Cheltenham Racecourse - Drainage

Cheltenham Racecourse welcomed us back at the start of the month, where we caught up with Jon Pullin to film an update on the drainage work that has now been successfully completed. It’s always fascinating hearing about everything that happens behind the scenes, especially the role of a Clerk of the Course, which probably doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. There is a huge amount of responsibility involved in keeping a track safe and ensuring everything runs smoothly, requiring plenty of knowledge, experience and most importantly, remaining calm under pressure. Jon is always incredibly level-headed and clearly takes great pride in his role, which really comes across when talking with him.

Pneumatech x Hook Norton Brewery

The following week, we headed to Banbury for a unique shoot with Pneumatech. It’s not often you get the chance to step somewhere that genuinely feels like you’ve gone back in time, but Hook Norton Brewery is exactly that. Much of the brewery’s traditional operation is still powered by steam. It’s a fascinating mix of heritage and craftsmanship, with many of the same methods and technologies still being used that have worked for generations, including the trusty horse and cart!

Interestingly, Hook Norton was considered as a filming location for House of Guinness, although unfortunately it didn’t happen as they needed the brewery to continue producing beer! After filming, we were lucky enough to be given a private tour of the whole site, which was a real highlight of the day. It was our first time working with the team at Pneumatech and it was great fun getting to know them. They seemed to enjoy the process as much as we did, which always makes for the best shoots.

GBR - Harry Clarke and Rossa Ryan

One of the more entertaining shoots of the month came with GBR, working with Harry Clarke and Rossa Ryan. We were due to film on Monday and with the England game kicking off at 1am that morning, we decided to stay near Ascot Racecourse so we could get some sleep before filming. However, due to Rossa’s rides, the shoot location was moved to Lingfield, meaning our carefully planned evening quickly changed. Instead, we found ourselves watching England’s game against Mexico in Bracknell, where kick-off was delayed until 2am. It was certainly worth the wait though, as the match itself was one of the best football games I’ve ever watched. The only downside was the lack of sleep afterwards, as we didn’t get back until around 4:30am before heading off to Lingfield for the shoot.

Thankfully, the filming itself went brilliantly. We worked alongside Beau Malik from GBR and had a great day capturing content with Harry and Rossa. Safe to say, the shoot gave us the bug to get back out on the golf course ourselves.

Perth Racecourse & Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

Our trip to Perth Racecourse turned into one of the biggest adventures of the month and not necessarily for the reasons we expected! On the journey up to Scotland, the truck decided it had other ideas and broke down, leaving us stranded. With it being so late in the day, hiring another vehicle wasn’t easy, but thankfully we managed to secure a van and continue the journey, arriving at our hotel in time to catch England’s game against Norway. Although being in Scotland, the atmosphere was slightly less “football tournament” and more “Sunday afternoon at a retirement home”!

A huge thank you goes to Darren from the AA, Gordon from GT Autocare just outside Glasgow and Jack from Four by Four Hire. Without their help, patience and willingness to go above and beyond, completing the job would have been a real challenge. Pete will still have to make the return trip to collect the truck, but thankfully the clients were all happy and we managed to get the job done.

One thing we’ve definitely noticed on our trips north is just how welcoming and helpful everyone has been. The people of Scotland have always been fantastic and it’s a pleasure spending time up there. Hopefully next time the truck makes it all the way too!

OGR - Tony Carroll

To showcase Old Gold’s latest horse, we spent the day filming at Tony’s yard and he honestly couldn’t have been more welcoming. He gave us the freedom to capture everything we needed, showed us around the yard and made the whole team feel right at home. The highlight may have been the fresh bacon sandwiches he provided for the crew, which were genuinely some of the best bacon sandwiches I’ve had in a long time. You simply can’t go wrong with a bit of Lurpak! Away from the food, Tony’s achievements speak for themselves. He has been Champion All Weather Trainer for the last two seasons and has trained 100 winners during that time, which is a fantastic achievement. His dedication, knowledge and passion for the sport is clear to see and it was a pleasure spending time at his yard.

