The Blue Diamond Stud homebred took the May 14 Listed Haras de Bouquetot Fillies' Trial S. and was third in the G1 Cazoo Oaks in early June. She gained her Classic laurel in Chantilly's G1 Prix de Diane on June 19 and added Goodwood's G1 Nassau S. for good measure on July 28. Nashwa led for the final furlongs of the l'Opera, before just getting pipped by the rallying Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) on Oct. 2.

“Nashwa worked this morning on the Limekilns with Hollie [Doyle, retained rider] and she worked nicely, so we're making plans to go to Keeneland,” said Grimthorpe. “She had that break after the Nassau [66 days] and we hope that will pay off at this time of year.

“Her races have been quite well spaced. She ran so well in the Prix de l'Opera and has come out of the race well and it is a nice progression to go to the Filly & Mare. The distance is nine and a half furlongs this year, a mile and 3/16ths, so that should suit.”

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Teddy Grimthorpe, Chair of The National Stud, said, “We are delighted that Joe will be joining the stud in mid-October. This is a key appointment and he really stood out in the selection process. Joe impressed us with his tremendous passion for our industry and sport. He is ideally suited to the challenges of this role.”

Bradley added, “I am excited to be joining the leadership team of The National Stud. The building blocks are very much in place with a quality roster of stallions and a burgeoning consignment business. I am looking forward to growing and enhancing our unique position within the industry.”

Grimthorpe also paid tribute to TNS Head Of Stud Operations Joe Grimwade, and said, “I would like to thank Joe Grimwade for the remarkable job he has done. It is a huge credit to him that the stud is in such good shape to drive forward.”

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The restructure is underpinned by the appointment of Lord Teddy Grimthorpe as racing manager to Imad Al Sagar.

Grimthorpe, who succeeds Tony Nerses, takes up the position in February.

Grimthorpe is one of the most widely respected figures within racing, having served as racing manager to Prince Khalid Abdullah for 22 years. During that time, he worked with 24 European trainers and oversaw 3,000 horses in training, which between them won almost 100 Group 1 races.

Grimthorpe currently serves as chairman of the National Stud, deputy senior steward of The Jockey Club and on the board of York Racecourse board following nine years at the track as chairman. Prior to his role with Juddmonte Farms, he worked for the British Bloodstock Agency for over 20 years.

“We have taken the opportunity to restructure our team at Blue Diamond Stud for 2022 and are delighted to welcome Teddy Grimthorpe as racing manager,” said Imad Al Sagar. “Tony Nerses was a major contributor to the growth and success of Blue Diamond Stud and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

“Teddy is a widely respected racing figure on an international scale. He played a key role in the sustained success of Juddmonte Farms and with his wealth of knowledge and experience, will undoubtedly prove a valuable asset to Blue Diamond Stud. I am greatly looking forward to working with him.”

Teddy Grimthorpe added: “I am very touched to have been asked by Imad Al Sagar to join his team. He has built up an impressive bloodstock portfolio and I will look forward to being any help I can with his operation.

“I will continue to be Chairman of the National Stud and serve on the boards of both Jockey Club and York Racecourse, all of which should fit nicely into this new role.”

Blue Diamond Stud is also delighted to announce the appointment of Ted Voute, another extremely well respected figure within racing and bloodstock circles, as the stud's interim chief executive officer. Voute, a leading sales consignor who will maintain his duties at his stud, Eydon Hall Farm, and as racing and bloodstock advisor to Prince Faisal's Nawara Stud, will fulfill the role until a permanent incumbent is identified.

“I have known Imad from the days of his Derby winner Authorized and have always kept in touch,” said Voute. “Having bought his own farms in Newmarket, Imad has quickly become a successful breeder and I am excited to help him in this transitional phase.”

Gerry Meehan has been appointed as yearling manager. Meehan is another with a wealth of experience behind him, notably 17 and a half years of service at Newsells Park Stud, latterly as Yearling Manager.

Winner of the Stud Staff category within the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards of 2014, Meehan's resume also includes stints at Fair Winter Farm, Cheveley Park Stud, Side Hill Stud and Coolmore, where he worked with the likes of Fairy King and Alzao.

Gerry Meehan will oversee the stud's yearling division and its sales consignments, which will debut under the Blue Diamond Stud Farm (UK) Ltd banner this year, starting at the Tattersalls February Sale.

