STEP INSIDE Bedford House Stables and a blend of history, professionalism and style is instantly apparent. The well laid-out yard, found on the Bury Road, is approaching 150 years old and a plethora of top-class racehorses have resided there. While it is one of Newmarket's older stables, long-time incumbent Luca Cumani has left no stone left unturned in ensuring that it is the epitome of a modern training establishment.

For starters, it is very spacious compared to many yards. The stabling blocks have been well thought out with the boxes themselves light and airy. Then there is the covered ride where Cumani groups the horses together and they have a warm up trot before heading out to the gallops. A large well-maintained paddock is the perfect location for a relaxed pick of grass after exercise and the turn-out pens allow them to roam at their leisure.

The paddock also contains a set of practice starting stalls - further evidence of a set-up that smacks of thoroughness and a commitment to excellence.

The infrastructure of the yard exemplifies the point. Take veterinary care; there is continuity each day with a vet available to deal with individual horses and any queries or issues that may arise. It is similar story as regards the Bedford House farrier.

No wonder, then, that the Cumani string is - and invariably has been in recent years - well over 100-strong. The track record speaks volumes, not least in maximising the potential of those occasional less than straight-forward horses. The same applies with under-achievers, who have come to the yard later in their careers only to improve out of all recognition (history relates that Alkaased arrived ahead of his four-year-old campaign with just one maiden win from six starts; by the end of his five-year-old season he had registered five more victories, including two Group 1 races and a Group 2. Now that's progress!).

One of Bedford House's prime assets is the location. Turn left out of the gates up the Bury Road and you don't have to go very far before finding yourself adjacent to the renowned Limekilns where some of the best gallops in the world are, including the Trial Ground - scene for many big-race tune-ups. Even closer to the yard is Long Hill and beyond that lies Warren Hill, the location for much of the routine conditioning exercise down by horses in the town. While Bury Side is on the doorstep, Racecourse Side is also easily accessible with a host of available training grounds.

That is the beauty of training in Newmarket - there is a gallop to suit every type of horse. Owned and managed by the Jockey Club Estates, there are over 50 miles of chalk-based turf gallops as well as several all-weather surfaces.