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Filmed at Balding’s Kingsclere stables in Hampshire, viewers see the trainer striving to take his yard to the next level. To do so he must achieve success at the highest grade, in races such as the Derby and at Royal Ascot.

Combining remarkable human-interest stories with unrivalled behind the scenes access and insight into the sport of horse racing, the series covers a nine-month period as the duo prepare for the biggest week of their year, the five days of Royal Ascot.

Horsepower was produced and directed by Dave James and John Maxse and co-produced by Angus Paskin Orr and Stevan Riley for London Entertainment and Equine Productions.

Jo Lapping, Head of Factual Acquisition at BBC said: “We’re delighted to be bringing Horsepower to the BBC.

‘The extraordinary access the series gives to life at a racing stable provides real insight to the commitment, hard work and occasional drama behind each race, making Horsepower a riveting watch for both fans and newcomers to the sport.”

Balding’s sister, the broadcaster Clare Balding, who appears in the series, said: “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.”