“I am very excited to be joining Blue Diamond Stud,” said Meehan, “and feel like I can make a difference in helping the stud achieve success at the highest level in and out of the sale ring. The stud is a top-class operation that is already a proven source of Group 1 winners. I look forward to working with Imad Al Sagar and everyone at Blue Diamond Stud.”

Andrew Rawlin, a long serving member of the team at Blue Diamond Stud, has been promoted to mares manager. Rawlin has been a valued part of the stud team for 11 years and is well respected across the industry for his dedication and professionalism.

Nancy Sexton has also been appointed as bloodstock and media advisor. A bloodstock commentator attached to a variety of industry publications, Sexton also acts as European representative to the Kentucky-based Schumer Bloodstock.

“With such a strong team on board for 2022, I believe we are well placed to not only consolidate Blue Diamond Stud's position as an elite presence within the industry, but also to strive for further growth and success,” said Imad Al Sagar. “As such, we have started the year on a positive note and I look forward to a successful year.”

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“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.”

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Royal Ascot 2021 will mark the end of a 22-year stint in the role which has seen him closely allied to some of the greatest names in the sport's modern history as the public face of the operation which is as admired as much as it is successful. That admiration extends to Grimthorpe himself, better and more informally known as Teddy. He was Teddy Beckett when he was first appointed to his role by Prince Khalid Abdullah in 1998, and he later succeeded his father as the 5th Baron Grimthorpe in 2003. 

Racing was in the blood of this Yorkshireman. His grandfather owned the 1947 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Fortina (Fr), while his father brought him closer to the sphere which would come to dominate these past two decades of his working life as the breeder of Mrs McArdy (GB), winner of the 1000 Guineas in 1977.

Twenty-two years later that same race would provide the first Classic winner overseen by Grimthorpe for Juddmonte when the Henry Cecil-trained Wince (GB) (Selkirk) triumphed in the season that both Guineas were run on Newmarket's July Course.

“I was brought up in a sort of fairly horsey fashion. I rode out–I don't think he would call it that–but I did ride out for Jimmy FitzGerald, I think when I was still at school,” Grimthorpe recalls with typical modesty.

Stints at Lindsay Park Stud in South Australia and Nydrie Stud in Virginia, as well as completion of the National Stud course, gave way to another decent term of 22 years with the British Bloodstock Agency (BBA) before Grant Pritchard-Gordon's imminent departure from Juddmonte presented an opportunity to relish.

He continues, “I went to meet the Prince in the middle Sunday of the December sales. I didn't know if he was interviewing lots of other people. But anyway, he welcomed me into his office and said, 'I'm just here to welcome you to the club'. So I thought that was a pretty good job interview, really, but it was typical of Prince Khalid. Of course he had done a little bit of research on me, or I imagine he had.”

When his impending departure was first announced in April, Grimthorpe recalled with some amusement in a TV interview the time he was asked by a racegoer if his job was merely to collect cups. Pleasingly, there have been many trophies to gather during Juddmonte's 40 years, but Grimthorpe's responsibilities have naturally run far deeper. 

After all, this is an operation where no detail is overlooked–from planning a mating, through to conception, foaling, nurturing, training, racing, and often back to stud. An in-depth knowledge of the Juddmonte families is a pre-requisite, and an understanding of the traits and foibles associated with certain bloodlines essential when helping in the decision-making of assigning horses to trainers.

“Of course, the racing is the end product and a vital one,” he says. “I think from an enjoyment point of view [what I have enjoyed most] is the development. It's knowing the stallions, knowing the mares–generations of mares. I mean when Lucid Dreamer (GB) won her maiden, she was a sixth generation Juddmonte-bred. So those sorts of things–knowing the families, and growing up with the families, and seeing what they produce and what sort of horses, and what sort of temperaments, what sort of types. They then would go to France and Ireland to be broken in there. You just sort of saw them on a regular basis throughout summer and autumn, to see how they develop and then really you're in a good position to advise, in my case, Prince Khalid and, of course, latterly the family where they might be best suited. That was a decision on the whole that Prince Khalid always took. He took a huge amount of trouble in trying to allocate his horses to where he wanted them to go. So it was my job to give him the background and the facts to help him make these decisions.”

