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MICHAEL HALFORD
IN SEARCH OF PERFECTION It took two years for Michael Halford to find it, but when he eventually bought the ideal patch of land Halford knew he had the chance to design a yard and gallops of a training facility that matched his dream. By Lissa Oliver
M
ICHAEL Halford is a man of vision. As the string goes out for a mid-January canter even the fillies and older mares look well toned, their trainer always just that one step ahead of the game. The yard and gallops that he designed himself are testament to that. Not only has nothing been forgotten, but the additional finishing touches here and there are the small essentials no trainer should be without, yet the type of thing few would actually think of. There are little fenced cut-aways for rollers and the other equipment necessary to keep the private gallop in such superb condition, tucked out of sight and harm’s way. Odd grassy banks, their location and angles deliberately designed, prove to be natural mounting blocks for riders, thus removing the need for leg-ups each morning. Nothing has escaped Halford in his successful endeavour to build the perfect racing yard. “It was always my dream to build a yard from a green field site, but I didn’t know if it could ever happen,” he admits. When he finally had the opportunity to purchase property he already had several years of dreams and ideas in his head, which was why he wasn’t prepared to rush in his search for the ideal site. “It took two years to find this site, but I knew as soon as I saw it that it was perfect.” As Halford speaks,
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