In the hot seat

Former apprentice jockey Gemma Tutty turned her attentions to training when she took over the reins at Trenholme House Farm from her mother, Karen, in 2022. Based in North Yorkshire, Tutty enjoyed notable success with her select team in 2024 and is hoping to pick up where she left off when the Flat season on turf gets underway in less than 10 weeks. The yard sent out 27 winners and won just shy of £400,000 in prize-money in 2024. How do you reflect on last year as a whole? On...

The owner of Culworth Grounds Farm, home of young stallion El Caballo (GB), takes time out to face the TDN question master. You made the trip over for the Irish Stallion Trail. Where did you visit and what were your main takeouts from the trip? It was actually the first time that I had done the stallion trail, but I happened to be going home to visit my parents and thought I could double up. It was a great experience overall and a great opportunity to be able to see...

Jennie Candlish is a dual-purpose trainer based in Staffordshire. Her run of form under both codes has been impressive recently have ended 2024 with a winner and starting 2025 with one too. Candlish took some time out of training winners to answer our questions. What made you happiest in 2024? Having such happy horses and seeing the yard making such amazing progress, rewarding my wonderful team for all the hard work we all put in. How do you start your day? My day starts at 4:45 a.m., seven days a...

Conor Hyland is a graduate of the celebrated Irish National Stud Thoroughbred Breeding Course. Since completing the course in 2019, he has been based at the stud, where he holds the role as nominations and sales assistant.  This year represents a big one for the INS with long-time star of the roster Invincible Spirit (Ire) retired from stallion duties. Hyland discusses the new stallions on the roster, including first-season sire Shouldvebeenaring  (GB) and Lucky Vega (Ire), whose first two-year-olds are set to hit the track in Europe this year.  [caption...

Sam Goyette's love for horses started in the hunting field and evolved when he entered the world of bloodstock sales. Goyette honed his skills working for Salcey Forest, Blandford Bloodstock, Juddmonte and Overbury Stud. He is also a graduate of The National Stud course and in 2024 set up Oakhurst Stud with his fiancée, Kinsey Petyt. What made you happiest in 2024? It's a bob of the head between getting engaged to my partner Kinsey or starting up Oakhurst Stud and the support we received from our friends and family....

The bloodstock agent's dinner guests include a Benedictine monk and an Olympic gold medallist, but don't tell Harry Eustace that Hubie de Burgh no longer considers him a youngster. Proudest moment of 2023? Reaching 160 stakes races won by de Burgh Equine purchases since setting up the agency.  What is your biggest ambition for the new year? Keep on the bright side of life. Give us one horse to follow and why? No Knee Never (Ire) (No Nay Never), purchased for Bronsan Racing. And a young person in the industry...

Adam Ryan, who assists his father Kevin at their Hambleton Lodge yard in Thirsk, has high hopes for Shamardal colt Inisherin and a rising star on the pony racing circuit. Proudest moment of 2023? Triple Time (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) winning the Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot. He was a horse who we'd always held in the highest regard and it was a proud achievement to not only achieve a Group 1 win but to do it on the biggest stage. He also went straight there without a run and...

Bloodstock agent Ed Sackville, a graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start and Highclere Stud, is hedging his bets by choosing "a son of Shamardal" to be leading first-season sire Proudest moment of 2023? Attending the Godolphin Flying Start 20-year anniversary event. I think I had completely failed to acknowledge what an amazing course the Flying Start is. It wasn't until I looked around the room and saw my fellow graduates that I appreciated the legacy the Flying Start has created within the Thoroughbred industry. What is your biggest ambition for...

He's moved yards over the winter, across town from Park Lodge Stables to Highfield Stables, and Newmarket trainer Harry Eustace now faces the question master. What are your goals for 2024? Carry on our trend of more winners and more prize-money than the previous year. Give us a horse to follow... Modern Times (GB), a three-year-old by Too Darn Hot (GB). And a young person in the industry to keep an eye on... Jack Jones, trainer on the up. Who do you think will be champion first-season sire in 2024?...

Tom Goff of Blandford Bloodstock has an intriguing dinner party guest list and is up next for our questionnaire.  Proudest moment of 2023? Pride is best avoided in the racing game! Having said that, watching Emily Upjohn (GB) run a very close second to Paddington (GB) in the G1 Eclipse Stakes was a great event to be just a small part of. The filly, who we bought as a yearling for 60,000gns, had already won the G1 Coronation Cup brilliantly on her previous start. She was giving Paddington 7lbs and...

The questionnaire series continues with Group 1-winning trainer Julie Camacho in the spotlight. Proudest moment of 2023? Shaquille (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) winning the Commonwealth Cup to give us our first Group 1 and our first Royal Ascot winner. What is your biggest ambition for the new year? To try and keep the yard on an upward curve. Give us one horse to follow and why? Our horse to follow is L'Ennemi (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). We bought him at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale in October. He has a lovely...

The questionnaire series continues with Group 1-winning trainer Ed Bethell in the spotlight. Proudest moment of 2023? Winning the G1 Sprint Cup at Haydock with Regional (GB) (Territories {Ire}). What is your biggest ambition for the new year? Keep training winners and try to train another Group 1 winner if I can. Give us one horse to follow and why? That's a really good question. I've got some really nice three-year-olds. I think Paborus (GB) would be the one to follow. He's a lovely, big horse by Recoletos (Fr) and he's...