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Newmarket is known as the headquarters
of Racing and of Thoroughbred Breeding.
Every day Newmarket’s famous Heath echoes to the sound of
a thousand hooves. Visitors to the town should be sure to arrive
before noon to truly appreciate its unique character, for it is
from the early morning that strings of thoroughbreds wend their
way from stable to training gallops and saunter unhurriedly home
using the unique labyrinth of specially built horsewalks which criss-cross
the town.
The Heath stretches out from all aspects of the town. On its 2,800
acres of training grounds are 57 miles of turf gallops and canters.
The training grounds are split into two sides, Racecourse and Bury,
and contain Warren Hill, Bury Hill, Side Hill, Long Hill and the
Limekilns, which includes the curve around which horses can work
left handed to prepare for the vagaries of a certain course in Surrey.
Over the decade millions of pounds have been invested to provide
the most up to date all-weather and artificial gallops. There is
a gallop tailored for every horse in Newmarket whatever its requirements.
Keeping the turf in top condition does not come cheap, racehorse
owners contribute around £1.25 million a year by paying the
Heath Tax for each horse. But it produces winners like no other
place. Today’s trainers are among the finest in the world,
following in the footsteps of the great names of the past - Lambton,
Butters, Dawson, Murless and Jarvis.
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