Thoroughbred Racehorse Training - Behind the Scenes Private VIP Experience
Overview
Go behind the scenes at Newmarket, world famous horseracing centre and meet up and coming thoroughbred racehorse trainer Ilka Gansera-Lévêque, with this - Behind the Scenes Private VIP Experience.
At the Saint Wendred’s racing yard (named for a saint of natural healing) you’ll meet one of the most aspiring and inspiring women in horse racing, Ilka Gansera-Lévêque – a thoroughbred horse trainer and fully-qualified vet. After you’ve filled up on breakfast and learned about the day ahead you’ll head out into the fresh air of Newmarket’s famous gallops and 2,500 acres of racing flats to see Ilka’s horses train in a natural and open environment.
- SKU
- PHORSV
- Locations
- 1 in the UK
- People
- For 1
- Validity
- 12 Months
- Rating
- 4.7 (21)
What's Included
- Go behind the scenes at one of Newmarket’s finest stables, the Saint Wendred’s racing yard
- Meet Ilka Gansera-Lévundefinedque, as she goes about her daily routine
- Learn how horses are trained from two-year-old thoroughbreds into racing winners
- See the famous Newmarket racecourses, home to nine Group One races over the course of a year
- Enjoy a tasty breakfast on arrival
- Experience gift pack including personalised voucher and message card
What happens on the day?
On arrival at the Saint Wendred’s racing yard and stables on Hamilton Road you’ll meet Ilka Gansera-Leveque as she goes about her morning routine before being treated to a hearty breakfast to ready you for the day ahead. You’ll meet some thoroughbred horses, watch them train and learn about Ilka’s processes of turning racehorses into winners.
In the afternoon you can spend your time either at Newmarket’s National Stud, where winners are bred, or the town’s Racing Museum, where winners are enshrined (entry not included with your voucher). Ilka’s trained a few winners herself, and on the day you may well meet a future equine star.
Participant guidelines
- Minimum age: 18
- The voucher is for one person only. If you wish to purchase multiple vouchers the maximum is 4
- The experience content, equipment used and restrictions may vary
Availability
This experience will be available at 08.00/09.00 on selected Sundays throughout the year.
We recommend you book at least four weeks in advance to ensure a date is available. All bookings are subject to availability.
You should allow approximately 3 hours for the whole experience.
What about insurance?
The centres contracted with us hold public liability insurance. We also hold contingency liability cover. You will not be liable for accidental damage to equipment, except where damage has been caused as a result of recklessness or wilful negligence.
Please ensure you are familiar with the terms and conditions of the experience.
How it works
Customer Reviews
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Sue
27/09/2021
Horses
Brilliant day very nice people
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Lynda
08/06/2021
Lovely morning
Lovely morning seeing all the Newmarket training facilities, Watching horses in training. Saint Wendred’s is a stunning . Ilka Gansera made it well worth the early start!
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Padraic Costello
14/09/2020
Very Informative Experience
This was a particularly enjoyable experience. The trainer was very personable and was keen to share her knowledge to the benefit of all participants I’m the experience. All questions were welcomed and answered thoroughly and I left the stables at the end of the experience with an abundance of new knowledge.
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Len
03/06/2019
A perfect present
This was a perfect birthday present. A Sunday morning in Newmarket in the care and company of Ilka who's passion for horses and horse welfare shone through the entire three hours of the tour, which included a visit to the July course at Newmarket and watching her horses train on the gallops. This trip would be suitable for anyone with an interest in horses as Ilka is also a vet. Ilka has an easy going style and made all our small group feel involved and welcome. A five star experience.
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Jan
03/06/2019
Great Day
Really enjoyable informative time was had at the training stable. Would recommend
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Lydia
07/03/2019
Amazing experience
Absolutely loved this trip. Ilka is lovely and makes you feel very at ease. It was amazing to see the horses up so close and I thoroughly enjoyed my entire morning.
