'I always look to find an angle, particularly at the horses in training sales'

Kevin Philippart de Foy is a rising star of the training ranks, having first set up in Newmarket in 2020 and improved his stats again this year from last. The Belgian, who has worked for some giants of the game, kindly took time out from preparing all-weather runners to take our questions.

Racing is in your blood given your mum was a jockey - tell us about growing up in that environment . . .

I was near enough born on a racecourse! My mum was a jockey for 30 years and I spent a lot of time in the weighing room back in Belgium. I remember running around on racecourses from a very young age. It didn’t take long for me to realise that I wanted to be involved in racing too.

I tried to be a jockey but I was far too heavy and pretty mediocre, which is not the best combination! Once I met Criquette Head it became clear quite quickly that my future was as a trainer, not as a jockey.

You seem to have rounded experience, having worked for trainers in France, Ireland and the United States - was that a plan or did it just happen, and what did you learn from each place?

I was lucky enough to meet Criquette Head when I moved to France aged 17. She guided me in the right direction; first by allowing me to do a wide variety of work in her yard and then steering my path going forwards. She sent me to Ireland to begin with, to work for John Oxx.

Criquette Head: an influential figure in Kevin Philippart de Foy's careerCredit: Edward Whitaker

That move gave me great experience, both from a racing perspective and for developing my English. I came back to France and a couple of years later she sent me to America to work for Christophe Clement. At the end of my visa Christophe gave me the choice to either apply for another visa or go back to Europe, which is how I ended up in England working for James Fanshawe.

What did you take from your five years with James Fanshawe, and how did setting up on your own in Newmarket come about?

James is a very good teacher; it is all about patience and waiting for the horse to be ready. He has a very close bond with his horses and is a very good horseman. I learnt a lot from James and after four seasons, when I announced that I wanted to start training in Newmarket, both he and his wife Jacko were very supportive.

Setting up on your own during the beginning of a pandemic was quite terrifying but I had no choice, my licence was going through, and I had committed to renting a yard, so I had to put my head down and work hard.

How many horses did you start off with, and what were your initial plans in terms of attracting owners and establishing yourself?

I started with seven horses, I managed to get my first winner with my third runner, and it went quite well over the first winter. I think we were close to a 25 per cent strike-rate during most of the first six months. People started noticing our results, we imported horses we thought were well handicapped from France and Ireland, won a few GB bonuses and traded two horses abroad.

I am somebody that doesn’t like talking too much; I try to get the results and hope people talk about me positively and send their horses.

Do you target any particular type of bloodstock sale?

I always try to find value in any sale I attend. I started with a very low budget, but I always have a plan in mind when buying horses. I attend most yearling and horses in training sales, and I look at as many horses as possible. I always look to find an angle, particularly at the horses in training sales, and also try to pair the right horse up with the right owner.

Have you found it challenging to buy at the sales this year, given that trade seems relentlessly strong?

Yes. I found the market consistently strong and I did not find many gaps in the market compared with sales over the previous few years. I take it as a positive for our sport though.

Kevin Philippart De Foy with Hint Of Stars, his second ever winnerCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Are there any sires you particularly like, and if so why?

We've had great success with both New Bay and Lope De Vega from Ballylinch Stud. They breed racehorses that try hard and have a good mind. Farhhs are rare but they always catch my eye at the yearling sales. I have a Blue Point and an Advertise yearling, they both have a great attitude towards their work so far and I'm excited to see them on the track.

You are having a good year with more than 50 winners, including a couple in Listed races, and £700,000 in prize-money - what are the ambitions, short and long-term?

I have a decent number of horses and would like to keep it the same for the next two or three years; the target is to improve the quality of our horses each year and compete at the highest level. Obviously I want to win Classics and Group 1s but, most importantly, we want to get the best out of every single horse and train them individually.

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