The British breeding world gathered at Tattersalls in Newmarket on Wednesday evening to celebrate the annual TBA Awards, sponsored this year by Shadwell and recognising achievements on the racecourse in the 2011 Flat season and the 2011/12 National Hunt season.
Not a year goes by when Juddmonte Farms are not responsible for at least one top-class winner to celebrate and in 2011 their eight individual Group 1 winners were headed by the unbeaten superstar Frankel, whose strong supporting cast consisted of Midday, Twice Over, Emulous, Announce, Timepiece, Mutual Trust and Prohibit.
For the eighth time since 2000, Prince Khalid Abdullah’s operation took the Queen’s Silver Cup for leading British-based breeder by prize-money. Juddmonte also won the BBA Silver Cigar Box for leading British-based sire by prize-money for the third consecutive year. That honour went to Oasis Dream, who won the prize in 2009 but had to give way to his stable-mate Dansili in 2010.
The stud also collected the TBA Silver Rose Bowl, a discretionary award for Flat breeder of the year, given this time for the achievement of having bred the first three home in Juddmonte’s own sponsored race, the International Stakes at York, in which Twice Over, Midday and Await The Dawn provided a truly memorable result.
Pivotal has been the source of much pride and satisfaction for David and Patricia Thompson of Cheveley Park Stud, who once again were awarded the Barleythorpe Stud Silver Cup for their homebred stallion’s feat in recording the highest number of individual winners of any British-based stallion. He has won the award for seven consecutive years and eight in total.
Cheveley Park’s Managing Director Chris Richardson also collected the Tattersalls Silver Salver on the stud’s behalf in recognition of Dutch Art, who was named the leading British-based first-season sire, with his first-crop offspring including the multiple Group winner Caspar Netscher.
The H J Joel Silver Salver, awarded for Flat broodmare of the year, was given to Darley for Summertime Legacy, the Darshaan mare whose two Group 1 winners in 2011 were Wavering (Prix Saint-Alary) and Mandaean (Criterium de Saint-Cloud), by the Darley stallions Refuse To Bend and Manduro respectively.
Devon’s Ashley House Stud, owned by Brian and Jane Hammond, was recognised with the TBA Silver Salver Special Merit Award (Flat) for being the birthplace of Irish Derby and Secretariat Stakes winner Treasure Beach, who was also runner-up in the Derby to Pour Moi.
Tangerine Trees gave Marie Matthews the thrill of a lifetime when taking Paris by storm in the Group I Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp, and this achievement was duly recognised with the presentation of the Langham Cup for small breeder of the year (Flat).
New England Stud has been generous in its annual support of the TBA Stud Staff Award, which this year was given to Giles Gaisford St Lawrence, the yearling manager at Hascombe and Valiant Studs, who, in the words of his employer Anthony Oppenheimer, shows “dedication second to none”.
Sheikh Mohammed won his seventh Ascot Gold Cup at this year’s Royal Meeting and his former dual winner of that race, Kayf Tara, now leads the field in Britain as a National Hunt sire. The Overbury Stud resident was awarded both the Whitbread Silver Salver (for leading active British-based National Hunt stallion by earnings) and the Horse & Hound Cup (for the most individual chase winners).
Kayf Tara also played his part in this year’s Dudgeon Cup winner with his Hennessy Gold Cup-winning son Carruthers having clinched the award for his late dam Plaid Maid. Lady Oaksey collected the cup on behalf of her husband, Lord Oaksey, who bred the nine-year-old and retains his half-sister Maid Of Oaksey.
The Queen Mother’s Silver Salver, which is presented in recognition of achievement in the National Hunt field, went this year to Cheltenham Racecourse’s Managing Director Edward Gillespie, who recently announced his retirement from that role but has been responsible for turning the Cheltenham Festival into one of the country’s great annual sporting events during the course of 32-year tenure.
The renowned and highly respected veterinary surgeon Richard Greenwood, former Chief Veterinary Advisor to the TBA, was the recipient of this year’s Dominion Bronze in recognition of his many years of outstanding service to the racing and breeding industry in Newmarket, through his practice Greenwood, Ellis and Partners (now known as Newmarket Equine Hospital), and beyond.
Another long-serving and well-known breeding industry figure is Harry Beeby, the Chairman of Doncaster Bloodstock Sales, which this year celebrated its 50th anniversary. Harry was awarded the coveted Andrew Devonshire Award to honour a life steeped in racing, from his days as a trainer’s son and amateur rider through to being one of the most familiar faces on the buzzing European sales circuit.