Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom
Iain Jardine
Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom
Iain Jardine is a Scottish dual-purpose trainer based at Hetland Hill Farm near Dumfries, preparing horses for both Flat and National Hunt racing from one of southern Scotland's established training yards. His involvement with horses began through Scottish Borders Common Ridings, pony racing and flapping races before he pursued a career as a jockey.
Iain began his professional riding career with Mick Naughton in Yorkshire before arriving at Hetlandhill as a conditional jockey to Scottish Champion Trainer Len Lungo. He subsequently worked with Ferdy Murphy and Peter Monteith and rode freelance for a number of Scottish and northern trainers. The experience gained in the saddle — particularly his time under Lungo at the same yard he now occupies — continues to influence the way he trains today.
Success with point-to-pointers eventually led Iain into the training ranks, and he has since developed a genuinely dual-purpose operation capable of producing competitive horses across both codes. Hetlandhill is now home to an experienced team headed by Iain and assistant trainer Val Renwick, with long-standing jockey Andrew Mullen closely associated with the Flat string.
Iain Jardine Racing operates from Hetland Hill Farm at Carrutherstown near Dumfries, providing a self-contained training environment designed for both Flat and National Hunt horses.
The principal training facilities include:
- 6-furlong woodchip all-weather gallop on a gradual incline
- 1-mile circular grass gallop
- 2-furlong sand/rubber all-weather schooling lane
- 60m × 30m indoor woodchip ménage
- Internal rubber-matted loose boxes
- Separate rubber-matted isolation boxes
- Two seven-horse Claydon horse walkers
- Year-round turnout paddocks with 6ft post-and-rail fencing
- Extensive hacking across tracks and fields
- Wash bay
- Solarium
- Heated tack and drying room
- Weigh scales
- Three-bay starting stalls
- Disinfecting fogger equipment
The combination of gallops, schooling facilities, turnout and indoor work areas allows the team to vary individual programmes throughout the year, while the rural Dumfriesshire setting provides horses with extensive space away from the environment of a large commercial training centre.
2017 Ebor Handicap — Nakeeta
Iain's landmark success came when Nakeeta won the Ebor at York in 2017. Jardine later described him as the horse who "put us on the map". The gelding won six races and earned more than £520,000 during his career.
5th in the 2017 Melbourne Cup — Nakeeta
Following his Ebor victory, Nakeeta travelled to Australia and finished an excellent fifth at Flemington in the Melbourne Cup, becoming the first Scotland-trained horse to contest the race.
Grade 2 success — Bedrock
Bedrock provided a major National Hunt highlight in 2018 when he defeated hot favourite Samcro in the Grade 2 WKD Hurdle at Down Royal under Rachael Blackmore.
Record Flat month — June 2026
The yard sent out 12 Flat winners during June 2026, Iain's highest total in a single month on the Flat and evidence of the success of the operation's more focused training strategy.
Proven across both codes
From major staying handicaps on the Flat to Graded hurdles, Iain has built a career around successfully switching between Flat and National Hunt horses rather than specialising exclusively in one discipline.
Iain's approach begins with a straightforward principle: healthy and happy horses come first. The yard aims to combine an experienced, positive team with patience from owners, giving individual horses the time and environment required to fulfil their potential.
His background as a jockey gives him a practical understanding of how horses feel beneath a rider, while the breadth of his career allows him to work across Flat and National Hunt disciplines rather than forcing every horse towards the same programme. Welfare, turnout, varied exercise and close observation form an important part of the routine at Hetlandhill.
That philosophy has continued to evolve. In 2026 Iain explained that the yard had deliberately sharpened its focus on quality over quantity, reducing the number of horses at certain levels so the team could devote more time and attention to the right individuals. The change helped produce his best-ever month for Flat winners in June 2026.
Owner communication is another important part of the operation. Testimonials published by the yard repeatedly highlight regular video updates, collaborative planning, open communication and a welcoming approach to stable visits.
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