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George Boughey

admin April 7, 2026

Considering George Boughey entered the world of professional thoroughbred horse training at the age of 27, he has made an impact in the training ranks. His approach was one of learning, starting small, and building a strong foundation which would see him well.

Unusual for most trainers within the industry, he didn’t come from a racing family. However, as a teenager, he did take an interest in the sport after visiting Newmarket with a family friend, he became fascinated with bloodstock sales. This led him to gaining mentorship with agent Luke Lillingston. Later he would work for him. Another influence was Tom Goff, related to the Goffs Irish Bloodstock auction house, although from the wider family.

This son of a Dorset farmer, has come a long way. Those formative years of mentorship with Lillingston et al opened the door to the racing industry. It is worth noting Boughey comes from a privileged background and was schooled at Radley College; one of the most elite private schools in the UK. It’s considered a top-tier full boarding school for students aged 13 – 18. It cost £60k per year.

Hands-on experience about horses and sales helped build contacts and credibility.

Very few budding horse trainers get such opportunities. It’s an industry where connections are often worth more than money alone.

Boughey also worked in Australia for joined Gai Waterhouse in Sydney before joining Lloyd Williams in Melbourne.

These experiences would help George Boughey launch his career.

Adding to his knowledge, he secured a role as assistant trainer with Hugo Palmer at Newmarket. A trainer who had tasted success at Group level.

Boughey worked at Kremlin House Stables for 6 years.

In 2019, he was granted his trainers’ licence and started with just 4 horses at a small yard named Red House Stables. He would then move to Saffron House Stables. Thereafter, he would locate at Craven House. All three stables are located at Hamilton Road, Newmarket. He purchased the stable in January 2025, which had been previously owned by Godolphin as a pre-training base. It reputedly cost £1.9M.

Boughey displayed his talents winning his first Classic race taking the Qipco 1000 Guineas with Cachet on the 1^st May 2022.

Very few trainers win a Classic race in their early career.

A superb achievement for not only him but owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing – Wild Flower.

Since then, he has trained over 500 winners. These include many high-profile winners at Listed and Group class, from tracks such as Royal Ascot, across the UK and overseas.

Craven House Stables is a modern facility.

It includes 6 acres with 100 boxes. The stable backs onto the Newmarket gallops managed by Jockey Club Estates: a mix of surfaces including a long two-mile gallop on the racecourse side, Limekilns Bury Side and watered gallops. In addition, over 14 miles of all-weather gallops: Al Bahathri and Cambridge Road.

Not forgetting, Hamilton Hill Canter and Warren Hill.

The stables have a large all-weather trotting ring, 4 horse walkers, turnout paddocks & equine spa. Owners have a panoramic view of the stables.

The stable continues to find success.

Michael Appleby

admin April 2, 2026

Michael Appleby is a well respected horse trainer. He was born in 1975, Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

He always enjoyed horse racing and his biggest influence was his family. In fact, his father worked within racing which exposed Mick to the world of thoroughbred horse racing from a young age. In fact, he went into the horse racing industry after leaving school at 16.

This hands-on experience as a teenager gave him a chance to become a jockey. However, this was short lived and he was soon associated with Andrew Balding’s stable working his way up the ranks to become Head lad at Kingsclere.

However, Appleby’s true ambition was to become a licenced horse trainer in his own name. With the vast experience gained from varied job titles and a number of stables he was able to go it alone in 2010.

Initially, he had a stable based near Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire. He showed great professionalism in this formative year and sent out 20 winners and by the end of his tenure it had reached 80+. He achieved great success at Manton House Stables sending out over 400 winners. He did particularly well on the all-weather racecourses, often with horse bought at sales, recognised as improving horses that others had overlooked.

In 2016, he relocated to Langham Racing Stables, a former polo grounds, near Oakham in Leicestershire which expanded his operation significantly. The move to Rutland pushed his career to another level.

His achievements have been many. He is known for his exploits on the all-weather circuits and been crowned Champion trainer on a number of occasions.

His first major win came with Danzeno taking the Chipchase Stakes Group 3 at Newcastle ridden by Andrew Mullen. Danzeno would go on to race 63 times and achieve almost £450,00 in total earnings.

Another noted victory came with Art Scholar winning the November Handicap in 2012 at odds of 20/1.

In more recent years, the stable hit the headlines with the exceptional Big Evs who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (2023) with prize money over £433,000. A superb horse winning 6 of his 11 races and earning total prize money just shy of £1M. He is now a stallion standing at Tally Ho Stud in Ireland.

He is known as a trainer ‘who can get the best out of horses’ and highly respected. Headlines such as ‘super-trainer’ who can turn modest performers into serious performers has seen him produce lots of winners consistently.

He trains about 100 horses at his Rutland stables which puts him in the mid-to-large category of horse trainers in the UK in flat racing.

