Lanigan Leaving Newmarket For Kentucky

David Lanigan has announced that he will be closing his training operation in Newmarket at the end of April and relocating to Kentucky.

Lanigan and his American wife Amy, a much respected equine photographer, will live in Lexington with their two daughters.

“Moving back to Kentucky has been something that we have thinking about for a while and the timing is right for us now to make the move,” said Lanigan, who added that the decision is not as a result of the current coronavirus pandemic, which has brought a temporary halt to racing in Britain.

The Irish-born trainer previously spent five years in Kentucky working for Johnny T L Jones at Walmac Farm, followed by another five years in Newmarket as assistant trainer to Sir Henry Cecil before taking out a licence in his own name in 2007.

For the Niarchos family he trained Main Sequence (Aldebaran), winner of the G3 Lingfield Derby Trial and runner-up in the Derby in 2012 before being transferred to the care of Graham Motion in America. Other notable successes came via the G2 Park Hill S. and G3 Lillie Langtry S. winner Meeznah (Dynaformer), and more recently Worth Waiting (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), whose three group wins included the G2 Dahlia S. at Newmarket. For his former landlord Bjorn Nielsen, during Lanigan's five-year tenure at Kingsdown Stables in Lambourn, he also trained Royal Ascot winner Interception (Ire) (Raven's Pass), who won the Wokingham S. in 2015.

Lanigan, who grew up on his family's Tullamaine Castle Stud in Ireland, returned to Newmarket to train from Rathmoy Stables in 2016. He said, “Racing has been very good me and my family and we have enjoyed many successes. We have been very fortunate to train for some wonderful owners including my parents Bob and Deirdre Lanigan, John and Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the Niarchos family, Saif Ali, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed's Rabbah Bloodstock, and Bjorn Nielsen, to name but a few.”

He continued, “I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported us as they have been central to the success that we have enjoyed. I genuinely hope that I will be able to work with each of them again.

“In this industry you have plenty of ups and downs and without the owners, the horses and our employees, none of our success would have been possible. To that end, I would like to thank my staff for their loyalty, dedication and commitment, some of whom have been with me for over 12 years. We have managed to find new employment for most of them and I wish them all the very best in the future.”