13 minute read
Weatherbys Stallion Scene
The Word is out
James Thomas chats to John Flood of Boardsmill Stud, which stands the exciting young NH sires Poet’s Word and Sumbal, alongside new stallion Arrest
BOARDSMILL STUD HAS long been a seat of National Hunt power. So long in fact, that this year marks the 90th anniversary of the Flood family standing their first thoroughbred stallion.
Lasting nine decades in any business is no mean feat, never mind one in which fate and fortune, good, bad or otherwise, play such a defining role. Much has changed since the early days with horses such as J’Accours and Trouville, both in the bloodstock world and beyond, but the Boardsmill approach to standing stallions has plainly stood the test of time.
“You almost don’t believe it when you hear 90 years,” says John Flood, the third generation of the family to head up the operation. “My Grandad, Jack, would’ve stood the first thoroughbred horse, and he and my Dad, William, really put the wheels in motion.
“We’ve always called ourselves an independent, family-run stud farm. We put our neck on the line by always buying our own horses; we reap the rewards if they work out, and not if they don’t. That’s just the way Dad liked doing it, and I’m pretty similar in that respect. It’s not to say we’d never do something different, but I guess there’s a lot of pride and satisfaction in reaching 90 years because it’s a very competitive and open market.”
When asked about the principles that have underpinned Boardsmill’s longevity, Flood says, “Being fair to breeders, supporting breeders when we can, and standing sound horses with a long-term view. We’d never tolerate wind issues, that’s the first thing we’d take into account with horses we’re buying. There’s plenty of people who will take on trust that we’re in it for the long game.
“We get behind the horses and support them ourselves. If they’re not good enough for our mares, they’re not good enough for anybody else’s. Something else Dad has always done, like some similar studs, we try to help as much as possible in the sales ring. We try to look at every foal and we try to be there in the ring when we can. People appreciate that.
There’s a lot of things that come together, but people get in behind you when they think you’re going to do as good a job as possible.
Boardsmill’s rich past has paved the way for a future that appears particularly bright. The current three-strong roster comprises the up-and-comers Poet’s Word and Sumbal, who have been joined this year by the promising newcomer Arrest. While finding the right horse is a major piece of the breeding puzzle, Flood is acutely aware that success when it comes to standing stallions also relies on the support of others.
“Without your clients you’re nothing, so those 90 years are a testament to them as well,” he says. “We have a very good, loyal client base that has returned year on year, and we’ve been delighted that people have seen fit to come back to us and put their trust in us standing the likes of Arrest.”
And there is little wonder why breeders are putting their trust in an imposing, high-class son of multiple champion sire Frankel. Arrest’s biggest performances arguably came in defeat, beaten just a head by Dubai Mile in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud at two, and finding only Continuous too good in the St. Leger.
He also advertised his claims by running out a wide-margin winner of the Chester Vase (G3) and the Geoffrey Freer Stakes (G3) during his time with John and Thady Gosden. As well as being a son of Frankel, his pedigree also features notable NH influences such as Roberto and Top Ville. Needless to say, this combination of credentials has not gone unnoticed.
He also advertised his claims by running out a wide-margin winner of the Chester Vase (G3) and the Geoffrey Freer Stakes (G3) during his time with John and Thady Gosden. As well as being a son of Frankel, his pedigree also features notable NH influences such as Roberto and Top Ville. Needless to say, this combination of credentials has not gone unnoticed.
“He’s been really well received so we’re hoping he’s going to be busy,” Flood says.
“A lot of our regular clients – and some notable breeders – are going to be using him. He has a good temperament, which helps them settle in. He’s let down well too, obviously he’s going to mature but he’s looking and covering really well.”
Arrest was brought into the Juddmonte fold as a foal, and his price tag of €440,000 highlights that he possessed an impressive physique right from the start.
