Newmarket trainers come together for incredible first group photo in 25 years

The vast ranks of the Newmarket trainers recently took part in a restaging of a team photograph taken 25 years ago that revealed 14 of the original 49 that took part are still going strong.

From the class of 1996, Sir Mark Prescott, Sir Michael Stoute, Chris Wall, James Fanshawe, William Haggas, Michael Bell, Rae Guest, Stuart Williams, Ed Dunlop, William Jarvis, George Margarson, Chris Dwyer, Sean Woods and Conrad Allen remain licence-holders.

Of those, 11 have been ever-present during that time but since then the others have either retired or sadly died.

In all, 11 have passed away since posing in 1996 including many giants of the turf. They are Sir Henry Cecil, Alec Stewart, David Cosgrove, Pip Payne, Michael Jarvis, Jack Banks, Paul Kelleway, Geoff Wragg, Dave Thom, Tom Jones and Pat Mitchell.

Then: 1996

Credit: Clare Williams

Back row: Neville Callaghan, Chris Dwyer, Gordon Johnson Houghton, Bill O'Gorman, Mick Ryan, Mark Tompkins, Alec Stewart, Willie Musson, Luca Cumani, Henry Cecil, David Loder, Ben Hanbury, William Jarvis, Neil Graham, Chris Murray, Paul Howling, Mark Polglaise, Chris Wall, Ed Dunlop, Sean Woods

Middle row: Pat Mitchell, David Cosgrove, Hugh Collingridge, Rae Guest, Stuart Williams, Pip Payne, William Haggas, Michael Stoute, Michael Jarvis, Conrad Allen, Giles Bravery, Terry Clements, Brian McMath, James Fanshawe, Michael Bell, Tony Hide

Front row: George Margarson, Jack Banks, Alex Embiricos, Dave Morris, Paul Kelleway, Geoff Wragg, Sir Mark Prescott, Tom Jones, Dave Thom, Di Haine, Julie Cecil, Robert Williams (photographer's husband), James Eustace

Now: 2021

Credit: James Ferguson

Back row: Richard Spencer, James Ferguson, George Scott, Ed Crisford, Tom Clover, Charlie Fellowes, Marco Botti, James Tate, Hugo Palmer, Thady Gosden, Phil McEntee, Ed Dunlop, Peter Chapple-Hyam, Sean Woods

Middle row: Kevin Philippart de Foy, Darryll Holland, Joseph Parr, Patrick Owens, Simon Pearce, Harry Eustace, Michael Bell, Lucy Wadham, Roger Varian, Chris Wall, John Ryan

Second row: John Berry, Stuart Williams, John Butler, Mick Quinn, Louise Allen, Charlie McBride, Martin Smith, Gay Kelleway, Rae Guest, Conrad Allen, Simon Crisford, David Simcock, Jane Chapple-Hyam, Chris Dwyer, George Margarson

Front row: Sir Mark Prescott, William Jarvis, Sir Michael Stoute, Saeed bin Suroor

Absent: William Haggas, Charlie Appleby, Amy Murphy, Henry Spiller, James Fanshawe, George Boughey, Hilal Kobeissi, Alice Haynes, Shaun Keightley, Julia Feilden, Ismail Mohammed, William Knight, Ilka Gansera-Leveque, Anthony Carson, Robert Cowell, Robert Eddery, David Elsworth, Alex French, Terry Kent, Denis Quinn, Michael Wigham, John Gosden

As with the original, the latest picture was taken on Newmarket's July course and it was by all accounts a fun occasion.

At 73, Prescott was one of the senior handlers in the picture, which caused much merriment even before the camera clicked.

He said: "I was quite happy to stand at the side for the latest picture, but some of the younger trainers insisted I stood in the middle. When I asked why, they said: 'Because you won't be here for the next one!'

More seriously, Prescott added: "It was very good fun and it gives a fascinating insight into the training game. The top level seems to mainly stay the same but below that there are massive changes."

'It's a nice record'

Also appearing in his second such photograph was Chris Wall, who said: "There were obviously a lot of changes in personnel from the last picture as I think there we only a dozen or so that were in the original. I count myself lucky that I'm one of the ones that are still going as there are plenty that have fallen by the wayside.

"It's a bit of fun and it's a nice record of the town's trainers through the generations, although I think it's highly unlikely I'll be in the next one. I would like to think I've got 25 more years left in me, but not as a trainer. I'm not going to be one of those that gets screwed into his coffin with his licence in his hand."

Of the local changes since 1996, Wall said: "The amount of racing has changed a lot as has the staffing levels and the way we do things.

"The improvements in Newmarket since 1996 include the horsewalks, which have improved immensely. Obviously the number of horses in training has gone up and I would think we've 50 per cent more than we had then."

Michael Bell: 'I was a fresh-faced youth back in 1996 – now I'm a crusty old trainer'Credit: Edward Whitaker

Derby-winning trainer Michael Bell was also facing the camera for a second time. He said: "I was a fresh-faced youth back in 1996, but now I'm a crusty old trainer and if they do another one in 25 years' time I'm long odds against being in it!"

Prescott has recently stepped down from running the Newmarket Heath Committee after 47 years, and added: "When I came to the town in the 1960s there were 35 trainers and 750 horses – a few years ago we had 81 trainers and 2,600 horses in training.

"The advent of the all-weathers has played a massive part in Jockey Club Estates being able to cope with the numbers."

The latest picture was organised by James Ferguson, but in 1996 then trainer's wife Clare Williams did the honours.

She recalled: "It wasn't as easy then, in those pre-digital and pre-mobile phone days, to organise a photoshoot. I wrote, individually, to every Newmarket trainer, to let them know about my idea of getting them all together for the last one from that millennium!"

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