Lorton Entertainment, who are currently working on highly anticipated Disney+ documentary “Wagatha Christie,” have set a new unscripted series titled “Horsepower” at Amazon, Variety can exclusively reveal.
A four-part documentary series which is set to launch on Prime Video U.K. and Ireland from Sept. 23, “Horsepower” gives viewers a rare glimpse into the world of horce racing via its two protagonists, leading trainer Andrew Balding and his principal jockey Oisin Murphy as they compete over a nine month period culminating in the horse racing world’s most prestigious annual event: Royal Ascot.
Audiences will get unprecedented behind the scenes access as they follow Balding (brother of sports host Clare Balding) and Murphy from fall 2020 to summer 2021, watching them train at Balding’s Hampshire stables and competing in events across the country. All seems lost, however, when Murphy tests positive for cocaine: will he be banned from the sport he loves or will he be able to re-build his once promising career?
Lorton, who are known for documentaries including “Rooney,” about England soccer star Wayne Rooney and “Bros: After the Screaming Stops,” made “Horsepower” in conjunction with Equine Productions. It is produced and directed by Dave James and John Maxse from Equine Productions.
Lorton’s next project is the highly anticipated documentary “Wagatha Christie” for Disney+, which will tell the story of the U.K.’s most talked about legal case in years.
Goldridge Media and Protagonist Pictures have launched sales on “Horsepower,” which is available to license internationally from Danny Goldman.
“In the twenty years since I’ve been in charge at Kingsclere no one else has been given the level of access provided to the ‘Horsepower’ team for this series,” said Andrew Baldin. “Viewers get to go behind the scenes and see how a racehorse trainer and his team operate, including the meticulous preparation ahead of races both abroad and in the U.K., culminating with the five days of Royal Ascot. ‘Horsepower’ showcases the highs and lows of this incredible sport and I am very proud to be a part of it.”
Murphy said: “All the ups and downs of being a champion jockey are laid bare in ‘Horsepower,’ this is where I tell my story. I allowed the ‘Horsepower’ cameras to see me at my best and my worst because I want people to understand the pressures that come with success for a jockey. The series brilliantly captures this during what was a very challenging time in my career.”
Clare Balding added: “‘Horsepower’ offers a great insight into how hard my brother has worked to turn Kingsclere into a training operation that can compete with the biggest and the best. I’m so proud of Andrew, his wife Anna Lisa and the team they have built around them and I found this series incredibly revealing – there’s stuff in here that I never knew and have never seen so I can safely say that it’s intriguing and the camera work is sensational.”
Julian Bird, CEO Lorton Entertainment, commented: “’Horsepower’ tells a story that has not been covered in this manner or depth before and in doing so reveals so many fascinating and moving storylines. It will enthral those with an existing interest in racing and intrigue and delight newcomers to the sport. We believe it will appeal to a range of audiences and has the potential to cross over in the manner that both ‘Drive to Survive’ and ‘The Last Dance’ have done.”
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