Robin Oakley

Newmarket rarity

Robin Oakley surveys the turf

issue 26 January 2008

Entering The Trainers House at Moulton Paddocks is a reminder that preparing racehorses is not a job but a way of life. In the cheerfully cluttered lobby and kitchen, framed pictures of Lucy Wadham’s winners vie for wall space with those of jodhpured infant Wadhams, either exhilarated or grimly determined, soaring over obstacles. Step up to admire the group photo of horses like Aspirant Dancer, Tealby, Pagan King and Triple Sharp, whose impressive strike rate won the yard the National Hunt Stable of the Year award for 2001–2, and you find yourself squelching in the paper loo just vacated by the latest puppy, who prefers the Racing Post to the lawn.

It is an enviable lifestyle based around a comfortably sized yard housing some 25 inmates. It also comes with useful security. The stables occupied by Lucy Wadham and her husband Justin, a solicitor specialising in racing issues, adjoin the historic second yard for Sheikh Mohammed’s vast Godolphin operation.

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in