'The way of training in Australia is a far cry to what I'm used to in Newmarket'

Our latest Godolphin Flying Start blog comes from James Keane, from County Louth. He has been involved with horses his entire life, with three years as assistant trainer to Lucy Wadham in Newmarket providing a great foundation before joining Godolphin Flying Start. His ambition is to become a successful trainer.

September has seen life on the Flying Start resume for the class of 2021-2023.

Our arrival to Australia has seen the second year of the programme kick off with the usual vigour and we have been busy getting to grips with the Australian industry.

Based in the Hunter Valley, the heart of thoroughbred breeding in New South Wales, the first couple of weeks allowed us to visit the various stallion stations located here.

Our arrival coincided with parade season as the covering season geared up for kick-off at the beginning of September. We were treated to parades of some of the best stallions standing in Australia, including I Am Invincible, Lonhro, Exceed And Excel, Schnitzel and more.

The stallion farms were more than generous with their hospitality, and farm managers showed us what it takes to stand stallions in the southern hemisphere.

As has been the pattern with all previous phases, we were quickly introduced to a racecourse, attending Royal Randwick on our first weekend.

We were fortunate enough to witness Anamoe, Godolphin’s great hope for Cox Plate glory in 2023, kickstart his four-year-old career by winning the Group 1 Winx Stakes.

Randwick proved to be a gorgeous racecourse and the modern grandstand brought a fresh feel to the races, unlike what I have experienced in other racing jurisdictions.

This day’s racing was the precursor to a week spent at the Macquarie University, where we completed our Leadership module. The week spent on campus was valuable to the entire group as we discovered our various styles of leadership, how they worked with other personality types, the importance of establishing a vision and how to successfully instigate change in an organisation.

As with everything that is done on Godolphin Flying Start, there is always an eye kept on the practical application of the skills that we learn on this journey.

Rotations on various farms and racing yards commenced as we returned to the Hunter Valley. Myself and fellow trainee Elinor spent two weeks with R&R Racing at Scone racecourse.

Scone racecourse: James Keane had a top time there with R&R RacingCredit: Scone Race Club

It was a particularly enjoyable time; the way of training in Australia is a far cry to what I am used to on Newmarket Heath. The lots come thick and fast, horses don’t work in a string and swimming forms a part of the daily routine for many horses.

Perhaps one of the most refreshing things that has struck me since my arrival in Australia is the number of young professionals working in racing.

The industry is vibrant and every organisation we have visited or completed a rotation with is alive with an energetic young team. The passion for the game and a real love for racing radiates from each and every one of them.

Everyone seems to have a smile on their face and racing is anticipated with a fervour I haven’t witnessed before.

September concludes with another week spent in Sydney, where we completed visits to some of the major industry players. Time spent with James Cummings, Bjorn Baker, Ciaron Maher and Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys have been enjoyed by all trainees.

Of course, we couldn’t visit the metropolitan racing community without spending some time with the Queen of Australian racing, Gai Waterhouse.

We were fortunate enough to spend a morning with her and her business partner, Flying Start graduate Adrian Bott.

Adrian explained the nuances of training in Australia, managing staff, and showed us around the infamous feed room where commercial feeds have no place and grains are stilled cooked “the old-fashioned way”.

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