|
|
|
|
The Stables
History of Gainsborough Stables
Gainsborough Stables is situated in Hamilton Road, Newmarket, on land which used to be owned by the Jockey Club. Hamilton Road runs beside the racecourse side of the gallops and since the late 1960s, has slowly been developed into a modern training region. The land on which Gainsborough Stables is now built, was bought by the Maktoum family in the mid 1980s. Formally known as Oak Stables, it was built in 1989 and Alex Scott trained the likes of Cadeaux Genereux, July Cup winner; Sheikh Albadou, Haydock Sprint Cup, Nunthorpe Stakes and Breeders Cup winner; and Possessive Dancer, Irish and Italian Oaks winner from here.
Subsequent to the untimely death of Alex Scott in 1994, Ed Dunlop took over as trainer having served eighteen months as assistant trainer. In November 1994 the name Oak Stables was changed to Gainsborough Stables and since then it has been extended substantially. So far, Ed Dunlop has trained Group One winners such as Ouija Board,Ta Rib, Lailani, Iktamal, Night Style and Fraulein.
The gallops in Newmarket are first class - The Farm canter (foreground) with Rowley Mile racecourse (background).
At present, Gainsborough Stables has a total of 121 boxes. It also has 10 small turn out paddocks, which are used for grazing, recuperation and for rest after races.
About Gainsborough Stables
The horses are kept in American Style barns, which are fully ventilated and also fitted with heat lamps. Most of the horses are bedded on shavings, as they are easy to maintain and are almost dust free. Those that are not bedded down on shavings, have paper bedding, which can be better for horses with a dust allergy or those, which have had some form of surgery. The feed is shipped in from all over the world to ensure the highest quality forage. There are now 107 stables in the main yard and 14 in our isolation yard, which is situated opposite Gainsborough Stables. All new arrivals, such as the yearlings, go through an isolation/quarantine period before entering the main yard.
The Facilities
The indoor ride is primarily used for gathering the string prior to exercise on the heath. Here the Governor will give instructions to the riders and ascertain that the horses are sound and happy! It is also extremely beneficial when breaking in the yearlings and during the winter months to keep the horses exercised during adverse weather conditions. The starting stalls are kept in the indoor ride to enable us to familiarise inexperienced horses with them and to allow the yearlings to be walked through them as part of the breaking in process.
The veterinary box is well equipped to assist our veterinarian Mike Shepherd BVSc (Massey), MRCVS, who is a partner at Rossdale and Partners Veterinary Surgeons, and specialises in equine lameness. Rossdales have their own laboratories and hospital in town. Their modern hospital is one mile from the yard and has state of the art facilities comprising two radiographic suites, a gamma camera suite and units of ultrasonography, videoendoscopy and Nd:YAG laser. All specialist surgery is also carried out at the hospital.
The yard has 2 Claydon horsewalkers, which are covered and floodlit to enable use when it is dark and during bad weather. Each walker can take up to five horses at any one time and these are invaluable for horses coming back from injury who require steady controlled exercise. They are also used to loosen muscles prior to exercise. In addition, we have a treadmill, which can be set to an uphill grade to strengthen muscles.
The swimming pool is used to maintain the fitness of horses with slight injuries that prevent them from being ridden. This type of exercise relieves pressure from the joints of some of the more immature horses and also contributes to achieving maximum fitness. We have two solariums in the yard. These are often used to dry horses off after swimming, to acclimatise horses that are travelling abroad, and also for horses who are backward in their coats and require a little ‘sun on their backs’. The solarium especially suit fillies in the spring.
We have recently had an ECB equine spa installed, which is used to assist in the healing of a number of sports related injuries. It uses the healing properties of salt water hydrotherapy to minimise heat and swelling, accelerating recovery times.
We have 3 Equissage equine massagers, which are designed to develop and ease tight muscles and help to relax the horses. Also a hand massager is used to treat minor ailments. We have a set of horse scales, which are used during training and before and after a horse’s race. They are extremely useful for monitoring our horses fitness and health and to detect any adverse weight loss.
All these facilities and the many others help to make Gainsborough Stables one of the most well equipped training centres in Newmarket.
back to top
|
|
|
