Darley Flying Start Business Review www.darleyflyingstart.com October 2015 Inaugural Alumni Conference Darley Flying Start are delighted to announce our Inaugural Graduate Conference which is taking place in Cambridge University, UK, on December 10 th and 11 th 2015. The Conference entitled Masterclass: Growing Your Reputation and Brand will give delegates insights into how professionals and organizations manage crises, develop brands, and strategically develop networks and logos. There will be 4 sessions over two half days which will incorporate workshops, case studies and brainstorms ensuring audience interaction. This style of learning places emphasis on networking, innovation, collaboration and practical skills to develop your business and personal brand. Delegates that attend the workshop will be enabled to make more informed career and business decisions as well as gain an edge in their chosen field. The aim of Darley Flying Start is to produce Committed Leaders Working in Existing and Emerging Racing Nations ensuring the Long Term Success and Growth of the Thoroughbred Industry. Over the last 10 years the curriculum of the course has developed to include more leadership modules, strategic industry partnerships have been created and Darley Flying Start has now received accreditation from University College Dublin. Our first graduates are now 10 years in the workplace and many are well on their way to influential leadership positions within our industry, but this is only the beginning. The time has come to take the next step to have a real impact on the global Thoroughbred industry. The conference will create an environment in which we can bring the energy, experience and expertise of these like-minded, talented individuals together. We believe this will be a key event in realising the aim of Darley Flying Start and provide the platform from which ideas to bring about positive change within our industry will be launched.
Gary Hadden: Merry Fox Stud Managing Director "Gary has been instrumental in the success enjoyed so far by Merry Fox Stud, and this appointment solidifies what has become a key relationship" said Craig Bennett, owner of Merry Fox Stud. "Merry Fox Stud has bred four stakes winners from 12 runners over the last two seasons. Cursory Glance, Charming Thought, and Second Step have all triumphed at the highest level, whilst Iltemas is a listed winner at Chantilly. None of this would have been achieved without Gary's involvement and I am delighted with this appointment. It puts the company in a good position for the long term." "I am extremely pleased to cement the relationship with Merry Fox Stud, and hope to build on the considerable success that we have achieved so far." commented Gary. "In addition to this position, I will continue to operate my own independent consultancy business which carries out work for numerous other clients. My appointment at Merry Fox Stud should dovetail seamlessly with my future plans to expand my own business." Scott Calder Thriving in Kentucky TDN, Sept 22nd As the biggest names in world racing converge at the Keeneland saleyards in Kentucky looking for the stars of the future, a young New Zealander is walking round seeking stories about the superstar of the present. Cambridge s Scott Calder has made the most of his acceptance to the prestigious Darley Flying Start course, earning a marketing position with international stud giant Coolmore, first in Ireland and, for the past three years, in Kentucky. Now, he s got a marketer s dream task: promote the upcoming stud career of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, which begins next year at Coolmore s American base at Ashford Stud. We ll probably be turning more people away than asking people to breed to the horse, Calder said. We re just glad he s going to be at Ashford and not at somebody else s farm. He could potentially end up in Australia too. Though they may be turning breeders away, Calder is doing his promotional work professionally. With everyone important in American racing at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, he went around gathering stories about the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. It s a good time to talk to people like J.B. McKathan, who broke the horse in at his farm in Florida, to the Taylor brothers of Taylor Made Farm who raised him as a yearling, and Tom Van Meter, who foaled the horse. Calder comes from a horse background his father is former Windsor Park Stud marketer and current Coolmore New Zealand representative Gordon Calder but though he took an interest in the industry, he didn t have much hands-on experience until he began a business management degree at Waikato University. About this time Calder found out about the Darley Flying Start programme, and once he d graduated, with some summers at Curraghmore and one for the NZ Racing Board helping with the Summer Festival promotion, he applied and was accepted. When Calder took the programme it included a leadership course at the University of Sydney, a veterinary course at University College in Dublin and a nutrition course in Kentucky, and also work in Dubai and England. It s so broad it s hard to summarise. Your mornings are spent doing practical work and your afternoons are either lectures or visits to different trainers, barns, companies, etcetera. In the two years you do everything from foaling to stallions to pre-training to training to farrier school, law and marketing. You name it, you pretty much cover it. When the course ended in 2011 Calder was approached by Coolmore. He then spent 18 months in Ireland, and when it looked like he was going to go to Australia, he was instead asked to head to Kentucky where he s been since January 2013. Calder says his job is multi-faceted, but he focuses most on promotional work, with some sales work. He says he s enjoying the horse scene centred around Lexington in central Kentucky very much. Though you ve got the Hunter Valley in Australia and Waikato in New Zealand, there s nowhere quite like central Kentucky where you ve got so much condensed in such a small area. Alastair Bull NZ Racing Desk 2
