Great British Racing International has launched the first episode in a new five-part video series entitled ‘Be A Part Of It: Breeding In Britain’ running from the 20-25th November. The series will showcase Britain’s Thoroughbred breeding operations underpinned by a thriving stallion market with the aim of encouraging future international investment into British breeding.
Supported by the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, the episodes will highlight why so many of the world’s most high-profile owner-breeders have chosen Britain as the global headquarters for their bloodstock operations. So far in 2023, 21 horses bred in Britain have won 26 group 1 races in five countries.
The series features five of the 20 studs in Britain that have bred or reared group 1 winners in 2023: Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Farm, Blue Diamond Stud, Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud, Newsells Park Stud, and Whitsbury Manor Stud.
Four out of the five episodes visit breeding operations that are home to a number of the world’s leading stallions. Britain’s stallion roster provides a wide variety of bloodlines to utilise with 12 stallions having sired 33 Group 1 winners in eight countries from 5f (1000m) to 2m4f (4000m) in 2023, to-date.
Episode 1 has launched. It sees GBRI visit one of the most prolific stud farms in the world, Banstead Manor Stud, home of Juddmonte. General manager Simon Mockridge discusses how Prince Khalid Abdullah first came to purchase the stud in 1987, now home to one of the world’s most exciting stallions, Frankel .
Episode 2 features the UK breeding operation of owner-breeder Imad Al Sagar, who founded Blue Diamond Stud on the outskirts of Newmarket 13 years ago. The stud has enjoyed great success in recent years with their homebred filly Nashwa (GB) who has won three group 1 races including the Falmouth Stakes this summer at Newmarket.
In Episode 3, GBRI visits Darley, founded by Sheikh Mohammed. Their British headquarters, Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket, is home to 13 stallions. Sam Bullard, director of stallions and the nominations team headed by Dawn Laidlaw discuss the most successful stallion ever to stand in Britain, Dubawi and a number of young stallions.
Episode 4 is a visit to Newsells Park Stud in Royston, Hertfordshire. Established 100 years ago and now covering 1,200 acres, the stud has developed an international reputation for breeding, raising, and selling Thoroughbreds of the highest class.
In the fifth and final episode, Ed Harper, Stud Director at Whitsbury Manor Stud in Hampshire discusses two of his resident stallions.
One episode will be released each day via the GBRI social media channels and can also be found on GBRI’s website.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
