Flint Cottage Stables

Flint Cottage Stables is an 80-box racehorse training complex in the heart of Newmarket.

Click here for scenes from the racing stables and Newmarket gallops.

At Flint Cottage Stables we have separate colts' and fillies' yards and more boxes at Exeter Ride - altogether there are 80 boxes.

Our facilities include the historic indoor ride, which was built by Lord Exeter in 1830. At the time, it was the first indoor school ever built. Lord Exeter thought he would gain an advantage, by keeping his horses warm against the cold winter weather. It is over one furlong round with a polytrack surface. We have an equine pool there, which is used all year round and is about 15 feet deep with one circuit being the equivalent of cantering a furlong. It is invaluable for bringing horses back to fitness after injury, especially from knee and joint problems and is very refreshing for all the team on hot summer days.

The swimming pool

The indoor ride

There is a specialist veterinary box, where we can x-ray, scope and do all the medical work in a clean and sterile environment. We also have a turn-out paddock, where horses can enjoy a pick of grass, jump and kick and have a good roll is also close at hand, along with a covered horsewalker, which is invaluable both before and after exercise.

The covered horsewalker

We also run a fleet of three horseboxes, a four-stall one and two two-stall ones, which gives us flexibility on the transport front and ensures no cross infection with other yards.

Going racing in one of our fleet of three horseboxes

We use the world famous Simon Curtis and his team of farriers, who come into the yard every morning and evening.

Farriers at work

It is crucial that horses teeth are kept in good condition. Our dentist visits the yards twice a year on a regular basis. They look after the mares on both studs as well.

The Dentists

Newmarket has two world famous veterinary practices, each with their own specialist hospitals. We use Rossdale and partners who are based in central Newmarket. Their hospital at Exning is second to none with their state-of-the-art equipment. They give brilliant service to the yard and stud, and we are again very lucky to have access to such top class and highly experienced practitioners.

The breaking-in process

We choose to break the yearlings ourselves and not send them elsewhere. This is to ensure that we give them the best possible start and get to know them well. We are very fortunate to have excellent facilities to achieve this both at Garrowby and Flint Cottage. At Garrowby there is a lunge ring, a large barn and plenty of private drives. At Flint Cottage the yearlings are stabled at the pool separately from the horses-in-training in the main yards. This is to avoid cross-infection. The indoor ride provides a safe and enclosed area before they are taken out on to the Heath.    

Newmarket is the premier training centre in the world.

Newmarket is the headquarters of British horseracing - some would say world horseracing, for its facilities are unique and unrivalled anywhere.
There are 2,800 acres of fully-maintained training grounds, which include 50 miles of turf gallops and 17 miles of artificial surfaces. The town, the stable yards, the surrounding studs, the two racecourses and the famous heath are steeped in racing history which goes back four centuries.

The wide variety of grass gallops are open at various times during the year. This is because the type of grass they consist of requires specific maintenance and upkeep during the different seasons. It all starts in February with the opening of Warren Hill and Side Hill, shortly followed by the Back of the Flat and Southfields. The Across the Flat grass gallops open traditionally two weeks before the start of the grass flat season, usually around the time of mid March. The famous Limekilns, which include Peat Moss gallops and Round Gallops, opens when the weather has made the other gallops on the fast side. 

The miles of artificial gallops we have are open all year round and are maintained by special machinery at least five times a day. We are constantly improving these and keep them up to the highest standard.

There is also a watered gallop which opens in conjunction with the Limekilns on Racecourse Side. This is a very popular gallop for fast work. We use the Links and Railway Land all year round for general cantering.

We have fantastic facilities in Newmarket for National Hunt horses. The Links schooling grounds include two starter jumping lanes, a loose school, an all weather srtip of schoolong hurdles/fences as well as full size hurdles and fences which are moved regularly on to perfect ground. They will also build you a Grand National type fence to school over if you are lucky enough to have a National entry. The Links itself was an old racecourse once upon a time, and you can still see the old grandstand that has been turned into houses today.

All the gallops are brilliantly maintained by the very experienced jockey club staff who work extremely hard at all times of the year to keep the gallops and walking grounds open, even in bad weather. We are very spoilt in Newmarket with these facilities which are without doubt the best in the world.

We have world famous Tattersalls Bloodstock Auctioneers based in town and they hold auctions throughout the year starting with the February Sales and ending in December. These sales attract the cream of the bloodstock industry to Newmarket to purchase the best horses in the world.

Flint Cottage Stables

We hope that this has given you a flavour of what Flint Cottage has to offer. Our unrivalled facilities here allow each owner confidence that their horses are given every chance to fulfil their potential.
 Horses trained in Newmarket win many of the major races every season, both at home and abroad. It is no wonder that the horse takes priority in the town - it is a truly unique place, and everybody should visit Newmarket at least once in their lifetime. 

Flint Cottage is kindly sponsored by Russell Trew Ltd  - www.russelltrew.co.uk

Dullingham Park Stud

Mark and Angie's stud is set in almost 100 acres, in the village of Dullingham, just three miles out of Newmarket (pictured right). The stud operates in conjunction with the main training yard.

It is a fast-developing breeding establishment in its own right, and many of the mares currently housed there were trained by Mark in their racing days. They include Optimistic, Qilin, Topatori, Mega, Sosumi and Nutmeg to name a few. Topatori bred 2007 Middleton Stakes (Group 3) winner, Topatoo, herself now retired as a broodmare. Mark trained also Highbrook, the dam of Ted Spread, winner of the 2010 Chester Vase (Group 3). He was bred at Dullingham and raised at Garrowby.

And, at Garrowby Stud (pictured left), newly-purchased and home-bred yearlings begin their education, while horses-in-training can enjoy a spell of rest and recuperation away from the hurly burly of Newmarket. Please go to http://www.marktompkins.co.uk/en/studs-a-breeding .