G1 Success for Francis Henri Graffard The unbeaten Erupt burst into Arc contention with an explosive display of speed and class, making light work of his five rivals to run out an easy winner of the Grand Prix de Paris and earn a quote of 16-1 with Paddy Power and Betfred for Europe s richest race over the same course and distance in October. Stephane Pasquier settled his mount in third and kicked clear turning into the home straight, with the 8-1 winner chased home by the other unbeaten French colt in the field, Andre Fabre s Ampere, as the home team outclassed British raiders Storm The Stars and Balios on Bastille day. The Mickael Barzalona-ridden Ampere was short of room for much of the closing stages, but the 7-4 favourite was unable to make any inroads into the two-length lead once clear, but he was able to pull a length and a half clear of the third horse home, second favourite Storm The Stars. The British challenge had appeared strong, in the shape of Irish Derby runner-up Storm The Stars and Royal Ascot winner Balios, but on a day when France s biggest bike race went the way of an Anglo invader, it was the home team that triumphed in Paris. PICTURE: ScoopDyga Alan Cooper, racing manager to the owners the Niarchos family, confirmed the Arc as the Francis Graffard-trained three-year-old s autumn target. On the effect the likely softer ground would have on the son of Dubawi s chances, he said: It was pretty fast in Lyon when he won and today it was good, safe ground, but soft ground will help him. Stuart Riley, Racing Post USA Conference What Can American Horse Racing Learn From Other Sports? The 2015 Darley Flying Start USA conference took place at The Livery in Lexington on Wednesday July 15th.Under the auspices of the title What Can American Horse Racing Learn From Other Sports? the trainees presentation and communication skills were tested through public speaking, discussion groups and a panel Q & A session. The conference was preceded by a buffet style meal and drinks reception where industry leaders, Darley management and Darley Flying Start alumni gathered to show their support of the program and trainees. The title of the conference sparked plenty of discussion and resonated with those who want to promote the sport and see it prosper. Keenelands Geoffrey Russell, Fasigs Boyd Browning and lawyers Rick Nunnelly and Shannon Arvin were joined by representatives of Breeders Cup, CDI, TAA and KEMI. Horsemen from some of the top establishments were also in attendance including Craig Banderoff of Denali, Chance Timm from Lanes End, Bobby Spalding from Stonerside and Michael Banahan from Darley. Course manager, Clodagh Kavanagh travelled from Ireland for the week and she opened the event by welcoming the guests and MC Gary King and thanking HH Sheikh Mohammed for his support of the program. 3
Social Media Round Up Melanie Sauer on the move Our Darley Flying Start facebook page is approaching a milestone of over 4,000 Likes! One of our posts about the arrival of the 2015 2017 trainees had a reach of over 13,000 people. It is kept up to to date with graduate news and curent trainee activity from each phase of the program. Incase you havent already please Like our page via the button below. Our Twitter feed is available on the website and is updated daily. Please follow our Twitter handle via the button below. Matt Coleman Stroud Coleman Bloodstock ANTHONY STROUD BLOODSTOCK has been renamed Stroud Coleman Bloodstock with immediate effect. The change will consolidate the role of long-term agent Matt Coleman, who has worked at the company for eight years. Prior to joining Anthony Stroud Bloodstock, Coleman graduated from both the British Horseracing Board Graduate Scheme and Darley Flying Start programme, working at the BHB in between. "Matt has worked with me for over eight years and has gone from strength to strength," said Stroud. "This is recognition of Matt's hard work and contribution to the business. He has developed a good eye for a horse and a real understanding of the business while cultivating a good client base." Coleman said: "I have learnt an enormous amount from Anthony as regards assessing horses and we complement each other well in many different ways. I'm delighted to have brought some new clients into the company and look forward to working with Anthony to continue to develop and grow the business at this exciting time." The agency was in action during the Arqana Summer Mixed Sale, buying three lots, and also secured stores at last month's Goffs Land Rover and Tattersalls Ireland Derby sales. Bloodstock World staff, Racing Post 4
Gallery First year trainees at their UCD Michael Smurfit Business School Orientation 5
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