As important as knowing the bloodstock was forming good relationships with trainers, and in Grimthorpe's tenure he has worked with some of the legendary names in world racing. And as the eighth anniversary of the death of Sir Henry Cecil  has passed this week, he is remembered still with fondness and admiration.

“Henry was not what I'd call a 'stand by your beds' man,” Grimthorpe says. “But he slightly pretended to be a bit more informal than he actually was. Originally [head lad] Paddy Rudkin told me that they thought that he was sort of daydreaming around the yard. Actually they soon realised that he wasn't daydreaming, he was just taking in all the rhythms. He had an extraordinary eye.”

He continues, “So he was very different to John Gosden, who is utterly brilliant. Andre [Fabre], his CV is second to none. On the American side, Bobby Frankel, he was a unique man and had a great depth of thought about the game, and how it was run and what the horses wanted. He had quite a gruff outside, but he had a very soft inside, Bobby.

“Prince Khalid chose his trainers very, very carefully. Really it was slotting the right horses to the right person. I think good horses on the whole are going to be good horses with good trainers. I think if you get to the likes of Frankel, it's hard to think that Frankel wouldn't have been a very, very good horse, but I don't think the story would have been so fantastic without that sort of combination, and likewise Enable and Frankie [Dettori] really, and of course John. It's those sort of dynamics that make it all interesting.”

With such a wealth of equine talent to draw from, Grimthorpe is understandably reluctant to nominate one individual as a personal favourite. “Like Andre said, I don't rate my friends,” he says with a smile. “I always thought that was such a good get out, because many of them really had fantastic stories and great, great histories.”

He is, however, happy to compile his own version of Juddmonte's greatest hits from the last two decades.

“From the early days, Dansili (GB) was the first of Hasili's progeny to hit the racecourse. I was always incredibly fond of him. Prince Khalid certainly had huge faith in him. He always said that probably if he'd been better managed he would have won at least two Grade Is. He covered the last quarter-mile in the Breeders' Cup Mile in twenty-one and change, and still finished third. I mean a half a nose past the post, he was a length clear practically. So it was always frustrating. Prince Khalid said, 'We're going to treat him like a Group 1 winner', so he came back to the stud.”

He adds, “I went through a barren period when I started the job. We had no winners at all. Wince, when she won the Fred Darling, was the first winner in England that I'd managed. She of course went on to win a Classic. 

“I always loved Twice Over (GB) because he was such a gent. He was the most mild-mannered, honest, straightforward, wonderful horse. He really was. And of course, Famous Name (GB), that Dermot [Weld] trained, won 21 Pattern races.”

He reflects on 2003 as a particularly special year for the organisation worldwide.

“Prince Khalid had Nebraska Tornado, who won the Prix De Diane, Oasis Dream (GB), who was a champion sprinter, and [Belmont S. winner] Empire Maker, all in three different jurisdictions, almost outstanding horses of their particular generation. So that was exciting,” he says. “Then there's the likes of Midday (GB) winning a Breeders' Cup and Kingman (GB)–we still can't work out how he got beaten in the 2000 Guineas. Of course, he had redemption, especially at Ascot, but more so, I thought, in the Sussex Stakes.”

In the minds of many racing fans, two Juddmonte horses tower above all others during Grimthorpe's tenure: Frankel (GB) and Enable (GB). It is nine years since Frankel's final appearance at Royal Ascot for his imperious romp in the Queen Anne S. and, unusually, he has remained almost as much in the public eye as he was in his racing days since his retirement to Banstead Manor Stud. For not only has he shown himself to be a high-calibre stallion in the time but he has also taken part in endless photo calls with visitors to the stud as well as acting as an important fundraiser as an equine ambassador for the East Anglian Children's Hospice.

“I think everyone from Prince Khalid downwards in Juddmonte was pretty much aware that Frankel had the potential to be something special from a pretty early stage,” Grimthorpe notes. ” When we put a saddle on him and he started moving, you know, he made the heart skip a beat, no question about that. Then he started running, and you're thinking, 'Oh, this could be good'. It kept on going up the scale. I think he then grew in the public's minds because he kept on winning. Therefore, it sort of snowballed and he was able to jump outside the the back part of the sporting pages.”

He continues, “Henry at that stage was undergoing his cancer treatment and so was mentally unbelievably strong, but physically quite frail. Prince Khalid said to me, 'I want you to take this on. I don't want Henry to be under any pressure in terms of the press and the publicity and all that'. Then, of course, we talked about Frankel often and endlessly. I did say to him once, 'You do realise you're going to have to share this horse now with the wider world'. 

