Josh Gifford is quietly contemplating the possibility of a horse, maybe two, in his yard to equal greatness.

Greatness in the likes of Bradbury Star, Door Latch, Deep Sensation, Approaching and Aldaniti.

The Findon trainer did not get too excited when the massive Rouble, 17 hands high, won at Sandown a week ago because some of the opposition ran below form.

But Gifford has long held the five-year-old Rouble in high regard and revealed he also trains the three-year-old's full brother, Kopek, who might be even better.

The two horses are owned by 68-year old Pat Betts, who runs a plastics and fibreglass mouldings business in Suffolk.

Being by the Irish-based stallion Moscow Society out of a mare named Cashla, Rouble virtually named himself. When his un-named brother went through the sale room last summer and was knocked down to Betts he had to be named Kopek, of course. As any Russian will tell you, there are 100 Kopeks to the Rouble.

Gifford disclosed how he first came across Rouble.

He said: "I went over to see the great dealer Tom Costelloe in Ireland with Pat Betts four years ago.

"We bought Skycab, who has done pretty well subsequently, and on the way back to the airport Pat mentioned that he had a yearling at home.

"Costelloe said to us straight away 'I'm sure Skycab'll need a playmate' and turned down a lane to a field with a dozen yearlings grazing.

"The biggest one of the lot took Pat's eye and the deal was done, we went home with two horses instead of just one."

There are clearly no regrets and Betts is as delighted as Gifford with Rouble's progress.

Betts said after the horse's victory last week: "This is the stuff of dreams.

"I promise you that between them Sheikh Mohammed, Prince Khalid Abdulla and J.P. McManus himself haven't the money to buy him."

He became interested in racing nearly 30 years ago because his works manager, Burt Cotton, was a mad-keen betting man.

Betts said: "I thought it was time I had a horse or two in training, so I sent a couple to Ron Wall near Colchester.

"But the first good horse I had was Abbey Brig who did us pretty well and lived until last year when he was a stately 26."

Gifford trained Abbey Brig but was lucky to get Betts as an owner. He said: "Fred Winter was first on my list of trainers, but he hadn't room for the horse, so I called Josh who said he'd be delighted to have Abbey Brig straight away."

Since then Betts has hardly looked back. Mark Tompkins at Newmarket trained Private Audition to win the Tote Cesarewitch in the Betts' colours and Broadwater Music, The Flying Bantam and Garfunkel were other flat winners.

But Betts said: "I prefer jumping, there are more characters, equine and human, than in flat racing."

Today his wife Judy is as enthusiastic about the horses as Betts, but it was not always so.

He said: "In the early days she'd get very irritated when my nose was stuck in the Sporting Life all through breakfast.

"Judy was more interested in how Ipswich Town were doing.

"She's still a season ticket holder at Ipswich but she's come to terms with racing and is as keen as I am."

So keen in fact that she's happy to return to foggy England from Barbados, where the Betts are spending Christmas, to see Rouble run at Newbury on December 29.

Betts has to be considered a lucky owner. Ten years ago he bought a horse named Black Sapphire, trained by Mark Tompkins.

The following autumn, with Tompkins on holiday, Betts was faced with trying to find a jockey to ride the horse in the £30,000 Tote Jackpot Hurdle at Sandown.

He didn't know much about Brendan Powell except that he had won the Grand National on Rhyme 'n' Reason four years earlier, but Brendan got the ride anyway. Betts said: "He jumped Black Sapphire off in front and was never headed.

"When Brendan started training last year I thought I'd send him a couple of horses to help him get going."

That loyalty is certain to be repaid in the future.

More immediately, Rouble has the Sun Alliance Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham in March as his objective after his run at Newbury in a fortnight.

It is some time since Gifford had a winner at the NH Festival, but win or lose this time, Rouble's great potential is over fences.

He has already been schooled and has the physique to jump the bigger obstacles with ease.

What price the Sun Alliance double, the Hurdle next year and the Novices Chase in 2003?