THE mysterious properties of a South Lakeland spring water are said to be helping a race horse trainer to success, reports Ellis Butcher.

Michael Chapman, from Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, says he has experienced good fortune since giving some of his horses Lakeland Willow Water.

Bottled in Flookburgh at the Cartmel Valley Springs water plant, it is pumped from an aquifer 150ft below ground and contains Salcin, a naturally-occurring compound related to aspirin.

For years, stories have abounded of its supposed health-giving properties.

Mr Chapman’s horse, Ei Ei, shocked the racing world when it recorded a third at the famous Cheltenham Gold Cup with odds of 33-1.

On Monday, the trainer cheered home Grandma Lily who won the 12.30pm Fillies’ Handicap at Southwell, Nottinghamshire, after failing to place in the top three of her last five races.

Mr Chapman, who has raced horses at Cartmel, told the Gazette how he decided to try the horses on Willow Water after watching on TV how it had been attributed to the recovery of a pony. Mr Chapman said: “After speaking to them, I tried it on a very, very sick horse which the vet had said was within 24 hours of dying, but within three weeks it looked magnificent.

“Tap water has got chlorine in it and horses have a very strong sense of smell, like dogs, and don’t like tap water. There’s no chlorine in Willow Water and it’s natural.” After watching his stable notch up another win this week, Mr Chapman said: “We are going to put half a dozen horses on it now! It really has made a difference.” The company, set up by local men David Jones, Phil Lynott and Ian Needham, started production in January this year and has permission from the Environment Agency to extract 100 million litres a year for 14 years.

The water comes from what the company says was once land covered in vast forests of white willow containing Salicin.

The water was discovered by Irish farmer Mr Lynott, who first found it bubbling in one of his fields.

Managing director David Jones said: “From the company’s point of view, it makes us feel very good that someone is benefiting from our product.”