Godolphin Flying Start

In Global Views, Godolphin Flying Start trainees provide insight into practices experienced and observations taken on their worldwide travels. Second-year trainee Lowri Allen shares the news of the course's syllabus change that will see them attend the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The Godolphin Flying Start Programme offers a unique opportunity to spend time working in and learning about the Thoroughbred industry in five major racing jurisdictions; Ireland, Britain, America, Australia and Dubai. The 2019-2021 class of trainees are now in the fourth phase of the programme, spending time...

In Global Views, Godolphin Flying Start trainees provide insight into practices experienced and observations taken on their worldwide travels. Second-year trainee Rachel Wade discusses how racing must gain a clearer understanding of its economics. Often vaguely described, economics is a study in human choice and behavior and their effect on society. The term has historically carried a monetary connotation but really delves into how different choices are made, why humans make those choices and what the implications of those choices are to industry and the wider economy. As such, it...

Applications for the 2021-2023 in take of trainees for the hugely popular Godolphin Flying Start (GFS) program will be accepted beginning Dec. 1, 2020 and will remain open through Feb. 8, 2021. The online portal has been opened a month earlier than normal to provide applicants additional time in a process that has been more streamlined than ever. GFS is a two-year international management and leadership program for the Thoroughbred industry and provides its trainees with practical, hands-on work and study experiences in five different countries. "It is fantastic that...

Annise Montplaisir has come a long way from her childhood racetrack, North Dakota Horse Park. The 25-year-old is a Godolphin Flying Start graduate and is now pursuing her passion for educating newcomers in the industry. Montplaisir is the co-founder of Amplify Horse Racing, broadens her outreach through a Spanish racing talk show, and is the project manager for a new educational alliance called Together For Racing International. TRFI is an initiative which came out of the 2019 Godolphin Forum for Education, where attendees worked on developing strategies to grow and...

Before beginning Godolphin Flying Start I was fortunate to spend time in Australia working for Gai Waterhouse. The first lady of Australian racing is an unbelievable teacher and one of her many tools is the use of inspirational quotes. During my time with Gai I collated a list of these and there is one in particular that resonates with me: 'necessity is the mother of innovation.' For me, this simple quote perfectly encapsulates the current crisis that the racing industry and the rest of the world are experiencing because of...

The UK phase of the Godolphin Flying Star programme for first-year trainees has begun remotely from Ireland, Godolphin announced on Monday. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the change. This segment will contain bloodstock insurance, racing administration, nominations sales, marketing, HR, racing and veterinary management, as well as an introduction to the legal system. Other changes include the practical experience with yearlings will be undertaken at Kildangan Stud, while the two-week course on exercising racehorses will be completed at the Racing Academy and Centre for Education (RACE) instead of the...

"It's all I've thought about for forever," said 25-year-old Corbin Blumberg. And he's not really exaggerating. The Potomac, Maryland native was just a toddler when one VHS tape sold him on horse racing for life. Blumberg learned to read by studying past performances, and has since traveled the world in pursuit of furthering his knowledge of the industry. Less than a month before this year's Kentucky Derby, the Godolphin Flying Start graduate signed on as the Racing Manager for Starlight Racing. It was an eventful start to the job when...

Attracting a young, more diverse audience to horse racing is essential to the long-term health of the sport. It is often asked what can be done to make racing more appealing to a younger population, yet one has to wonder if the product that's offered caters to them. The introduction of sectional times would undoubtedly be a huge stepping stone in combating this irrefutable lack of appeal. By the same token, it's far from certain that Irish and British racing attracts the level of international interest that we have come...

The 2020-2022 Godolphin Flying Start trainees began their two-year course at Kildangan Stud in Ireland on Aug. 17, Godolphin Flying Start announced on Thursday. Due to COVID-19, the first two weeks of the course were remote while trainees quarantined for two weeks. Since beginning their course, the trainees have completed ICT and communications training and started their Equine Anatomy and Physiology module at University College Dublin online. Also during the Irish portion of their course, they will take a short course at the Racing Academy and Centre of Education before...

Corbin Blumberg, a recent graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start program, and Elinor Wolf have been added to the staff at Jack and Laurie Wolf's Starlight Racing. Prior to his Flying Start participation, Blumberg worked for his mentor, Graham Motion, the British Horseracing Authority, the Breeders' Cup and the Maryland Jockey Club. A graduate of the University of Kentucky with a B.S. degree in Equine Science and Management, Blumberg will communicate with Starlight and StarLadies trainers at home and abroad, will attend the sales and provide partners with an enhanced...

Recent Godolphin Flying Start graduate Amelie Lemercier has been appointed to the role of business development at Al Shaqab's Haras de Bouquetot. Previously a marketing assistant for His Highness The Aga Khan's Studs, Lemercier has also worked for the Wertheimer brothers, Coolmore, Primus, as well as Graham Motion and Elite Sales in America and Newgate and Star Thoroughbreds Down Under. She will be heavily involved in stallion nominations, sales and marketing at Bouquetot. "We're delighted to welcome Amelie as her dynamism, her skills and her wealth of recent international experiences...

   The TDN has partnered with Amplify Horse Racing to present "The Next Generation," an ongoing video series featuring young people who were not born into the Thoroughbred business, but are now excelling within the industry. The only thing six-year-old Samantha Bussanich needed was a trip to Calder Race Course with her grandfather to know that racing was the sport for her. Flash forward less than twenty years later, and she's now an alumna of the University of Kentucky, and has made a name for herself in many sectors of...