Trainer puts £1.85 million North Yorkshire yard up for sale after split from joint-training partnership

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Roger Fell has put his North Yorkshire yard on the market for £1.85 million after agreeing to part company with joint-trainer Sean Murray.

The pair enjoyed 46 winners together after joining forces in 2023, but Fell will now become the sole licence-holder at Arthington Barn Stables in Nawton, which can stable up to 55 horses and comes with a three-bedroom farmhouse.

The property has an eight-bedroom staff accommodation block, an five-furlong all-weather oval gallop, a two-furlong hill gallop, grass canter and three horsewalkers.

Roger Fell (left): "If I don't sell it, I'll carry on, but someone can come take over the horses and the yard, and if I sell it I'll possibly stop"Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Fell told the Grapevine: "Sean and I are parting ways and the licence is going to be going back into my name. I'm not sure what Sean's plans going forward are at the moment, but my hopes were he would take over the yard, but that's not going to happen anymore, so I've chosen to put the place up for sale.

"I don't want to go down the route of doing it with someone else, so I'm going back to doing it by myself for now while we sort it all out, which can take a long time. It's a beautiful yard and it's for sale, so if someone wants to come and buy it then by all means they can."

The yard, on the edge of the North York Moors National Park, was purchased by Fell in 2008 before he teamed up with David O'Meara for a spell prior to taking out a licence in his own name in 2016.

"It's been a very successful yard," said the 70-year-old. "David O'Meara was here, then Dave Loughnane, then I trained and Sean joined the licence – there have been so many winners to come out of this place. We even had 130 in one year. It's a brilliant place to train and there's a great pub nearby, so you can't ask for much more."

Arthington Barn Stables in pictures

Credit: Courtesy of GSC Grays Press

Credit: Courtesy of GSC Grays Press

Credit: Courtesy of GSC Grays Press

Credit: Courtesy of GSC Grays Press

Credit: Courtesy of GSC Grays Press

Credit: Courtesy of GSC Grays Press

Credit: Courtesy of GSC Grays Press

Credit: Courtesy of GSC Grays Press

Fell, whose career highlights include victory in the Bunbury Cup with prolific handicapper Burnt Sugar and Listed success with Mercury Stakes winner Caspian Prince, will consider his future if the yard sells.

"I'm not sure what the plans are at the moment but retirement is on the horizon," he said. "If I don't sell it, I'll carry on, but someone can come, take over the horses and the yard, and if I sell it I'll possibly stop.

"I'm 70 now, and as you get older, things get harder, and it's probably getting to the time to retire. I find it a lot more difficult these days and I think racing is in a poor state. The prize-money makes it tough. You win one race and it hardly pays for a month's training fees. At my age, it's a lot to manage.

"I still enjoy it, so if I wanted to I could get a dozen horses somewhere else as I've got a lot of contacts in racing. The options are there and I'm not locked into anything, it's all a bit up in the air at the moment.

"Training is great, but I just feel as I get older it's harder for me. I think it's time to hang up my boots. You can't carry on forever in life and it's always been more a hobby than a business for me. I've loved it."

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