'I even bid on a couple of horses!' - Harper McVey's Godolphin Flying Start blog

Our latest Godolphin Flying Start blog comes from Harper McVey, from Delaware. A graduate of Pratt Institute with a degree in Communications Design, she worked for trainer Tom Proctor at Fair Hill Training Center and then spent two and a half years working in the racing office at the National Steeplechase Association.

With the year-end holidays fast approaching, the first-year Godolphin Flying Start trainees are coming to the end of our eight-week stint in Newmarket, where we have been completely immersed in the training, breeding and sales of thoroughbred racehorses.

When we arrived in Newmarket at the very end of October, we were met with an extremely warm welcome at Dalham Hall Stud, Godolphin’s international headquarters. During our first week, we toured the sprawling stud and its offices, as well as Godolphin’s private training, retraining and retirement facilities. 

Highlights of these tours included a Darley stallion show, headlined by 2022 champion sire Dubawi, and a chat with Charlie Appleby on the gallops at Moulton Paddocks. Throughout the entire phase, each member of the Godolphin team was eager to offer their expertise and we were able to learn more about business and stud management because of their generosity and dedication to our programme.

In a similar fashion, generous hospitality extended everywhere we went in Newmarket. We attended stallion shows at Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud, as well as the National Stud, where we got to see a wide range of stallions, from those who have already made an indelible mark on the breed to those who are embarking on their second careers at stud. 

I also completed a week-long rotation at Roger Varian’s yard, where I was given the opportunity to watch several lots per day, shadow and assist the veterinarian, and ride the hack for a few mornings. It was great to get a feel for training in Newmarket and witness Varian’s impressive operation in action.

While Newmarket has seemingly endless amounts to offer in the way of racehorses, we also ventured to Lambourn for a weekend. We toured the Jockey Club’s wide range of top-notch gallops and schooling grounds and visited Andrew and Anna Lisa Balding’s home base at Kingsclere, Dan and Claire Kübler’s Sarsen Farm, and Malcolm and Fiona Bastard’s Baydon Hill Grange.

This excursion was a wonderful opportunity to see training facilities outside of Newmarket and make connections with a wider array of thoroughbred industry professionals.

While much emphasis was placed on training, stud and business management during this phase of the course, we were still able to attend several days of racing at Newmarket, Huntingdon, and Chelmsford. A few of us even went to Cheltenham for the November meeting, which was certainly a highlight for me.

Cheltenham was a personal-favourite outing for Harper Credit: Harper McVey/Godolphin Flying Start

Though all our weeks were action-packed with amazing opportunities, my favourite part of this phase was the Tattersalls December Sales, where we were given the chance to shadow and work with bloodstock agents of our choosing. I had the pleasure of working with Tina Rau for the yearling and foal sales, and Mags O’Toole and Eddie O’Leary for the mare sale. 

Coming into the programme, I had very little experience with sales, so it was wonderful to learn from such knowledgeable individuals, who made every effort to help me develop my skills in the realm of bloodstock. Throughout the week, I was able to gain confidence and experience by assessing pedigrees and conformation, making my own shortlist, and even bidding on a couple of horses!

As we prepare to make our way to Kentucky to begin the new year, I would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their knowledge with us in Newmarket. I would also like to thank our UK coordinator, Bethan Byrne, for her tireless help throughout the phase.

For those interested in the Godolphin Flying Start programme, applications are now open for the 2024-2026 intake. Click here for more information. Any questions about the programme can be directed to current trainees.

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