Hamilton Road stables
In the mid-1960s a vast area of land, owned by the Jockey Club, close to the Heath, gallops and Rowley Mile course, was earmarked by the Jockey Club to form part of a massive venture aimed at increasing the number of stables in Newmarket, On the Hamilton Road plans were presented for the new stables, and the first to take advantage of the new scheme was former champion jockey turned trainer, Doug Smith. In December 1967, three days before Christmas, Doug announced that he would be moving his string of 30 horses from the yard of his former master, Geoff Brooke, and relocating to a gleaming new yard, the first of several offered to prospective tenants by the Jockey Club. Over half a century on, in 2020 the Hamilton Road contained in excess of 25 such racing establishments, many having changed owners, trainers and stable names on a regular basis since Doug Smith first occupied Cedar Lodge Stables back in early 1968. They offer direct and easy access to all of the Jockey Club Estates facilities and gallops, all within easy reach of the Warren Hill gallops. The Jockey Club cares for 2500 acres of maintained gallops, which includes over 50 miles of turf gallops, and since those early days of 1967 many Classic winners have been sent out from the wide array of Hamilton Road Stables.
1989-1992 Mohamed Moubarak, Mahmoud Fustok
Mohamed Moubarak was born in Lebanon, moving to Ireland aged 16 to work for John Oxx, Paddy Mullins and Vincent O'Brien. He launched his own training career in 1989, in his early twenties, at Green Ridge Stables, supported by his principal owner Mahmoud Ecurie Fustok, brother-in-law of the Saudi Crown Prince. His time at Green Ridge was successful, winning the 1992 Mill Reef Stakes with Forest Wind, the 1991 Yorkshire Oaks with Magnificent Star, the 1991 Duke of York Stakes with Green Line Express and the 1991 Royal Lodge Stakes with Made of Gold. In 1992 Moubarak moved to the USA, once again supported by Mohamed Fustok, at Buckram Oak Farm. Tragedy struck in February 2006 when Mahmoud Fustok was killed by a car whilst jogging on North Pompano Beach Boulevard. Moubarak returned to England in 2016, basing himself initially at Linden Lodge Stables, before transferring to Harraton Lodge Stables.
1991 Fillies Trail Stakes MAGNIFICENT STAR 7/1 owned by Mahmoud Ecurie Fustok, trained by Mohamed Mubarak and ridden by Tony Cruz
1991 Duke of York Stakes GREEN LINE XEPRESS 7/2 jt fav owned by Mahmoud Ecurie Fustok, trained by Mohamed Mubarak and ridden by Tony Cruz
1991 Royal Lodge Stakes MADE OF GOLD 4/1 owned by Mahmoud Ecurie Fustok, trained by Mohamed Mubarak and ridden by Tony Cruz
1991 Yorkshire Oaks MAGNIFICENT STAR 16/1 owned by Mahmoud Ecurie Fustok, trained by Mohamed Mubarak and ridden by Tony Cruz
1992 Mill Reef Stakes FOREST WIND 11/2 owned by Mahmoud Ecurie Fustok, trained by Mohamed Mubarak and ridden by Frankie Dettori
For over 4 centuries racing has been staged in Newmarket, but how have the racecourses evolved from an initial starting point at Fleam Dyke Pumping Station, some 8 miles from the town, with a winning post barely 200 metres from the town centre, into two world recognized, excellent racecourses and a universal acceptance that Newmarket is the Headquarters of racing?
To access an interactive racecourse map showing over 50 individually named racecourses CLICK HERE. The map will enable you to:-
1. Determine when extended races over 8 miles, 6 miles and 4 miles began to be replaced by the courses now visited by thousands annually;
2. Consider how the challenge of crossing the Devil's Dyke was overcome;
3. Contemplate why the town no longer has a steeplechase course despite having at least 5 courses during the past 2 centuries;
4. Examine the practicalities of having up to 48 starting posts and winning posts;
5. Appreciate that it was not financially viable to have an open racecourse spread widely across the heath, with a finishing post barely 200 metres from the town centre;
6. Research how and why the Cambridgeshire Handicap has been contested over 3 different courses.
NOTE: The map does not make mention of 2 particular courses:-
(i) Sefton Course (also known as the Cambridge Road Course)
Source: 1970 Raceform. Used from 1959 to 1975.