“One of the reasons we were watching him, and ultimately bought him, was his looks,” Flood continues. “He’s over 16.2hh, correct, a real good walker with a lovely head and ears on him. If he produces foals in his mould then we’ll be delighted because he’s a very good-looking horse.
“We followed him through his racing career, and we knew from his two-year-old season that he was a big, imposing horse. It was surprising how well he did as a twoyear-old given his size.
“Because he just didn’t quite reach the top level, he stayed on our radar hoping that he’d be within reach.”
The acquisition of Arrest saw Boardsmill renew an association that has already paid dividends in the recent past. “Court Cave stood 21 seasons with us here, and we also bought him directly from Juddmonte,” says Flood.
“We were dealing with Rory Mahon then and now it’s his son, Barry, who’s in charge at Juddmonte Farms, so there’s a nice link up.”
Flood declares himself “very happy” with how Arrest’s debut book is shaping up, in terms of both quality and quantity.
“We hope he’ll cover in the region of 150, which would be a good first book,” he says. “But the key to getting any horse off the ground is as much about quality as quantity.
“You need the numbers, but, especially with the way sales are in this day and age, it’s quality that’s selling.
“Even if you have good-looking stock, if they don’t have the pedigree to back it up then they can be a tough sell. We’ll be sending some of our own better mares so he’s going to get plenty of black-type performers and producers.”
Arrest will be aiming to follow a similar trajectory to Poet’s Word, who has covered an average of 243 mares a season in his first five years at Boardsmill.
That kind of support comes as no surprise given his top-class achievements on the
track. He was an emphatic winner of the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, in which he beat Cracksman, while he proved he had boundless courage as well as immense class as he bravely fought off Crystal Ocean in a stirring finish to the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) later that season
Those efforts earned Poet’s Word a place on Shadwell’s Nunnery Stud roster. However, such is the indifference the modern-day Flat market has towards middle-distance talent, he left Nunnery after just one season having covered only 30 mares. The Flat breeder’s loss has been the jumps breeder’s gain.
“It’s incredible that a horse with that ability was available to NH breeders so early in their career,” says Flood. “He’s a very good-looking horse so people were happy to get in behind him from the start.
“The quality of his stock has taken him from there. It’s good for the NH side of things to get access to quality like that, even if it’s obviously not the best from the Flat perspective.”
THE QUALITY OF Poet’s Word’s youngstock meant his name was already on peoples’ lips before his first four-year-olds raced between the flags.
The hype has only intensified after his first point-to-point runner, Taurus Bay, made a comfortable winning debut at Comea. Denis Murphy’s charge was subsequently sold to Ben Pauling and Jerry McGrath for £155,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale.
The stallion was arguably unlucky not to go two-from-two after No Walkover finished an unlucky second, beaten just a neck, at Lisronagh for Andrew Slattery, but quickly made amends with Sapphos Word, who won by over 4l at Lingstown on March 9.
She beat a Berkshire filly called Diamond White, who was sold at the Cheltenham Festival Sale for £170,000.
“There’s an awful lot of interest in him this year,” says Flood. “He’s never had a quiet year since he came to us, which is rare while a horse is waiting for runners, but he’s never dipped on the kind of quality of foal he produces. That’s kept people coming back. For a horse who’d never had a runner over jumps, we had an idea from his small batch of runners on the Flat that they had a nice attitude and some ability.
“From his first crop of 21 foals he had 12 runners and nine winners, so there was a bit of knowledge there leading into his first Boardsmill crop.
“There was also a lot of positive talk since the store sales from both trainers and pointto-point handlers about the horses all being very straightforward with lovely attitudes, sound of their wind and having an aptitude for jumping.
“It was all positive, although you sometimes have to take that with a pinch of salt because they still have to go do it, but his runners have backed it up.”
The Boardsmill roster is completed by Sumbal. While the strapping grey may have flown under the radar relative to a headline horse like Poet’s Word, his record is also showing green shoots of promise.
