Teddy Grimthorpe to stand down as Juddmonte racing manager

Teddy Grimthorpe has announced he will be standing down as Juddmonte's racing manager after 22 years, the leading racing and breeding operation said in a statement on Thursday.

Grimthorpe, who took over the role in 1999 for the late Prince Khalid Abdullah, has worked with 24 European trainers looking after over 3,000 horses in training, of which 1,400 won over 2,400 races including nearly 100 Group 1 successes.

Among the plethora of household names during his tenure were the unbeaten dual world champion Frankel, two-time Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Enable, Derby winner Workforce, champion sprinter Oasis Dream and multiple top-level scorers Kingman, Midday, Twice Over and Banks Hill.

It was confirmed in January, following the death of Juddmonte's founder Abdullah, that the global racing and breeding operation would continue in the same fashion as it has done through the last 40 years. Abdullah had already approved the matings for this year's covering season.

Grimthorpe said: "I've always felt 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."

Teddy Grimthorpe with Sir Henry Cecil, Frankel and Tom Queally after a supreme Queen Anne triumph in 2012Credit: Mark Cranham

He added: "Of course I'm 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've 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, added: "On behalf of Prince Khalid’s family and all of us past and present at Juddmonte, I thank Teddy for all he's 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.”

Also the holder of a baronetcy and the title Lord Grimthorpe, he is a former agent for the British Bloodstock Agency and is currently deputy senior steward of the Jockey Club. Having been chairman of York racecourse for nine years, he remains on the York Racecourse Board and will leave Juddmonte after Royal Ascot in June.

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