Hamilton Road stables
In the mid-1960s a vast area of land, owned by the Jockey Club, close to the Heath, gallops and Rowley Mile course, was earmarked by the Jockey Club to form part of a massive venture aimed at increasing the number of stables in Newmarket, On the Hamilton Road plans were presented for the new stables, and the first to take advantage of the new scheme was former champion jockey turned trainer, Doug Smith. In December 1967, three days before Christmas, Doug announced that he would be moving his string of 30 horses from the yard of his former master, Geoff Brooke, and relocating to a gleaming new yard, the first of several offered to prospective tenants by the Jockey Club. Over half a century on, in 2020 the Hamilton Road contained in excess of 25 such racing establishments, many having changed owners, trainers and stable names on a regular basis since Doug Smith first occupied Cedar Lodge Stables back in early 1968. They offer direct and easy access to all of the Jockey Club Estates facilities and gallops, all within easy reach of the Warren Hill gallops. The Jockey Club cares for 2500 acres of maintained gallops, which includes over 50 miles of turf gallops, and since those early days of 1967 many Classic winners have been sent out from the wide array of Hamilton Road Stables.
1970-1981 Derek Weedon
Derek Edward Weedon, born in Royston on 7th March 1931, was apprentice to Cecil Boyrd-Rochfort and Robert Jones, riding his very first winner aboard Brawby Lad on 26th February 1953 at Ludlow. Although his riding career was not spectacular, he did ride 57 winners before suffering an awful fall at Wetherby which left him hospitalized and wheelchair bound for over a year. He launched his training career in 1965, although he did continue to ride at the same time. He built Calder Park Stables, on the Hamilton Road in the early 1970s and trained there for a number of years before selling it to Lester Piggott. In total he trained for 27 years, ending his training days in Bury St Edmunds, before starting a horse transport operation at Kirtling. He died on 7th September 1998 aged 67.
For over 4 centuries racing has been staged in Newmarket, but how have the racecourses evolved from an initial starting point at Fleam Dyke Pumping Station, some 8 miles from the town, with a winning post barely 200 metres from the town centre, into two world recognized, excellent racecourses and a universal acceptance that Newmarket is the Headquarters of racing?
To access an interactive racecourse map showing over 50 individually named racecourses CLICK HERE. The map will enable you to:-
1. Determine when extended races over 8 miles, 6 miles and 4 miles began to be replaced by the courses now visited by thousands annually;
2. Consider how the challenge of crossing the Devil's Dyke was overcome;
3. Contemplate why the town no longer has a steeplechase course despite having at least 5 courses during the past 2 centuries;
4. Examine the practicalities of having up to 48 starting posts and winning posts;
5. Appreciate that it was not financially viable to have an open racecourse spread widely across the heath, with a finishing post barely 200 metres from the town centre;
6. Research how and why the Cambridgeshire Handicap has been contested over 3 different courses.
NOTE: The map does not make mention of 2 particular courses:-
(i) Sefton Course (also known as the Cambridge Road Course)
Source: 1970 Raceform. Used from 1959 to 1975.
(ii) New Circular Course
The Circular Handicap was run on Friday 29th October 1875 on the New Circular Course of about two miles.
Source: London Standard (30th October 1875): ''the horses started near the Turn of the Lands, ran back way of the Cambridgeshire Course towards the Ditch, and afterwards proceeded down the side of the Tan Gallop, and turned into the Rowley Mile near the Bretby Stakes starting post, finishing at the stand at the end of the flat. Except in the hollow near the Cambridgeshire start the runners should have been visible all the way if the sky had been bright and clear''.
Another report hoped that the Circular Handicap would become a feature in future programmes, as it would be contested in front of the new grandstand which would be completed in about a year and would be able to accommodate thousands.
(I am grateful to Tim Cox for bringing attention to these 2 courses.)
Enjoy researching the intriguing history of Newmarket and its many racecourses.
January 1982-October 1982 Geoff Huffer
At the start of the 1979 season Geoff Huffer began training at Cheveley Park Stables, having been assistant to John Bingham in Doncaster. In 1982 he moved stables twice in one season, transferring from Cheveley Park Stables to the Lester Piggott owned Calder Park Stables in January, before moving to Somerville Lodge in October 1982. By 1985 he had moved on to La Grange where he trained predominantly for Kuwait based owners and enjoyed a Group race success in 1988 when Persian Heights won the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
1984-85 William Hastings-Bass
In 1976 William Hastings-Bass, Lord Huntingdon took out a trainer's licence, launching his training career in 1977, having previously served as assistant to Sir Noel Murless at Warren Place. In October 1977 the Queen confirmed that she would be sending two horses to be trained by William Hastings-Bass, the first time she had horses trained in Newmarket since the retirement of Sir Cecil Boyd-Rochfort. In the 1980 season William Hastings-Bass trained 6 horses for the Queen; Audacity, Black Rod, Burghclere, Hadrians Wall, Joliette and Longgee. Whilst at Marriott Stables he trained Glancing, Greenland Park and Galveston, and by the 1981-82 season he had filled all 70 boxes. He then decided to leave these shores in 1982 to seek his fortune as a trainer in Australia, joining Bart Cuumings and Colin Hayes, returning in late 1983 when he hoped to begin training again, basing himself at Calder Park Stables. He was there in readiness for the start of the 1984 Flat season, but it is thought that he moved on to Coronation Stables afterwards.
