Course News, May 2006

Welcome to the latest course news on Darley Flying Start! Its been a busy five months with lots of developments and an action packed programme for the trainees and management.

We’ve been busy filming in Australia and Dubai for our newly updated DVD and I viewed the “rough cut” last week. It’s looking bright and informative, and should be available in July for perspective trainees and other interested parties. Our new training room in Lexington is working well, its bigger, brighter and closer to the trainee accommodation than our last one, literally 5 minutes walk from the Beaumont Farm apartments. In Dubai, the Emirates Academy is developing 100 extra rooms, so it will be a much larger campus when the Flying Start trainees go there in 2007.

The first year trainees based in the USA have completed their first stud season. In addition, new to the programme this year, they have had the valuable experience of shadowing racing officials at Keeneland races and completing a week long steward accreditation course which was a big success. Jonabell Farm is growing and becoming busier each year so the trainees are benefiting from more and more “hands on” experience in the office and on the farm, thanks to the excellent management and staff there. They will be working hard on their placements and business analyses during June and preparing their presentations for the conference in July at Keeneland.

Second-year placements

The second-years are focussing on their final placements, business plans and career prospects now. The placements which are from May 2nd to June 2nd are as follows:

Ben Haslam - Sir Michael Stoute
Kate McMahon - Tattersalls UK
Matt Coleman - Anthony Stroud
Brianne Stanley - John Warren
Tori Tremlett - Highclere Racing
Andy Fuller - Royal Studs
Kevin Sommerville - Mark Johnston Racing
Gary Hadden - James Underwood
Ajay Anne - Jumeirah, Dubai
Brent Wilson - John Oxx
Eoin Kelly - Jim Bolger
Gillian Martin-Smith - Huma Park/De Burgh Equine

2006 trainees

We interviewed 65 prospective trainees in Ireland, UK, USA, Dubai and Australia earlier this year and finally selected the new 2006 class at a board meeting on May 3rd. As soon as all of the selected candidates have signed and returned their contracts we will announce their names, although the bush telegraph has been spreading the word as quickly as any press release!

Clodagh Kavanagh