Special with Challenge series leader Philip Rothwell | Inside Track: Ireland Ep 1

In Episode 1 of Inside Track: Ireland, we go inside Fairwood Stables in Tinahely with leading National Hunt trainer Philip Rothwell, experiencing the rhythm and reality of a working Irish training yard.

From first lot at dawn to the final canter up the hill, Rothwell walks us through the daily routine that underpins his operation. He explains how a 70-horse yard is run with precision, why hill gallops remain central to his training philosophy, and how lessons learned working under Willie Mullins and Aidan O’Brien helped shape his own system.

The episode also follows Rothwell’s push for success in the William Hill Each-Way Extra Challenge Series, an initiative he believes is hugely important for intermediate yards. With meaningful prize money on offer and returns shared across trainer, jockey and staff, the series provides both motivation and exposure at a critical level of the sport.

With rare access, this episode sets the tone for Inside Track: Ireland, a series focused on the people and processes that drive grassroots Irish racing every morning of the week.