Danebury Racing Stables
A historic racehorse training yard on the Hampshire downs, home to Derby and Grand National winners since the 1830s.
The first racehorses were trained at Danebury in the 1830s. Nearly two centuries later, after a long pause and a remarkable revival, the gallops beneath Danebury Hillfort are busy again.
- 1830sracehorses first trained here
- 3Derby winners trained at Danebury
- 320acres of Hampshire downland
- 100horses at full capacity
One of racing's great addresses
John Barham Day founded the Danebury stables in the 1830s, backed by Lord George Bentinck, one of the most powerful figures on the Turf. It soon became one of the most successful yards in England.
Day trained Crucifix to win the 2,000 Guineas, 1,000 Guineas and Oaks in 1840. His son, John Day junior, took over in the 1840s and trained three Derby winners: Pyrrhus the First, Cossack and Andover, along with a long run of other Classic winners.
Tom Cannon came to Danebury as its jockey, married John Day's daughter Kate, and went on to train here himself. In 1884 he trained and rode Busybody to win the 1,000 Guineas and the Oaks, and in 1888 Playfair won the Grand National from Danebury. Cannon was the great-grandfather of Lester Piggott.
Alongside the yard ran Stockbridge Racecourse, a fashionable meeting patronised by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. Racing there ended in 1898, when the land carrying the course's straight mile passed to a new owner who refused to renew the lease. The ivy-clad ruins of its grandstand still stand among our gallops.
- 1830s
John Barham Day founds Danebury, backed by Lord George Bentinck.
- 1840
Crucifix wins the 2,000 Guineas, 1,000 Guineas and Oaks.
- 1846–54
Three Derby winners: Pyrrhus the First, Cossack and Andover.
- 1884
Tom Cannon trains and rides Busybody to win the 1,000 Guineas and Oaks.
- 1888
Playfair wins the Grand National from Danebury.
- 1898
Stockbridge Racecourse holds its final meeting.
- 1980s
Ken Cunningham-Brown buys Danebury and brings racing back.
- 1995
Ken's Bold Effort wins York's William Hill Trophy, and Dancing Paddy a Grade 2 chase at Ayr.
- 2025
Charlie Pike moves his string to Danebury and becomes Britain's youngest licensed trainer.
Bringing racing home to Danebury
In the early 1980s, Ken Cunningham-Brown heard that Danebury was for sale, and saw the chance to bring a famous name back to the sport.
Ken had caught the bug for horses through his daughter's love of show jumping. He had already converted one of his warehouses at Middle Wallop into stables and earned his dual-purpose trainer's licence. Buying Danebury and its 320 acres took that passion to a new level.
Danebury had been out of racing for more than 60 years. Ken built new stables, restored the original grass gallop, one of the finest in the country, and laid first-class all-weather gallops alongside it. Over time the yard grew to take up to 100 horses.
Ken trained winners over jumps and on the Flat, and 1995 was a year to remember. On the Flat, Bold Effort won the William Hill Trophy, a six-furlong sprint at York. Over fences, Dancing Paddy won the Grade 2 Future Champion Novices' Chase at Ayr under Richard Dunwoody.
Bringing racing back to Danebury was amongst Ken's proudest achievements, and the view from the house he built here gave him lasting pleasure.
In loving memory of Ken Cunningham-Brown (1931–2025). Read his story
Built for training racehorses
Rolling chalk downland, a historic grass gallop, all-weather gallops, two modern American-style barns with 78 stables and a traditional timber courtyard yard: everything a trainer needs, on one private estate.
Home to Charlie Pike Racing
Since November 2025, Danebury's boxes and gallops have been home to Charlie Pike, who became Britain's youngest licensed racehorse trainer in December 2025.
Charlie learned his trade with Jimmy Fox, Richard Hannon, Jamie Snowden and Barry Brennan, then worked as assistant trainer to Paul Attwater in Lambourn. He brought a string of around 50 Flat horses to Danebury.
His first season has already been one to remember. Padraig Dawn gave him his first winner at Southwell in February 2026, then took Danebury back to the Classics, running in the 2,000 Guineas that May.
Danebury, near Stockbridge
Danebury lies on the chalk downs just north-west of Stockbridge in Hampshire's Test Valley, beneath the Iron Age hillfort of Danebury Ring.
Training enquiries
For horses in training, ownership and racing enquiries, please contact Charlie Pike Racing.
The estate
Danebury Racing Stables is a privately owned estate, operated by The Unicheq Group. For enquiries, please get in touch here: