Gay Kelleway sells Newmarket yard and joins forces with Ann Duffield in surprise new training partnership

Ann Duffield and Gay Kelleway are set to team up in a new training partnership and hope it can propel their careers forward at a time of increasing challenges for trainers.

Kelleway has sold her yard outside Newmarket to a property developer and will move to Duffield’s North Yorkshire yard next month while they await BHA approval for a joint licence.

The pair expect to have 20 to 30 horses in training. Extra space is available at Duffield’s Sun Hill Stables near Middleham after tenant Patrick Neville moved to his own premises during the summer.

Kelleway said: “I had three offers from different parts of the country to stay in racing and out of racing, but I’ve known Ann for a long time and it made complete sense to work with her.

“It’s become a cartel of trainers in Newmarket and everything is so expensive, especially when you consider what prize-money we’re racing for. From Sun Hill, there are ten tracks within an hour, so there is less time spent travelling as well.”

Gay Kelleway: moving from Newmarket to North YorkshireCredit: Edward Whitaker

Kelleway said her operation would cease this month before vacating the yard. Her horses in training will move to Yorkshire after they have had breaks, while new purchases will go straight to the new yard.

She added: “We've both still got fire in our bellies and it looks the perfect fit. I've always been tempted to go up north because I've had a lot of winners up there and that's where many of my owners are based. We both still love the game and are ambitious.”

Duffield said the prospect of working in tandem with Kelleway made practical and economic sense, with the two having considerable experience and success individually.

Kelleway's Pattern winners include Vortex, Anzio, Astrac and Lightscameraction, while Duffield has won the Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes and the Listed Silver Tankard Stakes, both on two occasions.

Duffield said: “Racing's a tough game and getting tougher, both our numbers were dwindling and this is a great way to be competitive moving forward. You have got to have the ammunition to go to war and this way we have the facilities, experienced and talented staff and a great environment to get back competing.

“It just makes more sense to share a business 50 per cent between us and go places than to keep 100 per cent and not go anywhere. A lot of trainers are sharing the workload now and it just made sense for us to do the same.”

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