Edited press release
For the fifth time this century, Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms has won the Queen’s Silver Cup awarded to the leading British-based breeder (flat) who has accrued the most prize money in Great Britain and Ireland from mares normally resident in the United Kingdom.
Juddmonte’s success halts the march of Cheveley Park Stud, winner of the award in both 2006 and 2007.
The 2008 Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Awards, announced Dec. 15, acknowledge the notable achievements of a diverse selection of British breeders.The awards will be presented at the TBA Annual Awards Lunch in London Jan. 6, 2009 and will follow the 92nd Annual General Meeting of the TBA, being held at the Hyatt Regency Churchill Hotel in Portman Square.
In addition to the winners announced Dec. 15, additional awards to be announced and presented at the dinner are the Duke of Devonshire Award and the Dominion Award.
African Rose and Promising Lead were the pick of the Juddmonte homebreds in 2008. The former won the Group I Ladbrokes Sprint Cup at Doncaster in September, while Promising Lead literally led the way with victory in the Group I Audi Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in June. The latter had previously won the Group III Middleton Stakes at York.
Abdullah’s operation was rewarded further thanks to the remarkable achievement of Promising Lead’s dam Arrive, who follows her full-sister, Hasili, in winning the H. J. Joel Silver Salver as the British-based Broodmare of the Year.
Pivotal maintains his position as the top British-based stallion, taking his third successive Barleythorpe Cup for the leading flat sire in terms of individual winners. The Cheveley Park Stud stallion sired 55 individual winners in 2008, four more than his nearest rival, Oasis Dream. The homebred son of Polar Falcon repeats another success of last year in receiving a second consecutive BBA Silver Cigar Box, given to the leading British-based stallion according to earnings. Pivotal’s progeny in Britain accrued £1,828,187 in prize money. He collects both awards for the third time, having also completed the double in 2004.
Pivotal’s top performer on the track during the year was the Boylesports Irish One Thousand Guineas winner Halfway To Heaven. The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly gained further group I triumphs in the Blue Square Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and the Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket.
Lucky Story receives the Tattersalls Silver Salver as the leading British-based first season flat sire with six individual winners of 10 races and total prize money of £165,419. His best performer was the Michael Bell-trained Art Connoisseur, successful in the Group II Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and runner-up in the Group I Phoenix Stakes. Lucky Story is a stallion at David Redvers’ Tweenhills Farm & Stud, which also stands Ishiguru who went close to winning this award in 2006 after Hellvelyn also won the Coventry Stakes and was second in the Phoenix Stakes.
Roisin Close, who works at Tweenhills, won the TBA Annual Stud Staff Award, sponsored by New England Stud.
Lawn Stud enjoyed classic success in 2008 thanks to the brilliant Oaks victory of Look Here. The homebred filly also finished runner-up in the Lingfield Oaks Trial, a race in which her close relation Kayah was successful, and rounded off her season with a good third in the St Leger behind Conduit. Look Here’s exploits have clinched the TBA Silver Rose Bowl for the stud, owned by her owner/breeders Julian and Sarah Richmond-Watson. The accolade is a discretionary award presented to the flat breeder of the year.
Carole’s Crusader won the Dudgeon Cup as National Hunt Broodmare of the Year. The 17-year-old mare resides at Paul Murphy’s Wychnor Park Stud in Staffordshire and is the dam of three exciting young jumping prospects.
Alflora, who stands at Shade Oak Stud in Shropshire, wins his fifth consecutive Horse & Hound Cup for the leading active British-based National Hunt stallion based on individual winners. The 19-year-old Niniski stallion had 10 winners of 17 chases, the best being Hobbs Hill, successful in the Berkshire Novices’ Chase at Newbury and Ascot’s BGC Noel Novices’ Chase.
Another accolade heading to Shropshire is the Whitbread Silver Salver for the leading active British-based National Hunt stallion based on earnings. This award goes to Overbury, who stands at Richard Kent’s Mickley Stud, whose five-strong stallion team also consists of Central Park, Beat All, Multiplex, and Needwood Blade. The 17-year-old Caerleon stallion sired 23 winners of 31 races for total earnings of £223,315.
The Queen Mother’s Silver Salver National Hunt Achievement Award goes to Robert Chugg of Little Lodge Farm near Droitwich. A former leading amateur jockey, Chugg purchased his foundation mare, Laurello, 30 years ago and is a leading purveyor of store horses.
Ann Jenkins, who died in October, receives the TBA Silver Salver of Special Merit. Widely respected in the bloodstock business, Jenkins managed Heatherwold Stud in Berkshire for 45 years. Having been appointed to the position by Elisabeth Longton in 1959, she eventually became the owner of the stud before selling up in 2003.
Devon breeder James Clark of Southcombe Farm receives the Langham Cup, awarded to the Small Breeder of the Year. This is thanks to the group I winning exploits of the Robin Bastiman-trained Borderlescott, who triumphed in the Nunthorpe Stakes at Newmarket and was a fine third to champion sprinter Marchand D’Or in the Prix de l’Abbaye (Fr-I) at Longchamp.