On a beautiful spring morning recently, H&H was granted “access all areas” with legendary Flat trainer Sir Mark Prescott at his historic Heath House Stables in Newmarket, just as the turf season was shifting into top gear.
Here are just some of the highlights of a blissful few hours spent in the company of Sir Mark, his fantastic team and the exquisite racehorses.
Behind the scenes with Sir Mark Prescott at his historic Heath House Stables in Newmarket
Sir Mark Prescott’s Osborne Stables in Newmarket were built in 1704. Credit Elli Birch/Bootsandhooves.
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The stables at Heath House is divided in two, split by a main road out of the town, and Osborne Stables is a delightful little courtyard built in 1704, making it the oldest stable block in Newmarket. This is where the youngest horses reside and traditions on this side of the road are kept sacrosanct, such as no wheelbarrows – grooms instead carry muck in sacks on their backs. Gravel, rubber matting and ivy-clad walls soften the environment for this nursery of juveniles.
Poppy Scott and three-year-old Synergism, a recent winner at Wolverhampton, lead the string up the gallops on Warren Hill. Credit Elli Birch/Bootsandhooves.
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“Horses love routine but they also need tiny amounts of variation too,” explains Sir Mark Prescott as his string of racehorses enjoy the first of two spins up the world famous gallops at Warren Hill. “Too much variation though and they worry.”
Sir Mark Prescott with the blue-blooded Alpinara – a two-year-old full-sister by Frankel to the mighty grey mare Alpinista -who was bought by big-spending owner Kia Joorabchian last year. Credit Elli Birch/Boots And Hooves.
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“This is what a £2.5million horse looks like,” Sir Mark reveals of the blue-blooded Alpinara, a two-year-old full-sister by Frankel to the all-conquering Alpinista, the hero of Europe’s richest race, the 2022 Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe. Sir Mark explains that the vast stable in which she resides was designed to accommodate a companion goat if needed.
On the Warren Hill gallops with Sir Mark Prescott’s string, with assistant trainer William Butler looking on. Credit Elli Birch/Bootsandhooves.
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Warren Hill must be one of England’s finest vantage points, high above this historic town on a glorious spring morning.
The equine swimming pool at Heath House Stables in Newmarket, home to Sir Mark Prescott and his 50 racehorses.
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Every spacious stable in this historic Newmarket racing yard holds memories of equine stars from bygone eras but the current crop of racehorses living at Heath House Stables enjoy five-star luxury. Sir Mark’s theory behind keeping the yard small is “I want to have the best 50-horse stable in the world and give the horses the best we can afford. How many other yards can afford a swimming pool, treadmill and so on? The only thing I wish we had is turnout.”
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The yard hack grazes placidly on Warren Hill as his rider goes around loosening the string’s girths and every racehorse enjoys a pick of grass.
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After the string’s second canter, Sir Mark calls “Righto”, which is the signal for the whole ride to peel left in unison and it’s time for the horses to enjoy a pick of grass. The yard hack – a rare sight on the heath nowadays – grazes placidly unattended as his rider goes round loosening girths and nosebands.
“The hack was a useless racehorse who went unsold at the sales so I bought him back for £5,000,” says Sir Mark. “It was the best £5,000 I’ve ever spent on a horse.
“You see horses jigjogging back home because they don’t know whether they’re going back up the gallops again. But ours know their routine is two gallops up, girths loosened, pick of grass while they can relax and then head home.”
Sir Mark Prescott’s string at the summit of Warren Hill gallops in Newmarket. Credit Elli Birch/Bootsandhooves
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Sir Mark himself set out to become a jockey but broke his back in a “life-changing” fall at Wye Racecourse in 1965, after which he joined Jack Waugh at Heath House, taking over five years later. He has developed it into a state-of-the art yard where everything is done to make life easy for equines and humans alike.
Sir Mark Prescott against the backdrop of precision-cut hedges, beautifully manicured lawns and spacious stables of Heath House Stables.
(Image credit: Elli Birch / Boots And Hooves)
“If someone had told me at the start of my career that I’d train over 2,000 winners I’d be delighted,” smiles Sir Mark. “If someone had told me I wouldn’t train a single Classic winner, I’d be horrified. But I don’t let it eat away at me.”
He rises at 3.40am every morning and “I’ve never been late for work,” he adds with a twinkle in his eye.
The full feature with Sir Mark Prescott and the team at Heath House Stables, appeared in the 15 May issue of Horse & Hound magazine.
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