“He was a very private person, Prince Khalid. He'd always kept it like that with his horses but he certainly understood that this was going to have to happen. He was fully on board because he realised what a phenomenon Frankel was for the whole racing business. He was a great major story of an alpha male. The story of Henry and him, obviously with two great stories individually, but together they made for a massive story.”

If Frankel sustained his trainer through his own torrid battle with cancer, so did Enable for her owner/breeder. The great mare last set foot on a racecourse on Oct. 4 last year when attempting to win her third Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. A little over three months later Prince Khalid died at the age of 84. Frankel may have been his 'alpha male' crowning glory as a breeder, but Enable, unusually and specially kept in training as a 6-year-old, was Juddmonte's queen.

“I always felt that when helping to make the decisions on whether they stay in training, I think there's always the same questions you ask yourself,” explains Grimthorpe. “Is she sound? Is she happy? Has she got targets? What's the programme? Most importantly, what does the owner want to do?

“Enable she was the most extraordinary lady. She wanted to do it. I mean she really wanted to know why she wasn't being fed first in the morning. Why she wasn't going out first thing, or why she wasn't cantering first, or why she wasn't galloping. She was the most vociferous, extraordinary person like that. So she pretty much told us what she wanted to do. She told John first, obviously. So from that point of view, it was something that Prince Khalid and the family really enjoyed.”

He adds, “I think the target of a third Arc was a big enough carrot to try. I think if you have horses of the calibre of Enable, to try and test them as much as you can is not unreasonable.”

If no favourite horse can be named, then a favourite moment from many memorable occasions during the 22 years is easy to come by, particularly for the man who all but grew up on the Knavesmire.

“There's no doubt that on the racecourse, the 22nd August 2012 was it for me for so many reasons,” he says of Frankel's seven-length victory in the Juddmonte International S. when asked to race beyond a mile for the first time.

“Obviously Frankel stepping up to the mile and a quarter for Prince Khalid's flagship race. I was chairman of York racecourse, so I did think if things went badly I could lose the only two jobs I had. But it was an extraordinary day in every possible way. The great Yorkshire crowd came in droves, people were sitting around the paddock from the first race onwards. People kept coming up to me from arrival onwards, [there was] the excitement, the buzz.”

Cecil, too, had a strong attachment to Yorkshire, and made the trip to watch his star pupil make his penultimate start despite his failing health. 

Grimthorpe recalls, “Prince Khalid came. Henry was determined to come, even though Prince Khalid had said he didn't need to. He said, 'I'm coming'. He looked very frail that day, but he was determined to come and and the horse delivered.”

The Prince and Sir Henry are now sadly departed. Frankel continues in his pomp, heaping reflected glory on the Juddmonte operation through his first Derby winner, Adayar (Ire), for their rival team of Godolphin. As the final day of Royal Ascot gives way to a Classic Sunday in France–a regular pilgrimage for Grimthorpe through the last 22 seasons–so a new chapter will begin. The man who had the privilege of watching this extraordinary story unfurl from the inside, and who remains the epitome of the discreet and diplomatic racing manager, will hand over that title to Barry Mahon from June 21.

As deputy senior steward of the Jockey Club, Lord Grimthorpe will not be lost to racing, or indeed to his beloved York, where he remains on the board of the racecourse. Indeed, the sport could not ask for a more passionate advocate in all it is currently trying to achieve in Britain.

“The ethos is that we want people to come racing,” he says of York in particular but in a manner that should be extended nationally. 

“Therefore, if you want people to come racing, you've got to deliver it. First and foremost, a very friendly face at the first gate you walk into. Good facilities so people actually are happy to eat and drink what's on offer. To get fantastic horses, you've got to have fantastic prize-money. To have fantastic prize-money you have to have fantastic crowds, and so it goes on. So from that point of view, York embodies that very much. Equally so, if you fall down in one of those, then you fall down in the whole lot, and people understand that. I mean, everybody at York understands that. So it is getting the collective to buy into everything that we're trying to do. Trying to make it better, improve everything: it's a never-ending process.”

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He will continue to run Juddmonte's operations in Ireland and becomes General Manager Ireland and European Racing. His key racing role, from June 21, will be to liaise with Juddmonte's trainers in the UK, France and Ireland.

