5 Great Places To Visit This National Racehorse Week

Features | 15^th June 2023

You can go behind the scenes at some amazing venues to see and interact with the incredible people and horses

Following the incredible success of the initiative, more than 130 training yards, studs and aftercare centres will throw open their doors to the public from September 9 to 17.

There will be the chance to meet the real stars of British horseracing – the horses. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see the love and care that goes on behind the scenes in preparing horses for the races.

As well as the horses, you will meet everyone who looks after them from the trainers, work riders and stable staff to farriers, vets and even equine massage therapists.

You can book your visit now by visiting www.nationalracehorseweek.uk

Here’s just five fantastic venues taking part in National Racehorse Week where you will, of course, receive the warmest of welcomes.

Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero

Oliver trained at Stockton Hall Farm with Josh as his assistant for a number of years.

Since the former amateur jockeys officially teamed up last year with a joint-licence they have taken their operation to another level, at their base near Malpas in Cheshire.

The pair sent out 61 winners last season, mostly over jumps, but they have also trained a few Flat winners. The highlight was most definitely Iroko’s victory in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

He carried the famous JP McManus colours to victory at jump racing’s greatest meeting, but the yard also specialises in syndicate ownership. Around 90 per cent of the horses are in joint ownership.

Looking after the owners and going racing with them takes up much of Oliver’s time, with Josh and the staff focussing fully on giving the horses the best possible attention.

It makes for a smooth-running operation and a partnership that is clearly working.

David Menuisier

French-born David learned his trade working for some of the world’s best trainers before enjoying great success in his own right. He grew up surrounded by horses. His parents bred racehorses in Lorraine, north east France, and, even at the age of seven, he dreamed of becoming a trainer.

After completing his university studies, he set out to make those dreams become reality. He worked as assistant trainer to Criquette Head-Maarek before moving to join US ‘Hall of Fame’ trainer Richard Mandella and then 10-time British Classic-winner John Dunlop. In 2014, he set up training at Pulborough, Sussex on the edge of the beautiful South Downs National Park. David has become an internationally-respected Flat trainer, having recorded winners in France, Germany, Sweden, Australia and, of course, Britain. Wonderful Tonight won Group 1 races on both side of the English Channel in 2020 and he has also enjoyed big-race victories with the likes of Thundering Blue and Danceteria.

This year he got off to a flying start when Migration landed the prestigious Lincoln Handicap on the opening day of the turf season. With his expert horsemanship and intuitive rapport with the horses, he prides himself on creating bespoke training programmes for all his horses.

Andy Irvine

Andy’s wife Zoe Davison built Shovelstrode Racing with the support of her husband, family and long-serving staff with a single-minded attention to detail. From their base in a stunning corner of Surrey, they created a successful operation with the care of their horses at the heart of everything they do.

Focussing on the horses’ mental wellbeing as well their physical fitness, they have developed a reputation for getting the best out of their runners. Andy officially took over the licence when Zoe sadly passed away in 2021. He has continued to run the jumping yard with daughter Gemelle Johnson with the same core principles.

They consider every horse to be unique with different needs and tailor individual training programmes for each of their horses.
They’re taken on weekly ‘away days’ and often jump around a nearby cross-country course to hone their jumping skills.

The fruits of the team’s labours are often seen to best effect at their local tracks with regular visits to the winners’ enclosures at the likes of Plumpton, Fontwell and Lingfield.

Charlie Johnston

Charlie is in charge of the most successful Flat racing yard in British racing history. He officially took over from his dad Mark at the start of 2023, having shared a joint-licence last season, and he has a lot to live up to. In a career lasting 35 years, Mark trained more than 5,000 winners – a record for British racing. His horses developed a reputation for being some of the toughest to beat and he was particularly successful with stayers, winning the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot four times.

Attraction was possibly his best horse. She won the 1000 Guineas, Irish 1,000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes during a glorious summer in 2004. Like his dad, Charlie trained to be a vet but always had ambitions to become a trainer.

Their operation, based in the market town of Middleham on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, continues to churn out the winners. Visitors to the Flat-orientated yard can expect to see just why they have been so successful for so long.

Peopleton Brook Racehorse Centre

It’s not just racing yards that are opening their doors during National Racehorse Week. Several rehoming centres are also taking part. Peopleton Brook, situated near Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, just a few miles from the world-famous Badminton Horse Trials course, is one of them.

Here you will be able to see how racehorses are cared for when being retrained and rehabilitated after retiring from the track. The centre, officially accredited by the Retraining Of Racehorses, is also home to a whole range of animals from goats, pigs and alpacas to rabbits, dogs and cats. It also operates as a care farm offering alternative learning to students with specific needs, including autism and mental health issues.

A visit to the Peopleton Brook and the other racehorse retraining centres taking part in National Racehorse Week will be a wonderful experience.