Rathmoy Stables, refurbished for over £1 million in 2016, boasts the most modern facilities on the Hamilton Road in Newmarket. It consists of 78 boxes, made up of two barns of 18 boxes together with two U-shaped yards, each of 20 boxes, as well as two separate isolation boxes. There is a very modern glass viewing gallery, a top of the range horse walker and treadmill, an equine swimming pool and equine spa, and the stable benefits from direct access to the Racecourse side gallops.
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.
1975-February 2008 Neville Callaghan
Neville Callaghan, son of an Irish father and English mother, was educated at a Catholic school and was not connected to a racing family, but that did not hold him back from carving out a successful training career. He began with Ken Cundell before joining Bruce Hobbs as his assistant, launching his own training career at the start of the 1970s. He married Jenny and they had two children, Camilla and Simon. Neville began training at Cadland House Stables at a time when there were strikes in the racing industry, although he spent the majority of his training career at Rathmoy Stables on the Hamilton Road. He was a marmite type character, respected by some, feared by many, forming life-long partnerships with Michael Tabor amongst others, and often coming into conflict with racing's hierarchy. Early in his career he won a number of hurdle races with Royal Derbi, initially for Mr J Lockhart, but later the horse was purchased by Michael Tabor. Arguably his best horse was Danehill Dancer who won the Greenham Stakes at Newbury, following up with wins in the Phoenix Stakes at Leopardstown and the National Stakes at The Curragh. In 1997 he won the prestigious Stewards Cup at the Glorious Goodwood meeting with Danetime, partnered by Pat Eddery, and later won the Dante Stakes in 2003 with Magistretti. Towards the end of his training career his best horse was Excellent Art who was successful in the Mill Reef Stakes and the National Stakes. He decided to retire in 2008 and hand the reins on to his son Simon who, at the time, was just 24 years old.
1989 Listed Placepot Hurdle at Kempton ROYAL DERBI 10/1 owned by J Lockhart, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Hywel Davies
1989 Listed Guinness Trophy Champion 4-y-o Hurdle at Punchestown ROYAL DERBI 7/1 owned by J Lockhart, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Graham McCourt
1989 Diadem Stakes CHUMMY'S FAVOURITE 40/1 owned by Michael Hill, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Frankie Dettori
1990 Listed Waterford Castle Handicap Hurdle at Punchestown ROYAL DERBI 15/8 fav owned by Michael Tabor, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Hywel Davies
1993 Sweet Solera Stakes FAIRY HEIGHTS 7/2 owned by Frank W Golding, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Alan Munro
1993 Fillies Mile at Newmarket FAIRY HEIGHTS 11/1 owned by Frank W Golding, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Cash Asmussen
1993 Listed AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown ROYAL DERBI 14/1 owned by Michael Tabor, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Declan Murphy
1995 EBF Maiden Stakes at Newmarket DANEHILL DANCER 7/4 owned by Michael Tabor, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Pat Eddery
1995 Greenham Stakes DANEHILL DANCER evens fav owned by Michael Tabor, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Pat Eddery
1995 Phoenix Stakes at Leopardstown DANEHILL DANCER 2/1 owned by Michael Tabor, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Pat Eddery
1995 National Stakes at The Curragh DANEHILL DANCER 4/5 fav owned by Michael Tabor, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Pat Eddery
1997 Stewards Cup at Glorious Goodwood DANETIME 5/1 fav owned by Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Pat Eddery
2003 Group 2 Dante Stakes MAGISTRETTI 8/1 owned by Michael Tabor, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Kevin Darley
2003 Feilden Stakes MAGISTRETTI 9/2 owned by Michael Tabor, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Kieren Fallon
2004 Polyanthus Nursery at Lingfield REBEL REBEL 4/5 fav owned by Six Star Racing, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Oscar Urbina
2006 National Stakes EXCELLENT ART 8/13 fav owned by Matthew Green, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Frankie Dettori
2006 Mill Reef Stakes EXCELLENT ART 15/8 owned by Matthew Green, trained by Neville Callaghan and ridden by Kerrin McEvoy
February 2008-November 2009 Simon Callaghan
Simon Anthony Callaghan, born in Cambridge on 7th March 1983, is the son of racehorse trainer Neville Callaghan who was a trainer for 37 years. Simon grew up in a racing environment, gained experience at Todd Pletcher's stables in Kentucky, and acted as his father's assistant towards the end of his father's career, taking over the reins at Rathmoy Stables when his father decided to retire at the end of the 2007 flat racing season. Simon enjoyed immediate success in 2008 winning the Group 2 Henry II Stakes at Sandown with Finalmente, but in late 2009, aged just 26, he decided to relocate to Santa Anita Park in America. He has been incredibly successful in the USA, winning the Santa Anita Oaks twice, in 2014 with Fashion Plate and again in 2019 with Swiss Skydiver. He also won the prestigious Sunland Derby in 2015 with Firing Line.