Mahon was born and bred into Juddmonte. His father, Rory Mahon, has been at Ferrans Stud with Juddmonte for nearly 40 years and remains a highly valued member of the team. Rory will continue to help manage the Irish stud operation.

After working for John Gosden, Barry completed an honors degree in Equine Science and International Business Management at Oxford Brookes University. During this time, he completed work placements with Coolmore Ireland, Coolmore USA and Highclere Stud.

On completion of his degree, he was appointed Yearling Manager at Grangecon Stud in Ireland, before becoming Manager of Clarecastle Farm (breeders of Authorized and Order Of St George) in Ireland, a position he held for 12 years before joining Juddmonte in 2017.

Garrett O'Rourke remains General Manager USA, responsible for Juddmonte's stud activities and racing there. Simon Mockridge remains General Manager UK, responsible for stud activities in the UK, including the European stallions and broodmares.

Claude Beniada continues to represent Juddmonte in France, reporting to Mahon. The Racing Office under Megan Taylor, Racing Secretary, remains at Banstead Manor Stud, Newmarket.

Douglas Erskine Crum, Chief Executive of Juddmonte, said, “As Racing Manager for Juddmonte's late owner, Prince Khalid Abdullah, Teddy managed all Juddmonte's European horses in training and played a leading role in Juddmonte's consistent and sustained success worldwide at the very highest level in racing. On behalf of Prince Khalid's family and all of us past and present at Juddmonte, I thank Teddy for all he has achieved, year after year, and we wish him the very best of good fortune for the future.

“We are delighted Barry is taking on the additional European racing role. He is ideally placed to take on Teddy's duties in Europe and, together with Rory, continue to manage Juddmonte Ireland.”

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It was announced in April that Grimthorpe would stand down from his position following Royal Ascot, after which Mahon will start his new role which will see him liaise with Juddmonte's trainers in the UK, France and Ireland.

Mahon, who was born and raised at Juddmonte's Ferrans Stud in Ireland, has widespread experience in the racing and breeding world, having previously worked for John Gosden, Highclere Stud, Coolmore, and as manager for both Grangecon Stud and Clare Castle Stud. He joined Juddmonte in 2017, succeeding his father Rory Mahon, who remains part of the managerial team in Ireland for Juddmonte, where he was worked for nearly 40 years.

“As Racing Manager for Juddmonte's late owner, Prince Khalid Abdullah, Teddy managed all Juddmonte's European horses in training and played a leading role in Juddmonte's consistent and sustained success worldwide at the very highest level in racing,” said Juddmonte's chief executive Douglas Erskine Crum.

“On behalf of Prince Khalid's family and all of us past and present at Juddmonte, I thank Teddy for all he has achieved, year after year, and we wish him the very best of good fortune for the future.”

He added, “We are delighted Barry is taking on the additional European racing role. He is ideally placed to take on Teddy's duties in Europe and, together with Rory, continue to manage Juddmonte Ireland.”

Mahon's fellow Irishman Garrett O'Rourke will remain as general manager of Juddmonte in America, where he oversees both the stud and racing activities, while Simon Mockridge remains as general manager in the UK and is responsible for all breeding aspects, including the European stallions and broodmares.

Juddmonte's racing office will continue to be run from Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket under Megan Taylor, and Claude Beniada will continue to represent Juddmonte in France, reporting to Barry Mahon.

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“This filly has had a temporary setback so [she] will not run in the Cazoo Oaks on Friday,” he said. “All being well, she could head to the G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot.”

Juddmonte homebred Noon Star (Galileo {Ire}) has had a “temporary setback” and will not run in the G1 Cazoo Oaks on the first day of the Cazoo Derby Festival, trainer Sir Michael Stoute announced on Tuesday.

“Noon Star will not now be running in the Cazoo Oaks on Friday, due to a blood disorder,” Stoute said in a statement.

Third on debut at Salisbury on Sept. 3, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained bay graduated in a Nottingham maiden on Oct. 14 and was put away for the season. She made her 3-year-old bow with a 2 1/2-length win at Wetherby on Apr. 25 and was last seen finishing second in the G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. at York on May 12.

Added Juddmonte Racing Manager Teddy Grimthorpe, “This filly has had a temporary setback so [she] will not run in the Cazoo Oaks on Friday,” he said. “All being well, she could head to the G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot.”