Stable facilities include 100 spacious boxes with individual feeding and monitoring. The grounds feature both a private grass and all-weather gallops over one mile. In addition, they have treadmills and horse walkers, tack rooms, feed stores and veterinary prep area, quarantine isolation stable, and secure owners viewing area.

In short, Langham Racing Stables are modern, versatile and tailored for flat horse racing.

Richard Hannon

admin April 1, 2026

Richard Hannon is an established, high-profile horse trainer for some of the wealthiest owners and owner of one of the largest stables in the United Kingdom. He follows in the footsteps of his father Richard Snr who came from very humble beginning. He was a major player as a licenced horse trainer until his retirement in 2013 where upon his son, who was assistant trainer, literally took over the reigns.

It should be noted that the Hannon family has a long history within racing. In fact, Hannon Snr was assistant to his father, Harry, who retired in 1970.

Richard Hannon Snr won a number of prestigious races including a total of 5 winners of the 1000 & 2000 Guineas. In addition, the Irish 2000 Guineas on 3 occasions. He trained 4,145 winners. He was British flat racing Champion Trainer in 1992, 2010, 2011 & 2013.

This short summery really doesn’t do him justice. However, to add to his merit, he trained over a century of winners in 20 seasons and a double century no less than 5 times.

Richard Michael Hannon was born in 1975.

He took over training at Herridge Racing Stables, Marlborough, Wiltshire in 2014. Formerly, he was assistant trainer to his father. They also have a satellite stable at Everleigh on the edge of Salisbury Plain.

Hannon spent time in Australia before returning to the UK to assist his father. He served this role for 12 years until taking charge upon his father’s retirement in 2013.

Hannon started his training career with an imprssive 10-length victory of an unraced three-year-old called Unscripted. In fact, his first season proved victorious with 206 domestic winners and crowned flat racing Champion Trainer in 2014.

The stable has capacity for 220 horses. With the original stables at Everleigh catering for about 100, while Herridge, the newer facility, containing 120-plus boxes came to fruition in 1993. The business has a workforce of about 100 people.

The yard has a mix of traditional brick stables and American-style barns. It is one of the most well-equipped establishments in the UK. Both training centres total 250 acres with grass gallops. While Everleigh and Herridge feature 7-furlong sand and poly track gallops respectively. Interestingly, the yard has a mill to mix its own feed. In addition, they have 4 modern horse boxes.

There is a 2-furlong exercise ring, horse walkers, salt water spa, while indoor schooling for breaking in yearlings, a quiet lunging area and starting stalls for race preparation. In addition, there are turnout pens, digital weighbridge & hot water showers.

His major racing success came with Night Of Thunder who won the English 2000 Guineas in 2014. Other noted horses include Toronado, Tiggy Wiggy & Olympic Glory. He is heading toward 2000 winners with many successes coming from overseas.

Hannon is one of triplets, with three other sisters. His sister, Elizabeth, is married to horse trainer Richard Hughes.

Hannon is married to, Jemima, and they have two children, Eliza and Jack.

Karl Burke

admin March 31, 2026

A favourite horse trainer of many who has had a spectacular rise to fame since starting his career from very humble beginnings.

Karl Richard Burke was born in 1963, to Irish parents, his mother a nurse and father a publican. Although Burke rode horses as a child, his true interest in the sport came from watching horse racing with his father. This would inspire him to take a holiday job at the age of 16 with Hugh O’Neill, based in Surrey. He enjoyed the experience so much he stayed on as an apprentice.

Later, he would head to Alan Jarvis where he rode a number of winners on the Flat, however, his weight would see him switch to jumps.

He would marry Alan’s daughter, Elaine, and they set up a livery yard near Newark.

Burke achieved his trainers’ licence in 1990. He would train a limited number of horses renting stables in Wantage and then Newmarket.

His first winner Temporale which came in a 2-mile handicap hurdle at Towcester.

In 1996, his first major win saw Daring Destiny take the Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh, Ireland. This Group 3 success, was followed by Group 2 victory in Goldene Peitsche at Baden-Baden, Germany.

He moved to Spigot Lodge near Middleham in 2000. Based in North Yorkshire, it proved to be a bold move as many owners were based in the south. The move had an impact on horse numbers. It took Burke a number of years to re-establish himself as a leading trainer. However, in 2007, Philario won the Sirenia Stakes Group 3 at Kempton. He has a skill or nurturing the best out of two-year-old horses as he does to this day.

Lord Shanakill was a very talented juvenile, who went on to give Burke his first Group 1 win when racing as a three-year-old taking the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly, France. The horse would go on to be a stallion at stud.

