Exeter Ride

The Watercourse

Newmarket

Welcome to Exeter Ride which has become the hub of Mark's training operation. We have been using the complex for several years now in conjunction with our original yard. Given its location close to the centre of town and the brilliant Newmarket facilities, coupled with its development into an up-to-date training centre with all modern training aids, it offers a great opportunity to move everything under one roof.

Exeter Ride is a racehorse training yard in the heart of Newmarket.

The yard incorporates an historic indoor ride, pictured below, which was built by Lord Exeter in 1830. It was probably the first indoor school to be built anywhere, and certainly one of the earliest. Lord Exeter thought he would gain an advantage by keeping his horses warm during cold winter weather. It is over one furlong round with a polytrack surface which is regularly harrowed.

Whatever the weather,  the ride a perfect place to exercise the horses

It is warm in winter and cool in summer

With it's cloister effect, the Ride is airey and light

Long-reigning a yearling round the school

As you can see in the picture above, Exeter Ride is also a perfect place to quietly start breaking in yearlings when they first arrive in training at Newmarket.

Exeter Ride is situated in The Watercourse, Newmarket

We have retained our own horseboxes, of course. This gives us flexibility on the transport front and helps to prevent cross infection from other yards.

We use the world famous Simon Curtis and his team of farriers, who come into the yard every morning and evening.

Farriers at work

It is crucial that horses' teeth are kept in good condition. Our dentist visits the yards twice a year on a regular basis. They look after the mares on both studs as well.

The dentists

Newmarket has two world famous veterinary practices, each with their own specialist hospital. We use Rossdale and Partners who are based in central Newmarket. Their hospital at Exning is second to none with state-of-the-art equipment. They give brilliant service to the yard and stud, and we are again very lucky to have access to such top class and highly experienced practitioners.

We choose to break the yearlings ourselves and not send them elsewhere. This is to ensure that they receive the best possible start in life and we get to know them well. We are very fortunate to have excellent facilities to achieve this both at Garrowby and in Newmarket. At Garrowby there is a lunge ring, a large barn and plenty of private drives. At Exeter Ride itself the yearlings start off in the  indoor ride, which provides a safe and enclosed area, before they are taken out on to the Heath.    

The breaking-in process

Newmarket is the premier training centre in the world.

Newmarket is the headquarters of British horseracing - some would say world horseracing for its facilities are unique.

There are 2,800 acres of fully-maintained training grounds, which include 50 miles of turf gallops and 17 miles of artificial surfaces. The town, the stable yards, the surrounding studs, the two racecourses and the famous heath are steeped in racing history which goes back four centuries.

The wide variety of grass gallops are open at various times during the year. This is because the type of grass they consist of requires specific maintenance and upkeep during the different seasons. It all starts in February with the opening of Warren Hill and Side Hill, shortly followed by the Back of the Flat and Southfields. The Across the Flat grass gallops open traditionally two weeks before the start of the grass flat season, usually around the time of mid March. The famous Limekilns, which include peat moss gallops and round gallops, opens when the weather has made the other gallops on the fast side. 

The miles of artificial gallops we have are open all year round and are maintained by special machinery, receiving attention at least five times a day. They are constantly being improved and kept to the highest standard.

There is also a watered gallop which opens in conjunction with the Limekilns on Racecourse Side. This is a very popular gallop for fast work. We use the Links and Railway Land all year round for general cantering.

Out on the heath ....

.... Under Mark's watchful eye

We have fantastic facilities in Newmarket for National Hunt horses. The Links schooling grounds include two starter jumping lanes, a loose school, an all weather strip of schooling hurdles/fences as well as full-size hurdles and fences which are moved regularly on to perfect ground. They will also build you a Grand National type fence to school over if you are lucky enough to have a National entry. The Links itself was an old racecourse once upon a time, and you can still see the old grandstand that has been turned into houses today.

All the gallops are brilliantly maintained by the very experienced Jockey Club staff who work extremely hard at all times of the year to keep the gallops and walking grounds open, even in bad weather. We are very spoilt in Newmarket with these facilities which are without doubt the best in the world.

World famous Tattersalls Bloodstock Auctioneers are based in town and they hold auctions throughout the year,  starting with the February Sales and ending in December. These sales attract the cream of the bloodstock industry to Newmarket to purchase the best horses in the world.

Exeter Ride

We hope that this has given you a flavour of what our yard in the centre of Newmaket has to offer. All our owners can have confidence that their horses are given every chance to fulfil their potential.

 Horses trained in Newmarket win many of the major races every season, both at home and abroad. It is no wonder that the horse takes priority in the town - it is a unique place, and everybody should visit it at least once in their lifetime.

                                 Mark Tompkins Ltd is kindly sponsored

by Russell Trew Ltd

www.russelltrew.co.uk

Dullingham Park Stud

Mark and Angie's stud is set in almost 100 acres in the village of Dullingham, just three miles out of Newmarket (pictured right). The stud operates in conjunction with the main training yard.

It is a fast-developing breeding establishment in its own right, and many of the mares currently housed there were trained by Mark in their racing days. They include Optimistic, Brushing, Trew Class, Topatori and Dulcie to name a few. Topatori bred 2007 Middleton Stakes (Group 3) winner, Topatoo, herself now retired as a broodmare. Mark trained also Highbrook, the dam of Ted Spread, winner of the 2010 Chester Vase (Group 3). He was bred at Dullingham and raised at Garrowby.

At Garrowby Stud (pictured left), newly-purchased and home-bred yearlings begin their education, while horses-in-training can enjoy a spell of rest and recuperation away from the hurly burly of Newmarket. Please go to http://www.marktompkins.co.uk/en/studs-a-breeding .