Aidan O'Brien Quintet Sitting On Go
Aidan O'Brien still has five fillies in Friday's feature race, however, including ante-post favourite Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). The daughter of Senta's Dream (GB) (Danehill) won her maiden impressively at The Curragh on Sept. 26 and was a solid fourth in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas on May 2.

“Santa Barbara is very well and this was always pencilled in to be her second run this year,” said O'Brien. “We were delighted with her run in the Guineas and everything has gone well with her since. That was a big ask for her. She passed every test we put in front of her with flying colours and probably to ask for any other result wouldn't have been right.

“We were always going to go into the Oaks not knowing if she stays a mile and a half–I suppose we're going to find that out. She's by Camelot, which is a big help, and we know she's got a lot of class.

“She's only had the two runs, which is not a lot going into the Oaks, but we're excited and looking forward to seeing her run.”

Another Coolmore partners/O'Brien filly is the upwardly mobile Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). The February-foaled bay already has eight starts under her belt and was an impressive winner of the G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. at York on May 12.

“We were delighted with her [Snowfall] in York and she's come out of that very well. We think maybe going up in trip on better ground and maybe having a year under her belt to get stronger has all been a help to her,” O'Brien said. “She's always been a very good home worker and always worked like a filly that had loads of class.”

Rounding out the fivesome is G3 Kilcarn Stud Flame Of Tara Irish EBF S. heroine Divinely (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the SP La Joconde (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Willow (Ire) (American Pharoah), who broke her maiden at Leopardstown in October and was third in the G3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Blue Wind S. at Naas on May 8.

“We always liked Divinely a lot,” O'Brien added. “She's a sister to Found who won a Group 3 last year and has had the one run in Lingfield this year. Ryan said he was delighted with the run. He said they went very slow and that didn't suit her, but he was really happy with her.

“Her homework has been very nice since and all her figures from her works have been coming out very high– that's usually a very good sign.

“La Joconde is another filly we always thought more of than she showed. We think there's plenty to come from her–she's a very solid filly and we think that she has loads of quality.

“Willow is out of Peeping Fawn and has progressed with every run and will progress more. She'll love the trip and if there is any ease in the ground, that won't bother her. Physically she's done very well as well.

“We just think and feel that they're all bred to be Oaks fillies and it might be very wrong to stop them from taking their chance.”

Smooth Sailing For Ocean Road
Qatar Racing's Ocean Road (Ire) (Australia {GB}) is in fine fettle prior to a start in the G1 Cazoo Oaks on Friday. The Hugo Palmer-trained filly was second in a Nottingham maiden race, before saluting over the Lingfield all-weather on Dec. 2. Her latest start was a third in the Listed Novibet Oaks Trial Fillies' S. at Lingfield on May 8.

“We're all systems go for Epsom on Friday,” Palmer said of his filly, one of 15 left in at this stage. “Oisin [Murphy] sat on her this morning and did a little bit of stalls work with her. She was too slowly away at Lingfield and ended up sitting last, it was all a bit of a mess on ground that was too soft for her.

“We've always seen her as a good-moving filly that should be better on the top of the ground. We just felt that on debut at Nottingham she got away with the ground, she wanted a bit quicker but she handles it, and the same also when she ran at Lingfield.

“She ended up on the worst bit of the track as well. She's got a great turn of foot and loads of speed and we feel that the ground blunts her speed. We're very hopeful that we will see her to much better effect on top of the ground.”

Palmer added, “She's going to have to show considerable improvement on what she's done to date to win the Oaks, but I believe she has improved a huge amount at home. As we see year in, year out, these fillies can improve 20lb from one run to the next. My two best fillies that I've had prior to this were Covert Love (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) and Architecture (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), over this trip, and they improved massively from this time of year.

“It can happen, but we're obviously very conscious about the fact that it has to.”

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As racing manager for Juddmonte's late owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, Grimthorpe managed all Juddmonte's European horses in training and played a leading role in Juddmonte's consistent and sustained success worldwide at the very highest level in racing. Teddy will leave Juddmonte after this year's Royal Meeting.