Like sire sensation Jeremy, Sumbal is a son of Danehill Dancer. He began his stud career at Haras de Grandcamp in France before transferring to Annshoon Stud for the 2020 season. He moved to Boardsmill the following year, giving him a crop of around 90 three-year-olds in the pipeline.
His small French-bred crop has produced two winners from just three runners, while his four-year-olds have found their way into some of Ireland’s leading establishments. His first point-to-point runner was Warren Ewing’s Intense Appeal, who showed plenty of ability when second on debut.
His small French-bred crop has produced two winners from just three runners, while his four-year-olds have found their way into some of Ireland’s leading establishments. His first point-to-point runner was Warren Ewing’s Intense Appeal, who showed plenty of ability when second on debut.
“There’s a number in point-to-point and training yards and there’s plenty of positive talk,” says Flood. “He had his first pointto-point runner when Warren Ewing ran Intense Appeal in Kirkistown. There were only three runners in that race and he was second to a good horse that has been bought by Willie Mullins since [for £165,000].
“Warren was very sweet on this guy and nearly couldn’t see him being beaten, but he just got caught for a bit of toe from the winner. He thinks an awful lot of him still.
“Colin Bowe has one that he’s very positive on. Noel Meade has one, Gordon Elliott has another. We’re just hoping that from that small crop if he has two or three four-yearold winners that would be a good strike-rate, which would set him up ahead of next year when he has a bigger crop coming through.
“He’s been a bit in Poet’s shadow but is ticking along nicely and I wouldn’t swap him at the moment. He’s got it all to play for.”
Despite the issues in the NH market, with trade at the foal sales particularly selective, Flood says Boardsmill has seen no reduction in covering activity in 2025. However, he is aware of just how privileged a position that is considering the current climate.
“So far this year we wouldn’t have seen any slow down because Poet’s is so popular, as is Arrest being a new horse,” he says.
“But it would be silly to say there won’t be any change because I know from a certain amount of people that they’re going to be selective with what they cover, relative to the past couple of years.
“There was a dip last year; some were calling it ten per cent, others reckoned it was up to 20 per cent less business. I’d probably call it ten per cent last year and I’d expect another ten per cent this year, relative to how the foal sales went.
“With a number of people unable to sell their foals, they just mightn’t be as keen to go back covering again.”
Asked if finding suitable stallion prospects was another challenge, Flood says, “It is, and given the way it’s going it will probably only become harder. For starters the whole Australian thing has added to sound horses being bought for big money to continue racing down under. That’s one element you’re competing with.
“Plus, a lot of the horses are in the hands of the bigger operations, some of which will stand them as NH stallions, either themselves or through partnerships.
“That whittles down the number. And the way the whole thing has gone towards the premium product, it does make you think that the kind of horse that might have got a chance in the past, they mightn’t get the support to get them off the ground now.”
Flood joined his father in the day-to-day running of the operation in 2004. Although he was born into the jumps industry, he says it was not always a given that he would take up a role in the family business.
“I was strongly encouraged by Mum and Dad to finish my education and get to college,” he says. “There was a period around the early 90s when things were a little bit tricky here, and they were adamant about me getting something to fall back on if I didn’t want to carry on the tradition.
“I did finance in college and got a place on the BHA Graduate Programme with a season’s placement at Darley. I then spent five years working in asset management in Dublin, but my main interest was always at home, evenings, weekends, it was just constant.
“There came a point where I had to choose to do one job properly, I came back in 2004.”
Does Flood see any crossover between asset management and standing stallions?
“I guess the success of both boils down to the stock/stallions you invest in and they are your track record,” he says. “Diversification and risk/reward analysis would be other crossovers.”
Flood is never more emphatic than when asked if he’s ever had second thoughts about having turned down a quiet life in finance. “No, never!” He says with a dismissive laugh.
And given the 90 years that have come before, and not to mention the bright future that lies ahead, who can blame him.
