AFTER two years, five countries, and countless race days, we have arrived at the final 50 days of our Godolphin Flying Start journey.

It is hard to believe that it has been so long since we drove through the gates at Kildangan as 12 strangers who now know just about everything there is to know about each other. From those awkward introductions to now, we have been through an experience together that is entirely unique.

Being back at Kildangan, not much in our surroundings has changed. In the stallion barn, there is one new face with Shadow Of Light, who we saw on parade in our first day back.

He now stands alongside the ever-ascending Night Of Thunder, whose career has hit far greater heights than when we last saw him in 2024, and Ghaiyyath, whose Australian success we saw firsthand with Observer’s win in the Victoria Derby.

However, what has changed are the perspectives each one of us has developed, the working experiences that have strengthened us, and a better understanding of the global industry that has welcomed us along the way.

Business planning and expanding horizons

Starting back in January, we began the process of developing our business plans. The culmination of two years of international travel and hands-on industry exposure, this is our opportunity to showcase what we have learned through the business modules throughout the programme and our ability to look at the thoroughbred industry’s problems and identify solutions.

It all starts with an idea. For my classmates, some chose to focus on enhancing fan engagement in the sport, some on modernized solutions for the sales and racing yards, and others on enhanced solutions for monitoring horses.

My partner, Tereza, and I started this conversation on a beach in Sydney in December about the need for modern solutions in the Central European thoroughbred industry. It has been a highlight of the Godolphin Flying Start course to see how the idea we created has grown and developed from that point to today.

When I was selected for this progamme two years ago, I knew I would learn about the industry in Ireland, the UK, America, Australia, and Dubai. What I couldn’t have predicted was how much I would grow to learn about racing in the Czech Republic. Unexpectedly, the most exciting racing moment of the final phase hasn’t been Soldier In Milan’s triumph in the Irish Grand National.

Instead, it has been watching Tereza’s reaction to her family’s homebred Flynn Rider winning a race that put him on the road to the Czech Derby. It is this passion she has shared with me that made it possible to go through the business plan process and dive into creating something together for her industry at home.

Reach out

Throughout the process of customer discovery, we all had the opportunity to reach out to 40 members of the industry and get to the core of the problem faced by our selected segment of the industry.

Through our lectures with Raomal Perera, Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at University College Dublin, we have taken those findings and developed prototypes, fully detailed financial plans, and prepared a professional business plan bringing our ideas to life. This is something none of us had done before from start to finish and has allowed us to grow our business acumen and explore ideas that many of us hope to pursue after the course. Looking ahead to our presentations next week, we are eager to share these ideas with industry experts and tie a bow on our academics.

Visits and industry welcome

As with the other phases of the programme, we have been blessed to be welcomed through the doors of some of the greatest equine operations in the world.

Our day visiting Coolmore and Ballydoyle was a particular highlight. The team dedicated the entire day to showing us behind the scenes of the operation, with Aidan O’Brien spending his last lot with us to answer any questions we had.

At Coolmore itself, not only did they show us their roster of up-and-coming stallions, including a few personal class favorites in Delacroix and Camille Pissarro, but also many of their champion mares, including blue hen, You’resothrilling.

We have also been welcomed by leading Irish stallion operations such as Tally-Ho Stud, Ballylinch Stud, and Compas Stallions, getting an insight into stallion acquisition and management. Insights into broodmare and foal management were offered by Forenaghts Stud, Norelands Stud, and Kevin Blake’s Golden Farm.

In addition to our trainer rotation hosts at the start of the phase, we visited the yard of leading flat and National Hunt trainer, Joseph O’Brien, and successful breeze-up consignor, Bansha House Stables. We were truly grateful to all of these industry participants for their time, openness, and hospitality.

I want to personally thank Godolphin, the Godolphin Flying Start team worldwide, and Raomal Perera, who has gone above and beyond to support us all in the last few months, for these experiences and opportunities for growth.

See godolphinflyingstart.com for more on the programme