With the thrills of Royal Ascot still fresh in the memory, LISA CLARK takes a guided tour of the National Stud at England's racing capital in Newmarket, Suffolk

THERE IS something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.

So said Winston Churchill and who would argue with him? Certainly not me, as I watched 100 or so racehorses power up the gallops on the edge of Newmarket town, Suffolk.

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This mesmerising sight was the beginning of our Newmarket tour, a half-day excursion to the home of British horse racing.

We began at 9am on a crisp spring morning as our affable guide Tony met us at the National Stud. We could see foals skittering about in distant paddocks but first on the agenda was a drive up to the gallops to see some of Britain's finest racehorses in training.

We stood at the top of Newmarket Heath, admiring the horses as they slowly made their way down to the bottom of the gently sloping hill. The odd buck or two was nothing to the jockeys, who sat tight and gave us a cheery wave as they went by. Tony could tell which racing yard the horses were from simply by the bobbles on the jockeys' hats.

"Here come Henry Cecil's string now. That lot over there are from Godolphin."

A visit to Harraton Stud gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the daily life of a racehorse. Manager John Birkett was a fount of knowledge, although it was difficult paying attention to him when there were half a dozen lovely horses to meet. Emma's Gift, a pretty dapple grey mare, gently nibbled my coat as John introduced his other horses. You'd expect the usual stable smells to be present but there was an overriding pleasant scent at this establishment.
"It's their beds, " explained John.

"I mix the straw with camphor to help their sinuses, lavender to relax them and they have a big dollop of Manuka honey every evening. They love it!"

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I almost expected a masseuse to be on hand too. "Of course!"

said John. "All the horses get a back massage before each race."

If I were a racehorse, I'd definitely want to live here.

It's no surprise the National Stud is in Newmarket. The pretty Suffolk market town is considered the birthplace of thoroughbred horse racing and home to most of the sport's institutions, including the Jockey Club, which runs racing in the UK, the National Horseracing Museum and two of the country's premier courses: Newmarket's Rowley Mile and the July Course.

The town has been associated with horse racing since Boudica's day but it was King James who really established Newmarket's horsey reputation when he moved his court here in 1605 to take advantage of hunting and hawking.
Today, it's impossible to visit the town without coming across horses. One in four people is employed by the equine industry and there are even special equestrian crossings to ease the movement of horses.

Back at the National Stud, we swapped guide Tony for guide Penny and hopped on a bus for a 75-minute tour to learn more and see some of the little ones. Several tiny girls squealed with excitement at first glimpse of the foals but there were only so many we were allowed to pet for fear of spreading infection. I was very taken with a cheeky colt as he popped his head through the fence and boldly stuck his nose in my handbag.

PENNY WAS an expert on bloodlines too and easily answered questions from the racing aficionados on which horses to look out for at coming race meetings.

In a nearby field some "ladies in waiting" (mares who were late to give birth) were being monitored by staff for the first signs of labour.

"She's a naughty girl, " Penny scolded, pointing to a rotund bay mare. "She's 20 days overdue. We check her every 15 minutes but she's keeping us all on tenterhooks!"

A visit to Newmarket and the Stud is a fantastic day out for any animal lovers but even the two non-horsey chaps on the tour enjoyed it. Well, I think they did as they headed off to a betting shop afterwards. I reckon that's a good sign.

GETTING THERE:
The National Stud (01638 666 789/www.nationalstud.co.uk) offers a Life Cycle of a Thoroughbred Tour from £35pp.

Price includes visits to gallops, training yard and stud. Other tours on website. Open until October 31, 2010.
Choose Suffolk: 01473 406 711/www.choosesuffolk.com