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Doreen
04/09/2018
Very informative
My daughter and I visited the training stables and had a most enjoyable time. The thing that struck us most was how much Ilka cared about the horses in her care
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Mike Parcej
04/09/2018
An awesome morning
One one of the most beautiful mornings weatherwise, had the pleasure of a morning on Newmarket Heath with Ilka, who was very kind, helpful and accommodating, and gave us a real insight into training racehorses, the methods, things we didn't know from going racing, and how a yard operates. It was a morning I will never forget and I thank everyone at St Wendreds for making it possible, their time and efforts. Superb!
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Jen Ryan
03/09/2018
Great Morning On The Gallops!!
The whole experience was amazing, Ilka took good care of us and she has an excellent stables and training setup she should be proud of. Dedication was obvious throughout the morning. It was a small friendly group tour, which had individuals with different passions and interests which brought alot of conversation. I really enjoyed seeing the yard, talking about the training aspects and seeing behind the scenes in general, they all work extremely hard.
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Sheila and Sally
03/07/2018
An enjoyable experience!
The tour of St Wendred's was an interesting and informative as Ilka was a knowledgeable and enthusiastic trainer who was able to impart her knowledge in an accessable manner. The group was small (4) which made the experience personal.
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Clare
29/05/2018
Really good fun
If you love horses, this is an excellent way to spend a morning. Ilka was very friendly and honest about the world of racing and running a training yard and we got to stand in the middle of the race track where they run the 1 and 2000 guineas.
out of 5 stars
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5
Russell
28/05/2018
Newmarket stable visit
I thoroughly recommend this day as it gives a great insight into the way horses are trained and cared for.. Ilka was very accommodating and open and answered the questions posed without prejudice. We visited the gallops and also the racecourse where the trainer gave more insight into the way some horses are suited to differing underfoot conditions.. I also visited the heritage centre in Newmarket which is well.worth a visit the highlight being getting up to gallop speed on the simulator.
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Stella
19/03/2018
Fantastic experience
Really great day. Ilka and Stephan made us so welcome and we really enjoyed the experience. The yard was excellent and it was brilliant to see behind the scenes and meet the horses Would definitely recommend this for racing enthusiasts or novices.
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Nick
17/10/2017
Great horse experience
Enlightening, very interesting and well presented
out of 5 stars
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5
Graham
26/06/2017
A really good insight into racehorse training
This was a really good experience. Ilka was very engaging and knowledgeable. There were only 2 of us but she never has more than 4 so there was plenty of opportunities for discussion and asking questions. She also gave us an informative tour around the main Newmarket stables and gallops. I highly recommend this experience
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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5
Birthdayboy
11/04/2016
Great morning
The morning started lovely, meeting ilka we had a tour round yard spotless then saw horses on gallops. then ilka took us around Newmarket,passed various famous yards then took us to the Rowley mile to see horses breeze up the gallops. ilka answered all our questions. ilka and stephane were open and fantastic will definately visit again
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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4
IS
09/10/2019
be hind the sceens at stables
It would have been a great day but it did not stop raining which spoilt the day apart from that, the trainer IIKA was excellent talking about horse training and very passionate about horse racing and the horses in her care. Because we could not see too much she will try and organise another day for next year.
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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4
G A Walker
05/08/2019
Great for racing horse lovers
A good morning out, and very interesting. Had expected a number of horses to be riding out, not just the one, but saw all those in the stables. Very friendly welcome by Ilke and Stephan, and fascinating insights into the racing industry.
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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4
Paul
08/04/2019
Fascinating morning
Really enjoyable and Ilka was a great host. Very knowledgable.
out of 5 stars
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4
Wayne H
09/10/2017
Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves
The first 10 mins seemed a bit tense where we felt like we were in the way, but after that we had a great time. Ilka was a delight, sharing her experiences and knowledge, answering our questions and showed us everything from the gallops to food/hay prep through meeting the horses. We even had the opportunity to see the equine dentist at work at close quarters. Just one minor issue, amongst all the stables along Hamilton Rd we struggled to find theirs as it had no signal outside like the others
out of 5 stars
Based on 21 reviews
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1
Clare
24/07/2019
Disappointing
The host didn't seem to have agenda for the visit, spent a lot of time just standing around, were there for 2 hours before being offered a drink, hearty breakfast was pastries & fruit in room with flies buzzing around.
Locations
Locations shown shouldn't be used for route planning
East of England
- Newmarket, Suffolk