'We were in tears' - family double at Newcastle the icing on the cake for multitalented Wadacre Stud

Wadacre Stud's Jeanette Matthews-Griffiths and Tom Heywood are certainly a pair of many parts, breeding talented racehorses and enjoying further success in other equestrian disciplines. 

The results of their foray into racing a decade ago was highlighted in no better way than when homebred Brazen Beau pair Wadacre Gomez and Wadacre Grace completed an emotional 30-minute double at Newcastle on Monday evening. 

The duo - who took home the restricted novice and fillies' handicap prizes respectively for trainer Charlie Johnston - are the pride and joy of the Liverpool-based operation, as Matthews-Griffiths, currently in the process of moving to a next door stud, explains. 

She says: "It was amazing and we were so looking forward to going, but it was the day of the completion on the farm and stud so we couldn't get away. 

"We were in the car and the stream cut out so we couldn't even see Gomez's race until afterwards, but we got a text from Deirdre Johnston saying, 'Wow, that was fantastic', so we knew he'd won. We then managed to get some reception to watch Grace's race, it was fantastic and we were in tears."

Wadacre Gigi: won a prize of her own away from the racecourseCredit: Jeanette Matthews-Griffith

Wadacre Gomez's dam, Wadacre Gigi, is a daughter of Martaline who was sent into training with Mark Johnston but retired after just half a dozen starts in less than a year after picking up an injury during training. 

However, she still won a prize of her own when winning the champion yearling filly award at the ANCCO National Hunt Show in 2016, the first British winner of the event. 

It was a case of family fortunes as Wadacre Gigi is a half-sister to the second Newcastle winner Wadacre Grace, being out of the Juddmonte-bred Three Valleys mare Glenreef and from the family of Reefscape and Coastal Path.

The owner-breeder comes from an all-round equestrian background herself, successfully breeding dressage horses in Britain and Germany, as well as national level-winning show ponies. It appears she has the knack when it comes to racehorses too.

Matthews-Griffiths says: "I come from a dressage background and breed dressage horses. I've also evented and we've also had a couple of show ponies. From 2013, we started breeding thoroughbreds in a small way. 

Glenreef: dam of Wadacre Grace and granddam of Wadacre GomezCredit: Jeanette Matthews-Griffith

"When I stopped riding it seemed the obvious thing to do and my partner, Tom Heywood, was always very interested in racehorses, so we got together and started breeding thoroughbreds."

On how that journey into breeding racehorses began, Matthews-Griffith says: "We started with a homebred mare called Madam Valentine and we sent her to Piccolo and got Pipers Note. He was a 12-time winner and we were very fortunate that he got black type too.

"It's very much a joint effort - we foal the mares ourselves and Tom does all the driving wherever we need to go."

It is not just their thoroughbred clan that Matthews-Griffith and Heywood have to juggle - although the four in training are in very capable hands - but the dressage horses, some of whom are based further afield in mainland Europe. 

Matthews-Griffiths says: "We've got four racehorses with Charlie, including a three-year-old colt by Zoustar. The Johnston family is responsible for all our success alongside Nicky and Richie McGrath, who do our pre-training and back our dressage horses. 

"We've also got four non-thoroughbreds here and eight based in Germany. We used to go over more regularly but since Covid we now go only a handful of times a year."

Tom Heywood and Jeanette Matthews-Griffiths of Wadacre Stud

Regardless of whether it is racing, dressage, showing or eventing, Matthews-Griffiths is fervent in her belief that conformation and temperament play a vital part in the success of any horse.

"Good conformation is paramount, whatever the discipline, and so we look for horses with very good conformation," she says. "Temperament is vital across the board too, whether you're breeding a child's pony or a racehorse, you need to be able to manage them."

Darley's former shuttler Brazen Beau is a prime example of the former, with images of his foals impressing Matthews-Griffiths when she visited Dalham Hall for the stallion open day.

"We went to Darley and they had a screen showing foals by the stallions and I saw some of Brazen Beau's progeny and loved their hindquarters, so we sent two mares to him," she says.

This year's crop of thoroughbred foals excitingly include those by prominent stallions, although Matthews-Griffiths will continue with her proven approach of quality over quantity. 

She adds: "We've got fillies by Fastnet Rock and No Nay Never, while this year we're going to use Invincible Spirit. We'd normally have four to six foals a year and we'll probably keep to what we've got - it's very easy to accumulate horses!"

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