The Heritage Lottery Fund writes:<\/p>\n
Her Majesty The Queen has officially opened the National Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art in Newmarket, made possible by support from National Lottery players.<\/p>\n
Her Majesty was introduced to a few of the equine stars in the Rothschild Yard before she was shown the museum, including the Robert\u2019s Veterinary Gallery and the Pivotal Racehorse Simulator Gallery, as well as a gallery showing for the first time the recently excavated skeleton of Pot-8-Os, an important 18th-century stallion. This was followed by the unveiling of the official opening plaque and a tour of the Fred Packard Museum and Galleries of British Sporting Art\u00a0in Palace\u00a0House.<\/p>\n
Built in the remains of Charles II\u2019s 17th-century sporting palace and stables, the new National Heritage Centre will allow visitors to explore the rich history of Newmarket and\u00a0horseracing.<\/p>\n
The site includes the remains of the original Palace, a recently restored Mews block and its stables. The Kings Yard, restored in the 18th and 19th centuries, may be the oldest racing stables in the\u00a0world.<\/p>\n
The project provides a museum, art gallery, and study centre celebrating the development of the thoroughbred horse and sporting art in\u00a0Britain.\u00a0 It will showcase the outstanding collections of the National Horseracing Museum and British Sporting Art Trust using state of the art interpretation. A working stable yard and paddock will engage wider audiences through the work of the Retraining of Racehorses\u00a0Trust.<\/p>\n
However, just as importantly, the centre will be a major cultural destination and a significant contribution to the town, supporting the development and regeneration of Newmarket and providing opportunities for people to gain employment and learn new\u00a0skills.<\/p>\n
Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of HLF, said: \u2018HLF is delighted to have played a role in the opening of this wonderful new cultural destination, which will support the development and regeneration of Newmarket, and make a huge contribution to the local economy. We are delighted that, thanks to National Lottery players, we\u2019ve been able to fund this fantastic project, helping visitors engage with the global history of horseracing and underlining the significance of the sport\u2019s heritage\u00a0story.\u2019<\/p>\n
Newmarket has been the spiritual home of English horseracing since the 17th century, and the Jockey Club was founded here in 1750. The stables were used almost continuously for the training of racehorses from the days of Charles II to 1985. Seventeen Classic winners were trained from the Stables between 1837 and 1926. Much of the current fabric, including the Trainer\u2019s House, date to 1857-60 when the stables and house were bought by\u00a0Rothschild.<\/p>\n
Her Majesty The Queen is Patron of the National Horseracing Museum and opened the original Museum on Newmarket High Street on 30\u00a0April\u00a01983.<\/p>\n
View the press release<\/a><\/p>\n For\u00a0more information about the history of the site visit the Palace House Newmarket <\/a>website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF) has helped create the National Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art in Newmarket, built in the remains of Charles II\u2019s 17th-century sporting palace and stables, which are considered to be the oldest racing stables in the\u00a0world … Continue reading