1989 Bill O'Gorman
In 1969 a 21-year old trainer, Bill O'Gorman, born on 22nd March 1948, launched his training career as the youngest trainer in the United Kingdom at the time after his father Paddy O'Gorman had died. He first rode as an amateur jockey on 22nd August 1964 at Lingfield aboard the unplaced Crown Derby, but he had to wait almost a year before riding his first winner, Tudor Summer at Kempton on 13th July 1965. In 1966, having completed his compulsory education, he was offered a place at Warwick University to read History, but chose to pursue a career in racing. During his time at Graham Place he was renowned for training 2-year-olds, in particular guiding Provideo to 16 successes from his 23 races in a season in 1980. This feat equalled the 16 successes, from 16 runs as a 2-year-old, of The Bard, a late 19th century horse owned by Robert Peck and Owen Williams, and ridden by Robert Peck. The Bard won the 1885 Brocklesby Stakes, and went on to further successes as a three-year-old, winning 23 of his 25 races in his career, which included the 1886 Goodwood Cup and Doncaster Cup. Between 1969 and 1988 Bill O'Gorman enjoyed many successful seasons at Graham Place, building sequences of wins with African Chimes, Abdu and Manor Farm Boy, but in 1989 he moved to Calder Park Stables as a stop-gap until he could move into his newly built Seven Springs Stables in 1990.
2005-2010 Terry Clement
Terry Clement trained at Calder Park Stables for a number of years but did not renew his licence after suffering a minor heart attack.
2010-2014 Peter Charalambous
Peter Charalambous was training at Calder Park Stables in 2010 and over a 4-year period trained 28 winners, including the mare Boonga Roogeta, who won 9 of her 23 races. In 2012 she began in humble Class 6 events, but after recording 2 long winning sequences she was contesting Class 1 and Listed races mid-way through 2013. By 2014 Peter still had 10 horses in the yard.
2012 Stoat Selling Stakes at Leicester BOONGA ROOGETA 9/1 owned by Pcracing.co.uk, trained by Peter Charalambous and ridden by Luke Morris
2012 Insignia Racing Fillies Handicap at Bath BOONGA ROOGETA 7/1 owned by Pcracing.co.uk, trained by Peter Charalambous and ridden by Rosie Jessop
2012 Great Yarmouth Tourist Authority Handicap BOONGA ROOGETA 7/2 owned by Pcracing.co.uk, trained by Peter Charalambous and ridden by Rosie Jessop
2012 Apprentice Jockeys Training Series Final Handicap at Newmarket BOONGA ROOGETA 2/1 owned by Pcracing.co.uk, trained by Peter Charalambous and ridden by Hannah Nunn
2012 32Red Bonus Handicap at Wolverhampton BOONGA ROOGETA 11/8 owned by Pcracing.co.uk, trained by Peter Charalambous and ridden by Luke Morris
2013 Stoat Selling Stakes at Leicester BOONGA ROOGETA 9/1 owned by Pcracing.co.uk, trained by Peter Charalambous and ridden by Luke Morris
2013 Bathwick Tyres Bristol Fillies Handicap at Bath BOONGA ROOGETA 7/1 owned by Pcracing.co.uk, trained by Peter Charalambous and ridden by Rosie Jessop
2013 Cooper & Griffin Wine of Bawtry Fillies Handicap at Doncaster BOONGA ROOGETA 9/2 owned by Pcracing.co.uk, trained by Peter Charalambous and ridden by Rosie Jessop
2013 Makfi Suffolk Stakes at Newmarket BOONGA ROOGETA 10/1 owned by PCracing.co.uk, trained by Peter Charalambous and ridden by Rosie Jessop
2017-2022 Luke McJannet
Luke McJannet enjoyed his brief career as an apprentice, gaining rides for Rae Guest, but after a few rides he was ready to take on his main objective in the world of racing, becoming a trainer. In 2017 he launched his training career, with substantial support from Bahraini businessman Jaber Ramadhan, at the newly built Heath View Stables close to the former Calder Park Stables on the Hamilton Road. He gained experience in a number of stables, firstly with David Lanigan for 3 years, followed by a two-year spell as assistant to James Tate, then a year with John Riches before returning to Newmarket as Head Lad with George Margarson.
Martin Smith, son of former jockey and trainer Allan Smith, was destined to work in the world of racing, and he certainly made the most of the opportunities which came his way. He remembers travelling to Europe with his father, enjoying winners in Belgium, and then riding on the Flat and National Hunt around the globe. He was crowned champion amateur rider in Dubai before he retired from racing riding aged 27. His wife Michelle was also blessed with being associated with horses from an early age, competing in show-jumping events, so the couple were on familiar territory when they began training in Newmarket after Martin successfully applied for a trainer’s licence in 2011. Initially he was based at Paddocks View, Brickhill Stud in Exning in 2012, but in 2013 the couple took over at Cedar Lodge Stables on the Hamilton Road. By 2015 they had moved to Liberty Stables, further along the Hamilton Road and then transferred to Kremlin House stables for the start of the 2021 season. In the 2023 Jockey Club list of trainers, Martin Smith was listed at Calder Park.