2008 Group 2 Henry II Stakes at Sandown FINALMENTE 16/1 owned by Edward M Kirtland, trained by Simon Callaghan and ridden by Frankie Dettori
2010-2015 Marco Botti, Gay Kelleway, Abdullah Mana Al-Hairi
After Simon Callaghan departed for Santa Anita, and prior to David Lanigan moving to Rathmoy Stables, the stables underwent a period of transformation. In early 2010 Marco Botti rented the Stables as an overflow. In July 2010 Gay Kelleway put her Queen Alexandra Stables on the market, hoping to increase her stable capacity by taking over Rathmoy. The stables were then purchased by the Qatari businessman Abdullah Mana Al-Hajri and he spent over £1 million transforming and modernising the establishment, turning it into one of the most modern stable yards in Newmarket.
November 2016-2020 David Lanigan
David Lanigan, son of Bob and Deirdre Lanigan, was born on his parent's farm at Tullamaine Castle in Tipperary, Ireland where he was fortunate to have access to racehorses. He spent 5 years working at Walmac Farm, in Kentucky, owned by Johnny T L Jones, before his appointment as assistant to Sir Henry Cecil at Warren Place Stables, where he spent an invaluable 5 years, including the time when Light Shift (SR 1811) won the 2007 Epsom Oaks for the Niarchos family. David then decided that he had gained sufficient experience to apply for his own trainer's license. He took over Revida Place in 2007, during which time he enjoyed particular success with fillies, guiding Meeznah to victory in the Group 2 Park Hill Stakes and the Group 3 Lillie Langtry Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, both times partnered by Frankie Dettori. In 2011 David was enticed by owner Bjorn Nielson to Kingsdown, near Lambourn, where he spent a successful 5 years, training over a century of high-class winners, including a first Royal Ascot success when Interception won the 2015 Wokingham Stakes. He also had high hopes for Main Sequence after the colt's victory in the Lingfield Derby Trial, but the colt had to play second best to Camelot (SR 2018) in the Epsom Derby, being soundly defeated by 5 lengths. In November 2016, his contract with Nielson at an end, David was excited by the prospect of returning to Newmarket to train at the newly refurbished Rathmoy Stables, renovated at a cost of approximately £1 million by Qatari businessman Abdullah Mana Al-Hajri. He continued to enjoy success with fillies when Worth Waiting won the 2018 Aphrodite Fillies Stakes at Newmarket, following up in the Group 3 Prix Minerve at Deauville, and later winning the 2019 Group 2 Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket. At the end of the 2019 season he announced that he would be relinquishing his UK Trainer's License, relocating his family, American wife Amy and 2 children, to Lexington, Kentucky.
2017 Breeders Backing EBF Conditions Stakes at Thirsk MITCHUM SWAGGER 6/4 owned by The Anagram Partnership, trained by David Lanigan and ridden by Tom Queally
2018 Racing UK Median Auction Stakes at Redcar WORTH WAITING 1/2 fav owned by Saif Ali, trained by David Lanigan and ridden by Daniel Muscutt
2018 Aptus Investment Fund Fillies Handicap WORTH WAITING 8/11 fav owned by Saif Ali, trained by David Lanigan and ridden by Pat Cosgrave
2018 Aphrodite Fillies Stakes at Newmarket WORTH WAITING 4/1 owned by Saif Ali, trained by David Lanigan and ridden by Franny Norton
2018 Group 3 Prix Minerve at Deauville WORTH WAITING 31/5 owned by Saif Ali, trained by David Lanigan and ridden by Stephane Pasquier
2019 Group 2 Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket WORTH WAITING 3/1 owned by Saif Ali, trained by David Lanigan and ridden by James Doyle
April 2020-present William Knight
William Knight, previously assistant to Ed Dunlop, trained successfully in his own right at Lower Coombe Stables, Angmering Park, West Sussex, for a number of years in stables made famous by Lady Herries. During his time in West Sussex he guided Illustrious Blue to success in the 2010 Goodwood Cup, as well as winning the Listed Paradise Stakes at Ascot with King of Dixie. Another of his successes was Fire Ship who won the Group 3 Prix Quincey Lucien Barriere at Deauville and the Listed Pomfret Stakes at Pontefract. In April 2020 he took over the reins at Rathmoy Stables from David Lanigan, and is ideally located next to the Racecourse Side gallops to build on his career successes.
DANEHILL DANCER (1995 Greenham Stakes, Phoenix Stakes, National Stakes)
WORTH WAITING (2018 Aphrodite Stakes, Prix Minerve, 2019 Dahlia Stakes)
EXCELLENT ART (2006 Mill Reef Stakes, National Stakes)
DANETIME (1997 Stewards Cup)
MAGISTRETTI (2003 Dante Stakes)
