Nutter therapy

The great thing about being a Newmarket trainer are the facilities. All you have to do is show up and use them, no maintenance required….. 

So, last week we took two different horses (for two different reasons) jumping in the lose school. One enjoyed it , the other one didn't. Sometimes you have to think outside the box and when it works it pays off. 

The filly in the picture has been quite the drama queen from day one. The jumping gave her something to think about and she actually enjoyed it. Horses, just like people are creatures of habit, so routine most of the time is paramount when training racehorses. Every so often, you get a "nutter" that throws you a curve ball and you have to think of ways to get them to engage in the "conversation" i.e. training. Then it's a good thing to try and experiment with something different. If you are lucky the hysteria turns into contentment :)

Stephane's press release

New Arabian Racehorse Trainer in Newmarket

Newmarket trainer Stephane Lévêque is to become the UK's newest Arabian racehorse trainer, swapping thoroughbreds for purebred Arabians as an upsurge in the sport gathers pace.

With just a small number of Arabian trainers in the UK, Stephane will be only the second in Newmarket, offering owners the unrivalled benefits of 2,500 acres of prime racehorse training facilities with 17 miles of artificial gallops and 50 miles of turf.

The trainer, currently working with thoroughbred racehorses, is going back to his early beginnings in racing to set up as the town's newest Arabian trainer and tap into an international racing network.

His move comes as the sport is set for a major boost in the UK with more races, new races at some of the UK's top courses, better prize money and a higher profile.

Currently based at stables on Hamilton Road with Stephane’s wife, trainer and practising vet Ilka Gansera Lévêque, the couple's training partnership is planning a move to a luxurious new yard with scope to expand.

Stephane's first job was with Arabians when he came to the UK from his native France.  He then worked with Arabian horses in Dubai and UAE before moving to Newmarket as a work rider for the Godolphin thoroughbred operation.

"A recent visit to Abu Dhabi identified the need for more Arabian racing trainers in the UK and this is a really exciting move for me," he said. "I am looking forward to combining my years of experience with both Arabians and thoroughbreds for the best results.

"Arabian horses are a little different.  The purebred Arabian is an independent creature, an opinionated horse, and it needs a different approach.

"Arabian stallions like the Darley Arabian, Godolphin Arab and Byerley Turk were the basis for our modern thoroughbred, so an upsurge in Arabian racing in this country brings the story of the racehorse full circle."

The UK authority for the sport is the Arabian Racing Organisation and its Racing Manager Amanda Smith commented: “I am delighted to welcome Stephane to Arabian Racing in the UK.  He is perfectly situated in Newmarket, the home of British racing and I am sure he will be a successful addition to the trainer’s ranks.  I look forward to seeing his results on the track this summer”.

Goodwood is staging its first Group One Arabian race in August as part of the new Qatar Goodwood Festival, a £400,000 race as the first leg of the Qatar Arabian Trip Crown.  The second leg will be the Qatar Arabian World Cup at Longchamp as part of the Arc festival and the final leg will be the H.H. The Emir's Sword in Doha in February 2016 with a $1million prize awaiting any horse winning all three races.

In November, the opening meeting of the Abu Dhabi season includes the world's most expensive Arabian horse race, HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (The Nation Day Cup) with prize money of €1.2million.

The British season opens on May 2 with an Arabian race day at Wolverhampton, followed by summer fixtures and races at Taunton, Lingfield Park, Hereford, Newbury, Chepstow, Bath, Sandown Park, Windsor and Huntingdon.

Essentials

                                                                Welcome back!
I hope the "normal folks" among the readers had some peaceful couple of days. For us race-trackers it was business as usual. Except for maybe trying to squeeze in a church visit….  

The racing season is under full swing now and there is no time mosey about.
Before we hit the track for morning workout, each horse gets their legs stretched: in the above picture it looks like Stéphane is stretching himself as well. That can't hurt! There are a lot of other neck and limb stretches to help activate the horse's core, which we have found to really make a difference. It's things like this that make our job so interesting.
Horses are quick learners and they actually enjoy doing their exercises once they figured out what it's all about.

