Frankland Lodge Stables, on the Hamilton Road, was built in the 1980s and is ideally located with easy access to the Racecourse Side gallops. Today it comprises 33 loose boxes, as well as a tack room, a feed room and a Claydon 4-Horse Walker. It has been in the ownership of the Payne family for a considerable time, with Pip Payne using it as his training base until his retirement in July 2005.
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.
1987-July 2005 James William 'Pip' Payne, Jack Banks
James William Payne, universally known as Pip, son of the famous jockey and trainer Bill John Payne and Patsy Argent, was born in 1948 and was destined to become a racehorse trainer. His father had ridden South Lodge in his first race, in an amateur rider's race at Gatwick in 1925, aged just 14, and later went on to go close to winning the 1928 Grand National aboard Great Span only for his saddle to slip. During the War he joined the Staffordshire Yeomanry and was stationed in Palestine alongside Bruce Hobbs who remained a life-long friend, with Pip acting as Bruce Hobbs Head Man in Newmarket prior to launching his own training career. In February 1975 Pip was granted a licence to train under both rules at Arcachon, France, starting with a string of 22 horses, including 12 two-year-olds. Pip, ably supported by his wife Linda, spent much of his training career at Frankland Lodge on the Hamilton Road. Pip's build meant that he was never going to ride at 7st 7lbs, but he did achieve fame as a formidable prop in Newmarket racing's rugby fifteen, and was President of Newmarket Rugby Club. Although he did not gain any Classic successes, he did train a number of high-profile winners, not least in 2001 when Nice One Clare won the Wokingham Stakes and the Diadem Stakes at Ascot. By then Pip had already won the 1991 Redcar Gold Trophy with Casteddu, and the City of Walls Stakes at Chester with Ya Malek who went on to land a Nunthorpe, albeit trained by Dandy Nicholls. Raise a Grand was another horse he guided to success in the 1998 Solario Stakes in the hands of Gary Carter, while he later won the 2004 Temple Stakes with Night Prospector. At one stage he shared training facilities with Jack Banks who also trained at Graham Lodge and Jamesfield Stable. After saddling over 200 winners Pip decided to retire from training in July 2005, choosing instead to work for BBA Shipping, owned by Kevin Needham, frequently attending sales around the country. Pip was well-regarded and well-thought of by all who knew him, and it came as a shock to many when he took his own life in 2009.
Principal winners trained by Pip Payne
1991 Racecall Gold Trophy at Redcar CASTEDDU 4/1 owned by Ettore Landi, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Alan Munro
1992 Sprint Stakes at Sandown MEDAILLE D'OR 6/1 owned by J G K Barrett, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Alan Munro
1994 City Walls Stakes at Chester YA MALAK 2/1 fav owned by G Jabre, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Alan Munro
1995 Achilles Stakes at Haydock YA MALAK 16/1 owned by G Jabre, trained b y Pip Payne and ridden by Brent Thompson
1998 Solario Stakes RAISE A GRAND 100/30 owned by Nagy Azar, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Gary Carter
1998 European Breeders Fund Novices Stakes at Nottingham RAISE A GRAND evens fav owned by Nagy Azar, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Gary Carter
1998 European Breeders Fund Happisburgh Novices Stakes at Yarmouth RAISE A GRAND 11/8 joint fav owned by Nagy Azar, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Gary Carter
1999 Chris Blackwell Memorial Handicap at Newmarket NICE ONE CLARE 5/2 owned by Oremsa Partnership, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Ray Cochrane
1999 Sporting Index Handicap at Kempton NICE ONE CLARE 11/2 owned by Oremsa Partnership, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Ray Cochrane
2001 Diadem Stakes at Ascot NICE ONE CLARE 6/1 owned by Oremsa Partnership, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Johnny Murtagh
2001 Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot NICE ONE CLARE 7/1 fav owned by Oremsa Partnership, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Johnny Murtagh
2001 Sceptre Stakes at Doncaster NICE ONE CLARE 7/2 owned by Oremsa Partnership, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Johnny Murtagh
2003 Tote for Football Handicap at Windsor NIGHT PROSPECTOR 7/2 owned by C Cotran, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Simon Whitworth
2003 Temple Lifts Maiden Stakes at Folkestone NIGHT PROSPECTOR 1/3 fav owned by C Cotran, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Simon Whitworth
2004 Temple Stakes NIGHT PROSPECTOR 33/1 owned by C Cotran, trained by Pip Payne and ridden by Johnny Murtagh
July 2005-September 2009 Sheikh Mohammed Darley Stud
When Pip Payne retired at the age of 61 in July 2005 the yard was rented from Pip and Linda by Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stud as a pre-training yard on a 4-year lease, later taking on Charlcombe Lodge as another of their 6 pre-training centres on the Hamilton Road.
