FROM an outsider’s perspective, Newmarket really is the home of horseracing and should be preserved like this for as long as humanly possible.

Since arriving in Newmarket on October 28th with my fellow Flying Start trainees, it’s been incredible to view the open gallops and the way that the town has been built with the thoroughbred at its heart.

Towns back home in Melbourne, Australia used to be this way, with riders able to walk horses across roads and public property to get to the racetrack for trackwork.

Unfortunately, this is now few and far between as land development and property management has rapidly expanded. To see Newmarket, with its designated horse crossings and open expanses purely for working the horses, is incredibly unique and should never be lost.

On arrival, we were taken through the rich history of Newmarket with a tour of the various Jockey Club Estates and a visit to the family-owned Weatherbys offices.

It’s remarkable to read the old stud books that have been preserved at Weatherbys and the moments in time that are captured through the various artworks at the Jockey Club.

We’ve had the opportunity to visit Charlie Appleby’s training facilities at Moulton Paddocks as well as seeing Saeed Bin Suroor’s set-up at Godolphin Stables. It’s no surprise the success that they are getting when you look at the sheer size of the training complex they have on offer and the well-run operation that they’ve built over the years.

We’ve also had the chance to visit numerous other yards across the town such as those of John Berry and Kevin Phillipart de Foy, as well as pre-trainers such as Jamie Peel and rehab specialist Lou Collinson.

Each of these experiences have been brilliant to identify the differences and benefits in each operation.

We’ve also had the chance to look at the after-care of thoroughbreds after racing. It’s great to see the hard work put in by people such as Diana Cooper and Cilla Leonard at the Godolphin Rehoming programme to prepare these former racehorses for another lifestyle. Comparing Newmarket to home, I would love to one day see a set-up like Living Legends in the UK to promote the champions of our sport and allow racegoers and fans to visit these great athletes after racing. Living Legends has become a brilliant tourist attraction while also allowing the utmost care of these thoroughbreds, and there’s no reason to think this couldn’t work in the UK as well.

As part of the UK phase of the Flying Start programme, we’ve also been placed on three one-week rotations at the British Racing School, Longholes Stud and an office rotation at Dalham Hall Stud.

The British Racing School was my first rotation and I truly believe it is possibly one of the most beneficial facets of Newmarket. This industry has been having staffing issues for some time now, whether that’s here in Newmarket or back home in Melbourne.

To have an educational programme right in the centre of town that is funded by the government and trains up future industry participants, not just aspiring jockeys, is remarkable. It’s a programme that really should be implemented in other countries.

We’ve also been able to get to the races at Newmarket, Chelmsford, Huntingdon and Cheltenham. The most recent meeting at Cheltenham demonstrated to me how big jumps racing in the UK truly is with the phenomenal crowd in attendance. It must be some spectacle to be there during the Festival!

We worked at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale before heading onto the December Mare Sale and the Sceptre Sessions which was headlined by Andrew Balding’s four-time Group 1 winner Alcohol Free.

We shadowed various agents to try and learn as much as possible off some incredibly bright minds. We were pretty fortunate with the weather staying relatively dry (but still freezing) for the majority of the sales.

After the sales we move onto our last rotation. For my group this was with Jamie Peel and Lou Collinson. We learned some more about pre-training and rehabilitation work.

If you, or anyone you know, loves the international horse racing and breeding industry and is passionate about learning, the Godolphin Flying Start applications are now open until the closing date of February 5th, 2023.

See godolphinflyingstart.com for more information