Taking over the racing manager's role in 1999 he has, during his tenure, worked with 24 European trainers looking after over 3,000 horses in training, of which 1,400 won over 2,400 races including very nearly 100 Group 1 wins. The list of famous horses with which Teddy was involved includes such names as Enable, Frankel, Banks Hill, Rail Link, Special Duty, Workforce, Twice Over, Midday, Oasis Dream and Kingman.

Teddy is currently deputy senior steward of the British Jockey Club and, having been chairman of York Racecourse for nine years, remains on the York Racecourse board.

Teddy Grimthorpe said:

“I have always felt that the time for me to stand down from Juddmonte would be when Prince Khalid was no longer involved. It has been a huge privilege to work for the Prince and his family, and with the outstanding Juddmonte team, which has been so successful for so long. Of course I am sad to leave, but, with the Prince's death two months ago and over 20 years as his racing manager, now is the right time. I leave an organization in great shape which is supreme at what it does, and I have no doubt Juddmonte will continue to thrive and produce top-class homebred thoroughbred horses competing at the highest level on racecourses across the world.”

Douglas Erskine Crum, chief executive of Juddmonte, said:

“On behalf of Prince Khalid's family and all of us past and present at Juddmonte, I thank Teddy for all he has done to help the organization be at the very top of its game year after year. He will be sorely missed and we wish him the very best of good fortune for the future.”

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Since taking up the role in 1999, Grimthorpe has worked with 24 European trainers and overseen 3000 horses in training. Of those, 1400 won over 2400 races, including almost 100 Group 1 wins. The list of champion Grimthorpe was involved with includes Enable (GB), Frankel (GB), Banks Hill (GB), Rail Link (GB), Special Duty (GB), Workforce (GB), Twice Over (GB), Midday (GB), Oasis Dream (GB) and Kingman (GB). After Khalid Abdullah's death, Juddmonte Chief Executive Douglas Erskine Crum said the prince's family was “very committed to keeping Juddmonte as it is going.”

Grimthorpe, who currently serves as deputy senior steward of The Jockey Club and is on the York Racecourse board after nine years as chairman there, said, “I have always felt that the time for me to stand down from Juddmonte would be when Prince Khalid was no longer involved. It has been a huge privilege to work for the Prince and his family, and with the outstanding Juddmonte team, which has been so successful for so long. Of course I am sad to leave, but, with the Prince's death two months ago and over 20 years as his racing manager, now is the right time.

“I leave an organisation in great shape which is supreme at what it does, and I have no doubt Juddmonte will continue to thrive and produce top-class homebred Thoroughbred horses competing at the highest level on racecourses across the world.”

Prior to his appointment with Juddmonte, Grimthorpe worked for the British Bloodstock Agency for more than 20 years. He said he plans to stay involved in the Thoroughbred industry.

“I've just had the most tremendous time,” he said. “It's been an absolute honour and privilege to have worked for Prince Khalid and his family. This just seemed right. I still want to remain active in the industry, and there are some things I want to pursue back in Yorkshire. Life will go on. Obviously I've given it a great deal of thought and I haven't taken the decision lightly. I've been unbelievably lucky, I really have.”

Grimthorpe nominated two standouts among the many champions he has been involved with at Juddmonte.

“When Prince Khalid died and we looked back at the big moments, there were so many extraordinary horses who had won serious Group 1 races who hardly got a mention,” he said. “I think in terms of special moments, though, Frankel looms over everything. Seeing him develop, Sir Henry [Cecil] became a very close friend, as did all the Juddmonte trainers, but it was just the story around Frankel with how ill Henry was.

“Obviously I'm biased, but the day at York with him [the Juddmonte International] was very special–it was a day a lot of people remember. Prince Khalid was there, Henry was very ill, and the crowd were beyond belief. I was waiting for Prince Khalid to arrive–and normally at York when there is a big crowd a lot of it is coaches–but this wasn't, this was a case of people getting in their car to go and see the horse. I've never seen the paddock as crowded–it was like Cheltenham–and of course his his performance was outstanding. People still come up to me to talk about that day.

“Then of course, we've had Enable the last few years. She had the most remarkable personality, and her relationship with Frankie [Dettori] was something special too, which all added to the story.”

Erskine Crum thanked Grimthorpe for his service, saying, “On behalf of Prince Khalid's family and all of us past and present at Juddmonte, I thank Teddy for all he has done to help the organisation be at the very top of its game year after year. He will be sorely missed and we wish him the very best of good fortune for the future.”

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