Press Release - 15th January 2007
Dubai is now home to the second year group of Flying Starters. They landed there on Saturday, January 6th where they were greeted by their coordinator Emma Ridley, recently moved to Dubai from Darley Australia. Most of the group had flown home from Australia for the Christmas break, but Dan Blacker and Duncan Hinkle remained in the southern hemisphere and joined local boy Craig Rounsefell for the Ashes and then celebrated Christmas on the beach – a long way from Kentucky and the UK! During the last month in Australia, trainees completed a two week work placement as below:
| Benoit Jeffroy | Vin Cox, Sydney |
| Conor Foley | Magic Millions Sales and Damon Gabbedy, Belmont Bloodstock, Melbourne |
| Carolyn Costigan | Lee Freedman, Rye, Melbourne |
| Isabel Mathew | Tim Martin, Sydney |
| Craig Rounsefell | Inglis Bloodstock Sales, Melbourne |
| Gerry Duffy | Lindsay Park, SA |
| Celine McEniry | New Zealand Bloodstock, Auckland |
| Tom Morley | Gai Waterhouse, Sydney |
| Duncan Hinkle | Roger James, NZ |
| Mayra Frederico | Inglis Bloodstock Sales, Sydney |
| Dan Blacker | David Hayes, Melbourne |
Dubai has worked its magic already on the trainees, with its warm climate, beautiful accommodation at the Emirates Academy and International racing population. This week they had a course on Arab culture including a visit to a mosque, went racing at Nad al Sheba and visited the top trainers in Dubai with whom they will be placed over the next three months. Trainers include Satish Seemar, Doug Watson, Dhruba Selvaratnam, Erwan Charpy, Godolphin and Tony Manuel.
The trainees will assist the officials of the Emirates Racing Association at Nad al Sheba during their stay in Dubai, using the knowledge they gained at the steward accreditation course in Kentucky and their experience shadowing officials at Keeneland races. Weekends in Dubai are on Friday and Saturday which is a cultural change the trainees have to get to grips with straight away.
The first-years, meanwhile, are wrapped up against the cold of Kentucky as they attend the breeding stock sale this week in Keeneland. They arrived on January first to settle into their longest leg of Flying Start, a whole seven months in Kentucky. There is so much to see and do there that each day is choc-a-block for the duration. They have received a warm Kentucky welcome everywhere they have visited since arriving to the Bluegrass State including the Darley America farms, Three Chimneys, Overbrook and Hagyards Equine Medical Institute. With a driving and safety course under their belts they are now independent and starting to explore their new surroundings. This week sees them start their Equine Nutrition and Grassland Management class at University of Kentucky.
January is also application time for the next course starting in August 2007. Applications have started to arrive and will increase up to our closing date of February 23rd. Anyone thinking of applying should mail or courier their applications at least a week before the closing date as late applications are not accepted. We look forward to hearing from you!
Clodagh Kavanagh
Darley Flying Start trainees arrive in Dubai. Larger image
At the Burj Al Arab.
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Brandon on the bullride.
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Gina and Liz at Churchill Downs.
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