All change at Flat HQ - how Newmarket's streets tell a new story after 'unprecedented' winter merry-go-round

Whether it be the sweeping drive through Six Mile Bottom, that first glimpse of the Rowley Mile or waiting patiently at the Clocktower roundabout in town, there's always a sense of familiarity when you visit Newmarket.  

However, things have felt a little more alien in Flat racing's headquarters this spring, a sentiment which can most easily be put down to the absence of Sir Michael Stoute. The Newmarket legend called time on a storied training career spanning six decades at the end of last season and his presence is much missed on the gallops each morning. 

But it’s more than Stoute’s departure at work here. This winter saw a veritable merry-go-round of yard moves – one that was unprecedented, according to David Milnes, the Racing Post’s man on the ground in Newmarket. Milnes, who has been a member of the local community for more than 30 years, said: "Newmarket was like a game of musical chairs, with more yard moves and new trainers starting up than I can ever remember."