Norton Grove Stud feature

Norton Grove Stud owner Richard Lingwood speaks to Kitty Trice about his North Yorkshire operation

THE addition of the wellrelated new sire Century Dream is another big reason for the Norton Grove Stud team to have a spring in their step.

Their 2022 roster has also been boosted by the arrival of high-class stayer Marmelo, and the two recent recruits will stand alongside the blueblooded Sogann, Forever Now, the stakes-winning son of Galileo, and the reliable Pearl Secret.

“It was all a bit difficult last year due to Covid but hopefully things are relaxing now,” says stud owner Richard Lingwood, “With this bunch of stallions, we can look forward – it’s certainly keeping us busy.”

The North Yorkshire stud’s new sire of 2022 Century Dream has a racing record that in itself must be an attraction to breeders near and far.

Having raced from two to seven, Century Dream posted victories in the Celebration Mile and Diomed Stakes (twice), and was placed third in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes as he compiled an impressive record of ten successes from 35 starts in the silks of Abdulla Belhabb, for the Simon Crisford yard.

Lingwood says: “His breeding is a big attraction, being by Cape Cross, and he was a tough miler. He was never far away in his races and never ran a bad race. He won a Group 2 and two Group 3s, which you’d hope would be another plus for our customers.”

The attractive bay is, notably, a half-brother to the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner and Derrinstown Stud resident King Of Change, who was also runner-up to Magna Grecia in the 2,000 Guineas. It appears to be a transaction that could amount to a real coup for northern breeding and racing.

Explaining how the stud got hold of the eight-year-old, who is out of Echo Of Light’s daughter Salacia, Lingwood says: “We had talked to Richard Knight about doing the deal for Century Dream after getting Sogann two or three years ago.

“Connections then decided Century Dream would spend another year in training, so we thought it had dropped through. That was until late last year when they rang up out of the blue and asked if we were still interested in him.”

He continues: “We’ve had him about two months straight from training, and he’s a very sensible horse to deal with. We’ve yet to see how he covers mares of course but we’ve teased a mare with him to do all the necessary swabs and it looks as though he knows how to handle himself!”

Lingwood also reports that Century Dream has attracted plenty of interest ahead of his first covering season, when he will stand for £3,000.

He says: “When the news was announced we had lots of reaction and quite a few of our customers are sending mares to him. We had a message from Richard Hannon’s office this morning saying that they’ll be sending one to him. Hopefully he should be getting some nice animals by the sound of things.”

Century Dream is not the only fresh recruit to Norton Grove, although the high-class stayer Marmelo is not a new sire per se having spent time at Haras du Grand Courgeon before returning to Britain.

The son of the late Duke Of Marmalade also has a race record to match his imposing looks, winning the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay twice and finishing second in the Melbourne Cup behind Cross Counter. He accumulated six stakes successes from seven wins overall for the Hughie Morrison yard, from 22 starts.

Lingwood says of the Deepwood Farm-bred nine-year-old: “He’s a grand horse and a fine-looking animal. He acts like a gelding, you can’t believe he’s a stallion as he’s that laid-back. Mind you, when he sees a mare he gets the right idea!”

Marmelo, who will stand the 2022 covering season at £2,000, is set to receive mostly National Hunt mares, with Lingwood saying he is a welcome jump-sire prospect for the north.

“We haven’t got a good National Hunt stallion up here and, looks-wise, I think he’s an ideal prospect,” he says.

“He was a really good racehorse, winning Group 2s and finishing second in the Melbourne Cup. If he was a sprinter we’d expect him to be getting a nice, full book. Everything is longer term for National Hunt breeding, but we’ve had interest in him so fingers crossed.”

WHILE Sogann has been settled into stud life since being retired unraced for the 2020 breeding season, there is obviously still anticipation about his first crop of yearlings this term. The son of Frankel is a half-brother to Prix Morny and Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner, and now successful Haras de Grandcamp stallion, Dabirsim.

Lingwood says: “Everybody we’ve spoken to over the last six months has been over the moon with their foals. A couple of owners have said they are going to send the mares back again because they’re so pleased.

“The first foal that was sold in Ireland last year made €34,000, which was a great start for him, and if Sogann can carry on as his father has been doing we’d be delighted! He’s a grand stamp and we’ve got three yearlings by him and they’re very good to handle and a decent size.”

The five-strong roster is completed by Pearl Secret, a Temple Stakeswinning son of Compton Place, and Forever Now, a stakes-winning and Group-placed son of the late Galileo who has his first three-year-olds this term.

Lingwood says of Forever Now: “I suppose we could say it’s disappointing that he covered mid30s in his first two seasons here, and then because of the situation with the virus he had less in the book. Again, people are saying nice things about his offspring. Hopefully there will be a few runners and winners to help him along this year.”

All told, the future looks very bright for Norton Grove, albeit it will have to soldier on without the services of stalwart Pastoral Pursuits, the winner of the July Cup and sire of classy performers Ventura Rebel and Pastoral Player. He died last February at the age of 20 after covering a mare and subsequently rupturing a major vessel in his chest.

Lingwood adds: “It was a big shock to lose him like that. The one mare he covered last season is in foal, so I hope it’s a world beater.”

‘With this bunch of stallions, we can look forward – it’s certainly keeping us busy’

LM STALLIONS

EXCITING NEW ADDITIONS FOR 2022