James Eustace is an experienced and well-established Newmarket trainer who has proved that he can win at a high level.
Since taking out a trainers’ licence in 1989, he has saddled numerous winners and tasted success at both Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood.
James began his career working for Mark Tompkins in 1979. After four informative years as Tompkins right-hand man, he moved to America where he gained further knowledge by assisting John Sullivan’s California operation.
Owning a racehorse with James, then, offers the chance of success on racing’s grandest stages. It also offers tremendous fun. A warm welcome is always extended by James, his wife Gay, their sons Harry and Big D and all the team at Park Lodge.
Gay Eustace
Trainer's wife/secretary
Gay is a very vital member of the team as she not only performs the endless duties of a trainer's wife but is also James's secretary and has been since day one. Gay, in racing terms, is impeccably bred for the job. Her father, Alan Oughton,was a jump jockey and then became a trainer and when he sadly died Gay's mother Diane, took over the licence. Gay's brother, David Oughton, is a successful trainer in Hong Kong.
Gay is well qualified to be a trainer's secretary as she was secretary to Luca Cumani for 5 years and rode out regularly. She retired from the saddle when Harry and Big D were born.
Gay's grandfather rode the winner of the 1922 Grand National and her uncle Bill Rees was a successful jump jockey. His daughter Joanna, Gay's cousin, is the stable amateur.
Kathryn Scally
Head Girl
Kathryn has accumulated plenty of experience in racing yards, starting out at John Akehurst's in Lambourn in the last decade. She also worked at Kevin McAuliffe's and then became Travelling Head Girl for Alan Bailey.
Kathryn arrived at Park Lodge in 2000. She initially did the travelling for James but has since moved up the ladder.
"Kathryn was promoted to Head Girl early in the 2002 winter," confirms James Eustace. "She is doing an excellent job."
Linsey Sharpe
Travelling Head Girl
Linsey has been with James Eustace since 2002. She gained her experience of travelling horses with her previous employee, Gill Duffield, one of the leading arab racehorse trainers. Linsey was travelling head girl there for 3 ½ years. She was born in Yorkshire, close to Pontefract racecourse and from an early age has always wanted to work with racehorses. She clearly enjoys all the travelling involved with her job and in particular seeing all the horses in the yard perform on the racetrack.