Over the following years, something of a turbulent period for Burke, the stable overcame adversity to send out a number of high-profile winners including Odeliz, Unfortunately, Quiet Reflection, Havana Grey & Laurens who won 21 Group races between them from 2015 – 2019. Quiet Reflection gave Burke his first domestic Group 1 victory in 2016 when taking the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

Although Burke achieved a century of winners in 2021, it would take Fallen Angel to win their next Group 1 race in 2023 with a superb performance in the Moyglare Stud Stakes in Ireland. The following year she would take the Irish 1000 Guineas giving the stable their first Classic. Fallen Angel would go on to win 5 Group 1 races in her career and achieve total prize earning topping £1M for owners Wathnan Racing, formerly in the colours of Clipper Logistics Ltd.

As for facilities, there is a grass gallop on Low Moor. Plus, as a four furlong warm-up track, including a seven furlong and four furlong polytrack. High Moor features a one mile four furlong grass gallop. In addition, there are other grass gallops and starting stalls leading out onto the grass gallops. They also have a one and half furlong indoor ride.

They have 130 stables. They have lunge pens, aqua equine treadmill, horse walkers, floodlit exercise ring, six wash bays, vet room and solarium.

Burke is married to Elaine, and they have two daughters Kelly and Lucy. Spigot Lodge is very much a family business.

Along side his many ambitions, is to have a winner in Australia.

James Fanshawe

admin March 30, 2026

James Fanshawe is a long-standing thoroughbred horse trainer, highly respected and has achieved much success, including numerous Group 1 winners. Although associated with Flat racing he has a dual purpose licence and has sent out two Champion Hurdle winners.

Fanshawe was born in 1961. His family part of the equestrian world. His father, Brian, an amateur jockey, and quoted as ‘an exceptional horseman’ who was Master of the Cottesmore Hunt. His grandfather, Richard, an equestrian, who had a military background and attained the ranked of Major. In fact, such was his horsemanship, that he competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics at Berlin.

In his formative years, James Fanshawe worked within the horse racing industry, initially gaining experience with National Hunt trainers George Faribairn, Josh Gifford, and David Nicholas, who is his aunt’s husband.

During the 1980s, he was assistant trainer to Sir Michael Stoute based at Freemason Lodge Stables, Newmarket.

In 1990, he took out his own trainer’s licence at Pegasus Stables at Newmarket, built by jockey Fred Archer in 1884. He originally leased the stable in 1988 but purchased it in 1994 where it was renovated to its former glory.

It now has 74 boxes. The stables have a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere. Horses train on the Newmarket Heath, owned by Jockey Club Estates. In fact, they manage fifty miles of turf gallops and fourteen miles of artificial canters.

At the stable, they have a horse walker and several turn out paddocks.

His first winner came in May that first season when Black Sapphire won at Salisbury. In fact, he would field his first Group winner that year with two-year-old Radwell taking the Solario Stakes.

Many readers will remember his success with Environment Friend a magnificent grey who won the Eclipse Stakes Group 1 at Sandown in 1991.

Perhaps his greatest success came in 2000 when Arctic Owl won the Irish St Leger. At the time of writing, Fanshawe has one Classic success.

Another noted success was seen with Audarya (2020) winning the Prix Jean Romanet and the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Personally, Soviet Song was a superb two-year-old filly winning the Fillies’ Mile Group 1. She went on to win the Sussex Stakes.

James is married to Jacko and they have son, Tom.

The stable goes from strength to strength.

Tony Carroll

admin March 9, 2026

Born in Lambourn, Berkshire on February 26, 1957, Tony Carroll was a successful National Hunt jockey, with over 160 winners to his name, before turning his attention to training in August 1995, following his retirement from the saddle the previous year. He saddled his first winner, Queen Of Shannon, ridden by Ross Studholme, in an apprentice selling handicap at Windsor on August 3, 1996.

Carroll, who holds a dual-purpose licence, has since established himself as one of the most versatile trainers in the business. In 2006, he moved to his current base, a purpose-built yard at Cropthorne Stud, near Pershore, Worcestershire, from where he has sent all of his high-profile winners. On the Flat, he enjoyed the biggest payday of his career on February 19, 2015, when Caspian Prince, ridden by Richard Hughes, won the Meydan Sobha Handicap at Meydan in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Under National Hunt Rules, his most profitable victory came rather closer to home, courtesy of Havana Beat, ridden by James Nixon, in the Pinsent Masons Handicap Hurdle at Aintree on April 14, 2018.

On December 16, 2024, Carroll realised a lifelong ambition of saddling 100 winners on the Flat in a calendar year, courtesy of Second Collection, ridden by Luke Morris, in a handicap at Wolverhampton. He finished the year with a total of 106 winners, eclipsing his previous highest annual tally of 85 winners, achieved in 2022. On Good Friday, April 18, 2025, he claimed the All-Weather Champion Trainer title for the first time, with 57 winners, 11 more than his nearest rival, James Owen. Of his accomplishment, Carroll said, “For me personally, it is a great achievement and I am very proud of it.” All told, 2025 yielded a career-best 128 winners on the Flat and over £1 million in prize money for the first time in his career, which spans four decades.