Under Starter’s Orders group take centre stage at their local racecourse.

A group of over 600 was welcomed to Newmarket’s July racecourse yesterday for the finale of the popular Under Starter’s Orders programme. The group comprised 380 local primary school children and 250 parents.

The initiative, now in its eighth year, is an integral part of Racing to School’s educational programme and is made possible thanks to the generous support of Newmarket Racecourses, Jockey Club Estates and Godolphin.

Racing to School’s Programme Manager Ollie McPhail said: “The USO raceday is a fantastic finale to the three-day programme schools participate in and gives them an opportunity to apply all of the knowledge learnt from their experiences at Dalham Hall Stud and the Horseracing Museum in a real life setting of a busy raceday. We are so pleased to have completed another successful year of this very popular programme.”

Throughout the spring and early summer, the pupils took part in two bespoke days of learning at the Newmarket Horseracing Museum and Godolphin’s Dalham Hall Stud. They were taken on a fascinating journey of discovery through the history of the sport. The science and culture that supports horseracing in building a sustainable future were also key themes.

Yesterday, the pupils took part in an educational tour of the National Stud. They tested their learning, met the stallions, Stradivarius and Time Test as well as plenty more future equine stars of the sport. Next stop was the racecourse to challenge their comprehension of a racecard with all its terms and data a challenge for these inquiring minds. One of the highlights of the day was watching the first race of the day.

Many parents and carers joined their children at the July course at the end of the school day, providing them with the opportunity to spend time as a family together at their local racecourse.

On a very busy day, Racing to School was also delighted to take a group of college students to trainer Harry Eustace’s yard in Newmarket, as well as the British Racing School and Dalham Hall Stud to help further their understanding of the industry, as part of their equine studies.