after her spell with Gardie Grissell, Susie's parents supported her in her training venture.

"I only train jumpers," she said. "I'm not really very keen on the all-weather racing anyway and I'm confident we can make a go of it over hurdles and fences."