Graduate Careers

Young Leaders Committed to the Thoroughbred Industry

Industry Sectors

Darley Flying Start graduates are employed across a broad range of industry sectors including:

Bloodstock Agency
Racehorse Training
Stud Management
Nominations
Marketing
Media
Racing Management
Equine Veterinary Medicine
Racing Administration
Bloodstock Consultancy
Breeding/Racing Stock Purchasing
Business Development
Thoroughbred Sales Companies
Consignment

A number of graduates have already established themselves as licensed racehorse trainers, including Carolyn Costigan (Arravale Racing Inc.) in Canada and Jerome Reynier (trainer for racing syndicate, Ecurie Camacho Courses) in France. Graduates are also working for bloodstock sales companies including Kevin Sommerville (Marketing Manager at Cape Thoroughbred Sales, South Africa), Ludovic Cornuel (Arqana) and Will Mayer (Keeneland). Ed Sackville and Tina Rau have set up their own bloodstock agencies. In the media sector, Gina Bryce is a well-known figure on the At The Races channel, Gary King is a Marketing Analyst for Thoroughbred Daily News and Isabel Matthew works as a journalist for Paris-based press agency, Turfcom. 2009 graduate Mick Buckley is Stud Manager at Paca Paca Farm in Hokkaido, Japan. Andrew Birch was appointed CEO of New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing in 2011.

Global Network

Graduates are employed in the UK, USA, Dubai, France, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, India, Japan, Ireland, New Zealand, Brazil, China and South Africa. The Darley Flying Start alumni form a global network in established and emerging racing nations.

Recent Developments

Gerry Duffy was appointed Stallion Seasons Director of WinStar Farms, Kentucky in November 2011. Francis-Henri Graffard set up Graffard Racing in Chantilly at the end of 2011 and had his first win with Star of Bombay in Deauville in January 2012. The Dan Blacker-trained Hameildaeme won at Hollywood Park in December 2011, Dan’s fourth runner since setting up as a trainer the previous month.

Career Profile

Ed Sackville, SackvilleDonald Bloodstock Agency, Hungerford, UK

Ed Sackville is from Sussex in the UK. At age 22 he commenced the initial Darley Flying Start program at Kildangan Stud in 2003. During the programme Ed completed work placements with Eoin Harty, trainer, in the USA, Coolmore, Australia and John Warren, bloodstock agent, in the UK.

Upon his graduation in July 2005, Ed worked with John Warren for three years. John’s vast experience helped Ed to further develop his eye for the perfect racehorse and really get to know the business of bloodstock agency. Ed then went on to join the Kern Lillingston Association, where he specialised in buying yearlings, mares, foals and stallions. After three years at Kern Lillingston Ed went into partnership with Alastair Donald and together they set up their bloodstock agency, SackvilleDonald in March 2011.

Asked how the Darley Flying Start programme has benefitted him throughout his career, Ed says, "Racing is now a truly international sport and the two years I spent on the inaugural Darley Flying Start course gave me a truly worldwide experience and exposure. I feel privileged to have been a part of the programme and it certainly helped me to become a bloodstock agent and successfully establish my own agency." Ed now contributes to Darley Flying Start by speaking to each new group of trainees about his career as a bloodstock agent.