TBA AWARDS 2008
Article taken from the EBN
Juddmonte Farms receives the Andrew Devonshire Bronze in
recognition of the far-reaching contribution that the organisation
has made to the Thoroughbred breeding industry through the past
three decades.
His Highness Prince Khalid Abdulla, the driving force behind
Juddmonte Farms and joint Honorary Vice President of the
Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, purchased his first yearlings
in 1977 and had his first winner in Britain with the Jeremy
Tree-trained Charming Native at Windsor in May 1979, and that was
soon followed by an initial Stakes success when Abeer took the
Queen Mary at Royal Ascot the following month.
Born in Taif, Saudi Arabia in 1937, Khalid Abdulla first
experienced the thrill of European racing during a summer sojourn
in Paris in 1956 and developed a love ofthe sport in Britain while
living in London in the 1960s. He was the first Arab owner to win
an English Classic when his now famous colours were carried to
victory by Known Fact, who took the 1980 2,000 Guineas on the
disqualification of Nureyev.
In May 1982, Juddmonte registered its first home-bred winner
when Fine Edge scored at Newmarket. That same year, Khalid Abdulla
purchased the former Cayton Park Stud at Wargrave-On-Thames in
Berkshire from Gerald Leigh, renamed it Juddmonte Farms and one of
the most successful breeding operations of modern times was
born.
The Juddmonte empire now incorporates farms in Britain, Ireland
and the US, with Banstead Manor in Newmarket being home to a host
of exciting stallions, notably DANSILI, who
will stand for £75,000 in 2008, the leading British-based first
season sire of 2007 OASIS DREAM, BEAT
HOLLOW, THREE VALLEYS, CACIQUE
and DANSILI’s 2006 Arc winner Rail Link. The British
arm of the operation also includes Side Hill Stud in Newmarket,
Juddmonte Dullingham and Estcourt Estate in Gloucestershire.
Juddmonte also has Ferrans Stud and New Abbey Stud in Ireland,
while Juddmonte Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, houses the homebred
2003 Belmont Stakes hero Empire Maker.
The remarkable triumph of Juddmonte’s breeding programme is
illustrated by the fact that it took just 17 years to annex all
five English Classics with homebreds. In fact, the feat was
achieved within a 10- year span commencing with Quest For Fame’s
1990 Derby triumph. Toulon collected the St Leger the following
year, while in 1993 Zafonic took the 2,000 Guineas and Commander In
Chief earned them a second Derby. Reams Of Verse captured the 1997
Oaks and Wince completed the clean sweep when winning the 1,000
Guineas in 1999.
The French Classic clean sweep was achieved in 2004 when
American Post took the Poule d’Essai des Poulains. That followed
the earlier Juddmonte homebred French Classic triumphs in the Prix
du Jockey Club (1990 Sanglamore), Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (1990
Houseproud, 2002 Zenda), Prix de Diane Hermes (1992 Jolypha, 2003
Nebraska Tornado) and Prix Royal Oak (1993 Raintrap and 1995
Sunshack). Juddmonte Farms has received ten coveted Eclipse Awards
to date, including the Top Breeder Award in 1995, 2001, 2002 and
2003 and the Top Owner Award in 1992 and 2003.
Many individuals have played a part in that tale of
accomplishment and perhaps none has been more pivotal than the late
Humphrey Cottrill, the former trainer who helped lay the Juddmonte
foundations as Khalid Abdulla’s racing manager, adviser and
purchaser from 1977 up to his retirement in 1982. It was Cottrill
who bought the initial batch of yearlings and introduced the Prince
to his first trainer, Jeremy Tree, with whom he enjoyed great
success.
Grant Pritchard-Gordon filled a similar position to Cottrill
before being succeeded by the current racing manager Lord
Grimthorpe, while a key player in the team for almost 20 years is
Philip Mitchell, who joined Juddmonte in 1988 as General Manager of
European Operations.
Date:
9 January 2008