Godolphin Flying Start

Kildangan Stud hosted the Godolphin Flying Start graduation on Friday, June 12, where Matthew Daubeney was announced as the top student for 2026 having achieved the highest overall grade.  A total of 12 trainees who had commenced the Godolphin Flying Start scholarship in August 2024 were joined by family, friends and representatives of University College Dublin, Godolphin and Godolphin Flying Start for what proved to be a memorable day. Guests were welcomed by a stallion show hosted by the trainees. The occasion continued with the business plan showcase in the...

In our second trainee blog, Emma Dillon, from the 23rd Godolphin Flying Start class (2025-2027), examines the different ways that horse racing should be trying to actively engage new audiences. Horse racing is a captivating sport, from the social day out to experiencing the thrilling speed and elegance of thoroughbreds. What's not to love about a day out racing? Support of horse racing from novice, casual and diehard fans is so important to continue its development and sponsorships. If I was in charge of racing I would invest in marketing...

Godolphin Flying Start has announced the latest intake of trainees for its two-year Thoroughbred Industry Management and Leadership Programme. The class of 2026-2028 comprises trainees from eight countries: Ireland, the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong and the UAE. Godolphin Flying Start executive director Clodagh Kavanagh said, "We are thrilled to announce the 24th intake of Godolphin Flying Start trainees for the class of 2026 to 2028. They will commence their scholarships on August 17th at Kildangan Stud in Ireland where they will lay the foundation of...

In our first trainee blog, Harry Winnard, from the 23rd Godolphin Flying Start class (2025-2027), considers whether jockeys should once again have access to saunas at UK racecourses. A jockey running laps of the track in an outfit resembling a bin-bag is a habitual sight for racegoers in the UK. Since the removal of saunas during the COVID-19 restrictions of 2020, jockeys have increasingly relied on alternative methods to make weight. Taking approaches that in some cases may be perceived as extreme and placing a strain on both their physical...

Christopher Farrell has been appointed as Operations and Digital Communications Executive at Godolphin Flying Start, the two-year international management and leadership programme for the Thoroughbred industry. Farrell joins the team in a role that will support both the day-to-day operations of the programme and its digital communications. He will work across a range of areas, supporting trainees, promoting the programme's activities and contributing to its ongoing development. "I'm delighted to join Godolphin Flying Start as Operations and Digital Communications Executive," said Farrell. "I was fortunate enough to complete this programme...

Like London buses, James Keane will have not one but two runners this week in quick succession, marking his first two appearances on the racecourse as trainer. The 32-year-old Irishman now claims Newmarket as his home, rather extraordinarily falling in love with the place during a winter which included the fierce 'Beast from the East' cold snap of eight years ago. If you can withstand winters in Newmarket, then the other seasons will be a doddle. "You have to be a bit of a glutton for punishment to be a...

Game as they come late, Ready for Candy (Twirling Candy) refused to be denied and timed her final jump to perfection to claim the GIII Winter Memories Stakes by a nose. The eye-catching filly began her career in the Great White North with trainer Mike DePaulo, and amassed a respectable career in his care with three stakes placings at Woodbine to her credit before she was entered into the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February Mixed Sale earlier this season. She would change hands to new owners Lindy Farms for $400,000 and be...

The 2025-2027 Godolphin Flying Start trainees arrived at Kildangan Stud on Monday, Aug. 18 to commence their two-year scholarship within the thoroughbred industry. The class comprises trainees from six different nationalities, including Spain, Morocco, India, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK. The week of Aug. 24, the students will commence ICT and Communications training and their Equine Anatomy and Physiology module at University College Dublin. "We welcomed our 23rd Godolphin Flying Start class to Kildangan Stud this week," said Godolphin Flying Start Executive Director, Clodagh Kavanagh. "They will follow in...

The 2025 Godolphin Flying Start graduation ceremony took place in the Cape Cross Centre at Kildangan Stud on the afternoon of Friday, June 13. Invited guests included the parents of the graduating class, as well as Godolphin management and University College Dublin Michael Smurfit Business School representatives who have supported the Flying Start trainees throughout their two years on the programme. The 2025 graduates comprised trainees from five countries, including Daisy Fenwick (USA), Sam Baker (IRE), Jake Swinburn (UK), Johnny Marsh (UK), Gerard Donworth (IRE), Harrison Everett (AUS), Anna Cahill...

Godolphin Flying Start graduate Annie O'Rourke has joined Magic Millions in the role of Marketing/Bloodstock Sales Consultant. Prior to completing the Godolphin Flying Start O'Rourke also undertook the Irish National Stud Breeding Course in Ireland and received a certificate in Thoroughbred Management and High Achievement Award. She also has an Honours degree in Psychology from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. O'Rourke also gained global experience with Stroud Coleman Bloodstock, Malcolm Bastard Bloodstock, Ecurie Pantall (France), Clement Racing Stable (US) and Highclere Thoroughbred Racing. "We are thrilled to welcome Annie O'Rourke as...

Though Lexington, Kentucky is commonly known as the 'Horse Capital of the World,' serving as a central hub for the Thoroughbred industry, there are many who live in the area that have no knowledge of how multi-faceted the world of horse racing truly is. In an effort to bridge that gap, first-year trainees on the Godolphin Flying Start (GFS) course—currently based in Lexington—coordinated with leaders across the greater equine industry to host a "Thoroughbred Industry Day" for the Leadership Lexington group on Thursday, May 8. Spanning eleven months, Leadership Lexington...

The latest intake of Godolphin Flying Start trainees for the 2025-2027 term was revealed on Monday. The two-year Thoroughbred Industry Management and Leadership Programme features trainees from Ireland, Morocco, Spain, India, New Zealand and the UK. Their course begins at Kildangan Stud, County Kildare, Ireland, on Monday, August 18. The scholarship facilitates trainees to learn and experience practical horsemanship, management operations and leadership in the global Thoroughbred industry with phases in Ireland, the UK, the USA, Australia and Dubai. The course is accredited by University College Dublin Michael Smurfit Business...