Grimthorpe Named National Stud Chairman

Teddy Grimthorpe, who for 22 years served as racing manager to the late Prince Khalid Abdullah, has been named chairman of The National Stud. Grimthorpe succeeds Nicholas Wrigley, who has filled the role since the death of the Duke of Roxburghe in August of 2019. Grimthorpe, who has been a member of the Jockey Club since 2007 and joined its board of directors this year, will serve a three-year term.

“I was a student on the National Stud course in 1976 so we have a long history, as they say,” Grimthorpe said. “My three most recent predecessors have all made a huge impact on the stud: Ben Sangster, Guy Roxburghe and Nicholas Wrigley, who kindly stepped in as interim chairman after Guy passed away in August 2019.

“It is a fantastic time to be taking over the role, with Time Test creating a lot of excitement and interest while Aclaim has had an excellent first year with runners with a whole stack of winners. Hopefully recent recruit Lope Y Fernandez will carry on that momentum. There's a good reason why Coolmore paid €900,000 for him as a yearling because he's a really outstanding individual. He's already been really well received by breeders. There are important times ahead for all six stallions and there's a really good base from which to build on, so, with director Tim Lane, we will continue to drive The National Stud forward.

“Morale is very high on the farm and it's not only because of the upward trajectory of the stallion roster. The diploma course is a very important part of the stud farm and is beginning to make a serious impact. Racing, like a lot of businesses, is looking for good-quality staff and The National Stud is a great place for people to start out in the industry.”