OGR - Olly Murphy x Charlie Mann

We have been incredibly lucky this month to receive some brilliant hospitality from the trainers we’ve visited, and Charlie Mann was no exception! We headed to Lambourn for another project with Old Gold Racing. Pete, Brooke and I travelled down to meet the Old Gold team and spend the day at the former training base of Charlie Mann. It’s always a pleasure visiting Lambourn and with so much racing history in the area, it’s a place we always enjoy returning to. Charlie enjoyed a hugely successful career as both a jockey and trainer, saddling over 700 winners before retiring from training, so it was a real privilege to meet him and hear some of his stories. 

This shoot was slightly different from our usual sales videos and gave us the opportunity to try something a little more creative. It was great fun to film, with everyone getting involved, including Ed Seyfried, who had to dust off his acting skills. A future James Bond audition might not be completely out of the question! After filming, Charlie very kindly treated us to lunch in his garden, which was hugely appreciated after a busy morning. Days like these remind us how fortunate we are to meet so many passionate people within the racing industry and hear their stories first-hand.

The Game Fair 2026

The Game Fair at Ragley Hall was another major highlight of the month and this year we had our biggest team yet covering the three-day event. With such a busy schedule, it really was all hands on deck as we produced content for both The Game Fair and BASC.

Having a larger team meant we could split our focus, with one group dedicated to BASC content while the other captured everything happening across the show. The whole CFC team was onsite alongside Ben Pankhurst, Joe Morgan and Zara Best. Billie and Pete took on the editing duties on day one, before Pete and I took over across Saturday and Sunday, while the rest of the team were out filming, conducting interviews and capturing the atmosphere across the showground. It was an exceptionally hot weekend, but the conditions certainly didn’t slow anyone down. Everyone worked incredibly hard and the results speak for themselves, with some brilliant content produced across all three days.

The feedback from both BASC and The Game Fair was excellent, with plenty of comments saying this year’s coverage was the best yet and praising the quality of the content. The weekend was a real team effort, with countless steps clocked up, the walk from the car park to the press tent alone felt like a workout!

It’s always a pleasure working with BASC and being a part of The Game Fair. It’s one of those events we always look forward to, and it’s great to catch up with familiar faces, meet new people and capture everything that makes the weekend such a special occasion.

Looking Ahead

There’s been plenty going on away from work this month too, with one of the biggest milestones being that we have officially moved into our new office. It really feels like the end of an era, as our previous office was where it all began for CFC. We’ve made some brilliant memories there and watched the business grow from those four walls, so it will always hold a special place for us. That said, we’re incredibly excited about this next chapter. We’ll be sharing the transformation of the new office through a series of episodes online over the coming weeks, so you can follow along as we continue making the space our own.

It’s also been a busy month on the racing front for me, with four runners in four weeks, a personal record! Leave Her To Me returned to the racecourse after her break, Mademoiselle Belle made another appearance, and the highlight was undoubtedly Billyboy Blue winning at Uttoxeter. Typical timing meant I was filming at Ragley Hall for The Game Fair, so instead of cheering him home from the track, I found myself watching the finish on my phone outside the press tent. I don’t think everyone around me quite shared my excitement, but it was a brilliant moment and one I won’t forget!

Pete has had a busy month too, with a trip to the RHS Garden Show at Badminton which seemed to provide him with plenty of allotment inspo, lending a hand at the 2000 Trees Festival for a friend and plenty of cheering England on in the football.

Billie celebrated entering the last year of her 20’s this month! Which was well spent with friends and family. It was really great to have her onsite at The Game Fair with the whole team too - sometimes a rare sight for an editor getting out on location!

Brooke has had a relatively chilled July by her standards. Her and her partner are off for a road trip around Ireland next week so there has been plenty of planning going on. Ireland is one of my favourite places, so I’m looking forward to hearing all about it!

Amelia had a busy month outside of the office too, representing the team at WorcesterRacecourse to watch Leave Her To Me return to the track. With Pete and I tied up with editing, it was great to have Amelia there to support the runner and be part of the day. She also enjoyed a special family occasion this month, attending her brother's graduation at Reading University. It was a lovely opportunity to celebrate his achievement and spend some time with family away from the usual CFC routine.

With a hoard of exciting projects in the diary and more racing to look forward to, we’re feeling really very positive about the months ahead. It’s already been a fantastic year for CFC and we’re looking forward to making plenty more memories in our new office.

Louis, Pete, Billie, Brooke and Amelia x