(ii) New Circular Course
The Circular Handicap was run on Friday 29th October 1875 on the New Circular Course of about two miles.
Source: London Standard (30th October 1875): ''the horses started near the Turn of the Lands, ran back way of the Cambridgeshire Course towards the Ditch, and afterwards proceeded down the side of the Tan Gallop, and turned into the Rowley Mile near the Bretby Stakes starting post, finishing at the stand at the end of the flat. Except in the hollow near the Cambridgeshire start the runners should have been visible all the way if the sky had been bright and clear''.
Another report hoped that the Circular Handicap would become a feature in future programmes, as it would be contested in front of the new grandstand which would be completed in about a year and would be able to accommodate thousands.
(I am grateful to Tim Cox for bringing attention to these 2 courses.)
Enjoy researching the intriguing history of Newmarket and its many racecourses.
1997-2002 Kamil Mahdi
Kamil Mahdi was issued a licence to train in England in 1997, having begun his training career in Kuwait where he trained over 400 winners and was crowned champion trainer 5 times. He owned horses with Gay Kelleway prior to gaining his licence to train, after which he took over at Green Ridge Stables on the Hamilton Road. He had a string of 40 horses, with principal owners Hamad Al-Mutawa and the Kuwati-owned Greenfield Stud. In 1997 he trained Almushtarak to win the Britain's Fastest Railway Park Stakes at Doncaster at 25/1 in the hands of Ray Cochrane, following up in the Sandown Mile Stakes in 1998, before taking the runner-up spot behind Among Men in the 1998 Sussex Stakes. At the turn of the millennium things began to go wrong for Mahdi when he allegedly had a long list of creditors waiting to be paid.
1997 Britain's Fastest Railway Park Stakes ALMUSHTARAK 25/1 owned by Hamad Al-Mutawa, trained by Kamil Mahdi and ridden by Ray Cochrane
1998 Anniversary Sandown Mile ALMUSHTARAK 4/1 owned by Hamad Al-Mutawa, trained by Kamil Mahdi and ridden by Ray Cochrane
2003-2005 Paul D'Arcy
Paul William D'Arcy, born on 16th February 1956, spent his early teens helping out at Doug Mark's stables in Lambourn before becoming an apprentice to Geoff Toft and Barry Hills. He rode his first winner, Clem's Boy, at Pontefract on 6th August 1975 and carved out a successful career as a jockey riding for Harry Thomson Jones, David Ringer and Karl Bridgewater. In the early 1990s Paul retired from race riding to pursue a career as a trainer, starting in 1998, and at the start of the new millennium he began training at High Havens Stables, leasing it from Jim Lovat and replacing Karle Burke who had transferred to Middleham. In 2001 Lady High Havens, part owned by Mrs A Lovat, wife of the owner of High Havens Stables, won 2 races at Ascot whilst trained by Paul, and he had high hopes for the filly if the correct training programme was adopted.
2003 European Free Handicap INDIAN HAVEN 9/2 owned by Fountain Racing, trained by Paul D'Arcy and ridden by John Egan
2003 Irish 2000 Guineas INDIAN HAVEN (SR 1822) 8/1 owned by Peter Gleeson, Liz Conway and Julian Smith, trained by Paul D'Arcy and ridden by John Egan
2006-2012 Marco Botti
Marco Botti, son of Alduino, who was regularly champion trainer in Italy for more than 30 years, was born in 1976 and enjoyed a successful riding career before mapping out his route to becoming a top-class trainer. While his brother, Stefano, remained in Italy to train, Marco made his way to Newmarket. He learnt his trade from some of the best trainers in the town, spending time with Luca Cumani at Bedford House Stables, and also gaining experience with Ed Dunlop and Saeed bin Suroor. In 2006 he felt the time was right to apply for his own trainer's licence, ably supported by his wife Lucie, herself a former jockey, and began training at Green Ridge Stables on the Hamilton Road. His first winner came soon afterwards, when Ceremonial Jane landed a maiden stakes race at Beverley, but from that humble start he has gone on to achieve much success both in the UK and on the International stage. In 2009 Ceremonial Jade won the Lady Wulfruna Stakes at Wolverhampton for loyal owner Giuliano Manfredini, while Gitano Hernando won the Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita Park, California in the same year. Another stable star in his time at Green Ridge was Excelebration who won the Prix de Moulin de Longchamp in 2011, while a year later Joshua Tree landed the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine, Toronto in 2012, and Jakalberry was victorious in the American St. Leger at Arlington Park, Chicago. In early 2013 Marco, Lucie, Matteo and Valentina made the short journey from Green Ridge Stables to take on the brand new establishment of Prestige Place.