Professional athletes

Racehorses are professional athletes. We do a lot to keep them sound and happy.
 In the pictures you see an example of kinesio-taping. This is a sports taping method that promotes the healing of traumatised tissue and muscles. 
You may have seen this  on TV before (on the sports channel), because it is commonly used in all types of sports: tennis, rugby, soccer etc.. 

I was first introduced to it (on myself) years ago when I was working in New York. I used to get my left shoulder taped on a regular basis due to an old riding accident: a horse flipped over on top of me causing a dislocated left shoulder. pretty painful…

Now kinesio-taping is getting more and more established in the equine world. I've been wanting to do the course for ages, who knows maybe this year I will be able to attend. Time is of the essence! 

My friend Jo Gapp, an equine vetphysio and veterinary nurse, who I worked with during my time at Rossdales was one of the very first to tape horses in Newmarket. Of course it was one of MY trainees. Jo offers a variety of different therapies, the taping is used in conjunction with other methods.

In these pictures you see taping of the lumbo-sacral area: the "engine" is behind, so most problems originate there as well… I have found that the kinesio tape sticks best in the summer months, when horses don't have to wear stable rugs , you usually only leave it on for a few days anyway.

Lamont Racing

Lamont Racing (www.lamontracing.co.uk) was one of my biggest supporters last year. I owe more than a thank you and a blog post to Craig and Eilidh McClymont. 
It all started with a Sunday morning phone call (around 6 o'clock) with some unknown country code. It was Craig calling from his work in Kazakstan. Between the bad connection and the scottish accent I thought it was a prank. But, it was not candid camera! 
To this day I still sometimes have difficulty understanding Craig; that's easily blamed on me being German…
 This year as well as last Lamont Racing has joined up with  the London Market Racing Club on a few horses in training with myself in Newmarket. Two very exciting prospects are the french bred fillies we bought at the Osarus sale in La Teste. The flashy bay filly pictured above has a phenomenal stride on the racetrack as well as the mind of a racehorse.
A french satellite string is in the works.
A big thank you to LMRC and Lamont for their ongoing support!


                                                                                                 Let the racing season begin

Tosca

                                                                       It's a Girl!

Tosca, my good filly, had her first foal in the early morning hours of February 21st at Clementine Stud in Normandie France. This is a picture of the filly by Maxios on day 4. She is still unnamed, but a few names starting with T are floating around in the room: Traviata, Tenacity …. . 
Tosca was my first runner and first winner on her lifetime debut, she owes us nothing. She beat listed fillies multiple times, she taught me a lot. We put our money where our mouth is:  I bought her at  the BBAG yearling sale, brought her back to Newmarket and we did all the ground work got her going and sent her all the way back to Baden Baden for her debut in the fillies sales race.
We are very excited to be part of Maxios' first crop, he is a picture of a racehorse with an unbelievable pedigree. There is a great website just about him: www.maxios.de
More baby pictures to come!

The ultimate fan

Most of the pictures in this blog come from the lens of Michael Smithson, one of the greatest racing fans I know. 
To me Michael is the "official" Newmarket photographer, it feels like I've known him all my life. Racehorse photography is Michael's passion, I don't think there is a yard in Newmarket that he hasn't taken pictures for. Of course the Simcocks come first! 
Michael has been there for all my ups and downs, driven to race meetings with me all across the country , except for Redcar …. :)
Love for horses is what got me into horse racing , from the first time I went racing with my family who are avid racing fans,  I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Passion is what keeps us all going in this game, riding out the lows, working long hours, braving the cold and the dark rainy days. Always looking forward, believing in yourself and living your dream.
So, a big thank you to the fans that love this sport for it's beauty ; not just odds and numbers, because it's so much more than that.