Godolphin Flying Start

The 2020-2022 Godolphin Flying Start trainees have been tasked to use their knowledge and creativity to come up with proposals for a new look U.S. Graded Stakes Program for 3-year-olds. These four round table discussions will be published in TDN on May 15, 17, 19, and 21. Today, we have France's Solene Hudbert, Ireland's Donncha McCarthy and Ireland's David Skelly who will be focusing on 3-year-old fillies. Please send feedback and suggestions to the trainees via Kate Hardy at [email protected]. All feedback will be correlated and responded to by the...

by Clodagh Kavanagh The 2020-2022 Godolphin Flying Start trainees have been tasked to use their knowledge and creativity to come up with proposals for a new look U.S. Graded Stakes Program for 3-year-olds. These four round table discussions will be published in TDN on May 15, 17, 19, and 21. First up we have England's George Broughton, England's Tommy Lyon-Smith and France's Marine Moussa who will be focusing on 3-year-old colts. Click here for Part One.  Please send feedback and suggestions to the trainees via Kate Hardy at [email protected]. All...

Godolphin Flying Start graduate Philip Antonacci won his first race as a trainer Saturday when Advanced Strategy (Karakontie {Jpn}) took an allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream Park. Antonacci said he's only officially been training on his own since January, but grew up spending summers in the barn with his brother, Frank, a trainer for their family's prominent Standardbred operation. "We're very excited about [the first win]," said Antonacci. "It was good for the whole team, a morale boost. We've only had four starters, so we've got a good percentage going right...

In Global Views, Godolphin Flying Start trainees provide insight into practices experienced and observations taken on their worldwide travels. Second-year trainee Arvin Chadee looks at opportunities for transparency at the sales. As consumers, the way we make important purchases-like investing in the share market, buying real estate or even booking a holiday--has evolved considerably over the last 20 years thanks to the internet, technology and social media. Yet, the process of purchasing a Thoroughbred has evolved only marginally. Those evolutions have included the introduction of online bidding and purely online...

Applications for the 2021 - 2023 Godolphin Flying Start class are currently open and close on Feb. 8. The online portal for application has this year been opened a month early to allow applicants more time to complete their applications in a process that is more streamlined than ever before. David Skelly, a first-year trainee on Godolphin Flying Start, said, "I cannot recommend the course to any aspiring industry leader highly enough. The opportunities and experiences it offers are unparalleled in the Thoroughbred industry worldwide." Caitlin Smith, a second-year trainee...

In Global Views, Godolphin Flying Start trainees provide insight into practices experienced and observations taken on their worldwide travels. Second-year trainee Lowri Allen shares the news of the course's syllabus change that will see them attend the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The Godolphin Flying Start Programme offers a unique opportunity to spend time working in and learning about the Thoroughbred industry in five major racing jurisdictions; Ireland, Britain, America, Australia and Dubai. The 2019-2021 class of trainees are now in the fourth phase of the programme, spending time...

In Global Views, Godolphin Flying Start trainees provide insight into practices experienced and observations taken on their worldwide travels. Second-year trainee Rachel Wade discusses how racing must gain a clearer understanding of its economics. Often vaguely described, economics is a study in human choice and behavior and their effect on society. The term has historically carried a monetary connotation but really delves into how different choices are made, why humans make those choices and what the implications of those choices are to industry and the wider economy. As such, it...

Applications for the 2021-2023 in take of trainees for the hugely popular Godolphin Flying Start (GFS) program will be accepted beginning Dec. 1, 2020 and will remain open through Feb. 8, 2021. The online portal has been opened a month earlier than normal to provide applicants additional time in a process that has been more streamlined than ever. GFS is a two-year international management and leadership program for the Thoroughbred industry and provides its trainees with practical, hands-on work and study experiences in five different countries. "It is fantastic that...

Annise Montplaisir has come a long way from her childhood racetrack, North Dakota Horse Park. The 25-year-old is a Godolphin Flying Start graduate and is now pursuing her passion for educating newcomers in the industry. Montplaisir is the co-founder of Amplify Horse Racing, broadens her outreach through a Spanish racing talk show, and is the project manager for a new educational alliance called Together For Racing International. TRFI is an initiative which came out of the 2019 Godolphin Forum for Education, where attendees worked on developing strategies to grow and...

Before beginning Godolphin Flying Start I was fortunate to spend time in Australia working for Gai Waterhouse. The first lady of Australian racing is an unbelievable teacher and one of her many tools is the use of inspirational quotes. During my time with Gai I collated a list of these and there is one in particular that resonates with me: 'necessity is the mother of innovation.' For me, this simple quote perfectly encapsulates the current crisis that the racing industry and the rest of the world are experiencing because of...

The UK phase of the Godolphin Flying Star programme for first-year trainees has begun remotely from Ireland, Godolphin announced on Monday. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the change. This segment will contain bloodstock insurance, racing administration, nominations sales, marketing, HR, racing and veterinary management, as well as an introduction to the legal system. Other changes include the practical experience with yearlings will be undertaken at Kildangan Stud, while the two-week course on exercising racehorses will be completed at the Racing Academy and Centre for Education (RACE) instead of the...

"It's all I've thought about for forever," said 25-year-old Corbin Blumberg. And he's not really exaggerating. The Potomac, Maryland native was just a toddler when one VHS tape sold him on horse racing for life. Blumberg learned to read by studying past performances, and has since traveled the world in pursuit of furthering his knowledge of the industry. Less than a month before this year's Kentucky Derby, the Godolphin Flying Start graduate signed on as the Racing Manager for Starlight Racing. It was an eventful start to the job when...