2014 Hilal Kobeissi
Hilal Kobeissi was born in November 1989 and has made use of a number of different Newmarket training establishments since gaining his licence. Newspaper reports recorded that he was at Frankland Lodge in 2014, prior to the arrival of Mark Tompkins from Exeter Ride. Kobeissi was later based at Wroughton House Stables.
2015-June 2019 Mark Tompkins
Mark Tompkins, a proud Yorkshireman even though he was born in Leicestershire, first launched his training career in 1979 with a bank loan of £10,000, after serving apprenticeships with Walter Wharton, Willie Musson and Ryan Jarvis. He embarked on an ambitious project to purchase, refurbish and modernise Flint Cottage Stables on Rayes Lane in the CB8 8JP district of Newmarket. Although he was not born into a racing family, he was keen and eager to learn from the best, developing into one of the most respected Newmarket trainers, and a Classic winning one at that. He was a member of that rare breed of trainers who was equally adept with Flat and National Hunt horses, having landed a Classic on the Flat and a Champion Hurdle over the sticks. In Spring 2013 William Haggas purchased Flint Cottage Stables from Mark Tompkins with the express purpose of using it as his two-year-old yard. He also saw its potential in stabling new arrivals prior to moving them to Somerville Lodge, ensuring as far as possible to keep the main yard disease free. This enabled Mark to continue his training career, initially moving to Exeter Ride before transferring to Frankland Lodge Stables. In June 2019 Mark decided to call a halt to his training career after 40 years, freeing him to concentrate on his work at Dullingham Stud.
March 2020-present Joseph Parr
When Alan Bailey decided to retire from training at the start of 2020, he was keen to ensure that his grandson, Joseph Edwin Parr, who had acted as his assistant at Cavendish Stables for some time, took over the reins. Alan encouraged his owners to support Joseph and almost the entire string was able to move just down the Hamilton Road from Cavendish to Frankland Lodge Stables. While working as assistant to his grandfather Joseph had completed his BHA training modules so that at the start of 2020 he was in a position to apply for a trainer's licence in his own right. At the start of his new venture he shared Frankland Lodge with Terry Kent who has also taken over part of the lease from Linda Payne. Terry, who has spent over 40 years in and around Newmarket, began as an apprentice for Michael Jarvis before working for Julie Cecil. He then transferred to the Godolphin organisation, spending 18 years with David Loder, after which he was appointed assistant to Roger Varian at Kremlin Stables. When Roger moved to Carlburg Stables, Terry moved with him. At the age of 53 he thought the time was right for him to launch his own training career and at the start of the 2020 season he purchased a lease on Frankland Lodge Stables. By the start of the 2021 season Terry Kent had transferred to Providence Gate Stables.
NICE ONE CLARE (2001 Wokingham Stakes, Diadem Stakes)
NIGHT PROSPECTOR (2004 Temple Stakes)
CASTEDDU (1991 Racecall Redcar Gold Trophy)
YA MALAK (1994 City Walls Stakes)
RAISE A GRAND (1998 Solario Stakes)
