Mr. Matt Dempsey:

There is normally a set fee but there would be some degree of negotiation at the same time. If a particular promising mare is booked in and there are two stallions vying for her attention, then if the mare is quite exceptional it would make a lot of sense to give a reduced fee to produce the best possible stock.

Up 20 student places a year are offered and are keenly fought for at the stud. There are no fees but the students work on the stud performing many duties. It is heavily oversubscribed every year. The National Stud course which was started over 40 years ago has been used as the model for the Darley Flying Start programme in which the Maktoum family is deeply involved.