'I didn't leave Roundhill to train 20 horses. I left to have 150'

Tim Donworth will become one of Chantilly's youngest trainers from September 1 and while the choice of where to start may have had an element of luck about it, there has never been any question as to what path in racing his career would take.

Donworth grew up steeped in horses on his parents' Roundhill Stud in Limerick and has rapidly added to his experience, first as pupil assistant to William Haggas and then as fully fledged assistant trainer with Nicolas Clement and, latterly, Jean-Claude Rouget.

"I thought a lot about training in England but I was selected for the Darley Flying Start and I absolutely fell in love with America and American racing," said Donworth. "I wanted to go back and do a stint and I was offered a job with Christophe Clement as an assistant.

"It was August or September time and visas had become tricky and so he suggested I save my time and come over when he needed me in six months' time. I needed a job and so he suggested I go to his brother Nicolas in Chantilly.

"Within five or six weeks he had asked me to stay on as his full-time assistant. We'd just won a Group 1 [with Wonderment in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud] and I thought: 'I'm happy here, let’s give it a go.'"

Tim Donworth was offered a job with US-based Christophe Clement (left) but ended up spending two years as assistant to his brother Nicolas (right) in ChantillyCredit: Christophe Clement Racing Stable

After two years with Clement – who will now be his landlord – Donworth spent a year with Rouget, first in Pau and then at the reigning French champion's satellite yard in Deauville.

"Chantilly was the place I knew the most and it was the place that most of the people I'll be training for knew best," Donworth added. "I looked around and there aren't many young people coming on.

"I was in that generation at Newmarket when James Ferguson, George Boughey and Archie Watson were all assistants. We were all good friends and I knew they were good.

"In Newmarket there would have been ten of us trying to do the same thing. I'm in this big training centre, one of the best in Europe, and there's only one or two of us."

Donworth did not need to be sold on the prize-money or the premiums in French racing but has come to realise that he might be in a good position to exploit his connections with owners and breeders in Ireland and Britain.

Honora and Bobby Donworth's Roundhill Stud bred Rizeena, Jacqueline Quest and Bow Creek among many other top-class horsesCredit: Caroline Norris

"I felt it was a unique thing to have an 'Irishy-Englishy' connection to France," said Donworth, who rode successfully as an amateur in Ireland before joining Haggas. "My parents are breeders so I grew up going to sales and I knew I was very lucky through that upbringing to know a lot of people.

"I thought there might be a niche whereby people would like to have a horse and take advantage of the French system with someone who speaks and thinks in the same way as they do.

Donworth will lease 20 boxes from Clement and hopes to be full up by next spring and added: "After that I won’t be afraid to go. We'll go slowly, I want it to be organised and to be well-run.

"I want it to the same system as Jean-Claude Rouget uses, which I'll adapt to a different track. Jean-Claude has 200 horses and I learnt that it was very systematic.

"I want to grow, I'm a very ambitious guy. I didn't leave Roundhill to have 20 horses. I left to have 150. That's not going to happen in two days, but I'll work my a*** off to get there."

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