2009 Lady Wulfruna Stakes CEREMONIAL JADE 4/1 owned by Giuliano Manfredini, trained by Marco Botti and ridden by John Egan
2009 Winter Derby Trial Stakes GITANO HERNANDO 1/2 fav owned by Team Valor, trained by Marco Botti and ridden by Kieron Fallon
2009 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita, GITANO HERNANDO 1/2 fav owned by Team Valor and Gary Barber, trained by Marco Botti and ridden by Kieron Fallon
2010 Diamond Stakes at Dundalk GITANO HERNANDO 9/10 fav owned by Team Valor, trained by Marco Botti and ridden by Kieron Fallon
2011 German 2000 Guineas EXCELEBRATION 21/10 fav owned by Giuliano Manfredini, trained by Marco Botti and ridden by Adam Kirby
2011 Hungerford Stakes EXCELEBRATION 5/4 owned by Giuliano Manfredini, trained by Marco Botti and ridden by Adam Kirby
2011 Qatar Prix Du Moulin De Longchamp EXCELEBRATION 11/8 owned by Giuliano Manfredini, trained by Marco Botti and ridden by Jamie Spencer
2012 Darley Prix Kergorlay at Deauville JOSHUA TREE 9/2 owned by K K Nabooda & K Albahou, trained by Marco Botti and ridden by Ryan Moore
2012 Mill Reef Stakes MOOHAAJIM 5/2 owned by Skeikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, trained by Marco Botti and ridden by Adam Kirby
2012 Crocker Bulteel Maiden Stakes MOOHAAJIM 13/2 owned by Skeikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, trained by Marco Botti and ridden by Andrea Atzeni
2012 American St Leger at Arlington Park JAKKALBERRY owned by Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock, trained by Marco Botti and ridden by Ryan Moore
2012 Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine JOSHUA TREE owned by K K Nabooda & K Albahou, trained by Marco Botti and ridden by Frankie Dettori
Jan 2017-November 2017 Giles Bravery
Giles Bravery was brought up in a racing environment, so it was natural for him to pursue a career in the industry. He began his working life with cattle in Australia before returning to England in 1987, taking up an appointment at the National Stud. He then switched jobs and countries, taking up a post at Haras de la Louviere in France, preparing yearlings for the sale ring. Between 1986 and 1991 Lord John Fitzgerald trained at Albert House Stables, Newmarket, and was assisted by Giles on his return from France, although Giles moved on to gain further experience with Mark Tompkins at Flint Cottage. When Lord John was appointed to a post in Dubai by Sheikh Mohammed in 1991, Giles took charge of Albert House Stables, ably supported by his wife Fiona. He made a success of his time at Albert House and the family moved to Revida Place, on the Hamilton Road, in 1997. He enjoyed an early success when Diamond White won the 1997 Sweet Solera Stakes for owner Peter Scott, while two years later he won arguably his most prestigious race when Torgau landed the 1999 Cherry Hinton Stakes in the hands of Gary Stevens, earning her the Cartier Racing Award of European Champion Two-Year-Old Filly of 1999, a trophy which Giles collected on the day his daughter Lily was born. Son Harry followed afterwards to complete the family.
2018-present James Owen
James Owen made a name for himself as an amateur jockey, achieving a number of winners in point-to point races, but in 2014 he formed James Owen Racing and began training a few point-to-pointers and some Arabian horses. One of his high-profile owners was Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, and James was crowned UK Arabian Champion Trainer on 3 occasions up to 2018. In 2018 he based himself at Green Ridge Stables, training some horses, and offering a pre-training and breaking service second to none.
JOSHUA TREE (2012 Canadian International Stakes)
EXCELEBRATION (2011 German 2000 Guineas, Hungerford Stakes)
JAKKALBERRY (2012 American St Leger)
INDIAN HAVEN (2003 Irish 2000 Guineas, European Free Handicap)
MOOHAAJIM (2012 Mill Reef Stakes)
