A Racing History- The Grand-Dam of Racing- Stella Barclay

Hidden behind a multitude of country roads in rural Garstang, are the aptly named Lancashire Racing Stables, the largest of a select few stables in Lancashire. At the helm of the operation, a lady who has dedicated her life to the sport.

Stella Barclay has been involved in racing for more than 40 years, riding, training and owning horses all her life. Having built up her stables acre by acre, she holds the title of Lancashire’s most successful trainer.

Success doesn’t come without hard graft and labours of love as Stella spent over 20 years juggling a job at Darwen Library alongside trying to grow the stables. 

After navigating the country roads, the stables appear on the right, almost concealed behind a wooden gate and greenery. Behind this natural doorway lies a well-oiled hive of activity, the sounds of the stables and smell of the horses. In the middle is the centrepiece, the offices and homestead. 

An eavesdropper to the conversation

Upon entering, the memories of success line the walls. The architect of those victories is Stella Barclay. She provides a warm welcome, which is a relief from the British weather, then over a cup of coffee, explains how her father sparked her interest in horses.

“When my sister and I were younger he always took us racing,” Stella recalls.

“It started off as a hobby but then it became a way of life really, you become obsessed with it. There was a local trainer with a small stable who allowed us to go to the yard every day.

“So, from nine years old I was sitting on racehorses. With no safety gear back then or anything like that, can you believe? We just had a good time really, we learnt how to muck out and all the basics of how to look after racehorses.”

But it was only in the last decade that Stella was granted her trainer’s license, after being assistant to numerous trainers over the years.

Throughout all this, there was always one person at her side, integral to the building of the stables and success of the enterprise. Her husband Paul.

Paul Clarkson first met Stella Barclay more than 40 years ago. The pair shared a love for racing and set their sights on growing a legacy. 

“When I met Paul, he was really keen and we bought this place, which was just a bungalow and now we’ve got 40 horses here and extensive facilities,” Stella said proudly.

“It helped that Paul worked in racing as a raceday presenter and we managed to set up syndicates together. So, we bought a few racehorses at the sales and we both knew a number of people we were friendly with, and Paul had acquaintances from his job.

“So, it just grew from there. From very small roots and it just happened. We never planned anything much it just all fell into place. Nor did we have a lot of money, we just worked hard.

“By managing to do that we had pretty much transformed a hobby into a business,” Stella said with a smile.

Paul passed away in June this year following a short illness.

“Paul’s passing was quite sudden, and it threw me a lot. I was very lucky that I had Tony Culhane, my assistant, and his wife Bev. Without them I wouldn’t have been able to continue,” said Stella.

Stella and her team are enjoying a fine season with 17 winners, off the back of their best year to date last year, despite facing numerous challenges. 

“We’ve had a pretty good year so far, only slightly down on last year’s but we’ve had more problems getting the horses into the races this season. They keep getting balloted out and you can’t keep training a horse for a race that keeps evading you, that’s not fair on them,” Stella empathised.

One of the barns at the Lancashire Racing Stables

Welfare and wellbeing of the horses is the main focus for Stella. For her, the horse comes first and foremost, above anything.

“We always go to the races to win but if that doesn’t look likely, because of a bad draw or start or a million other possible circumstances, then I always tell my jockey to look after the horse. Let them come home naturally. You must treat them with the same respect they treat you,” Stella explained.

“We import saddles from Australia for when we’re working, these are lightweight and help take the pressure off the horse’s back. We have a physio that comes in four times a week, to help with the horses and identify any potential problems.”

Another big thing Stella prides herself on is her close connection to her owners, who can come down to the stables at any time to see their horses. 

“We have a close connection to our owners, whether they’re outright owners or part of the syndicates,” she added.

“They can come down at any time and they all get to go racing and enjoy the benefits from that. I suppose that’s a benefit of being a smaller stable.

“They’re always kept in the loop even after the horses are retired. We’ll find them a nice home and they’re effectively on loan, so if circumstances change, they come back here.”

Stella’s love for the game and its stars is evident. Her story with her beloved husband shows the very best of racing. Growing from a bungalow to a fully-fledged, working stable, while juggling a job in a library, Stella is an inspiration for trainers across the country, putting her staff and horses above anything. Thankfully for racing and the county itself, this incredible Lancastrian story still continues.