Left: NINISKI, 1976–1998 | Right: Two Derby winners: SIR PERCY and HERNANDO
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The History of Lanwades Stud
Lanwades is thought to be so named for a wading-place through the river Kennett, which flows across the stud’s land. The stud was founded well before the 1880s and at that time encompassed also what is today our neighbour, The Animal Health Trust. The good stallions PETRARCH and KNIGHT OF THE GARTER were advertised as standing at Lanwades in the 1881 Racing Calendar.
There is anecdotal evidence that Lanwades was at one time owned by Caroline, Duchess of Montrose, a passionate racing enthusiast, who also had St Agnes’ Church in Newmarket constructed. The original Lanwades Hall (now part of the AHT) was built in celebration of the then owner, James Larnach, having won the 1898 Derby with JEDDAH, who was eventually buried in the grounds.
In the 1920s, the stud was enlarged by its owner, Herbert Sidebottom, who built a new “Lanwades House” in 1931. In the early part of 1939, the stud was purchased by Lt-Col N.E. “Nat” Frieze, whose misfortune it was to see the entire place requisitioned by the army later that same year. Throughout the war years, Lanwades was used as a training and transit camp for officers and troops.
On its return to Col. Frieze in 1946 the land (which had been ploughed up for agricultural use during the war) was re-seeded, and, once the grass was re-established, stallions such as Champion Sprinter MICKEY THE GREEK (who had started his stud career at neighbouring Meddler Stud) and, later, Irish Derby winner IRISH BALL and the unusual three-generation sequence of PARDAL, PARDAO and MOULTON, stood here.
The present owner purchased Lanwades (then 150 rather run-down acres) from Col. Frieze in 1980. Her first stallion, dual Classic winner NINISKI, stood his initial season at Lanwades in 1981 and was the Champion First Season Sire of Britain in 1984, when his runners included Champion European Two-Year-Old KALA DANCER (Gr.1 Dewhurst Stakes) and the following year’s Gr.1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes victor, PETOSKI – both Lanwades-bred.
NINISKI was the son of NIJINSKY that carried that sire line on, with his sons HERNANDO and LOMITAS and grandsons SULAMANI and SILVANO successful at stud in Britain, Germany, France and South Africa, respectively. Another grandson, dual International Gr.1 winner GITANO HERNANDO, is siring winners in South Africa.
Throughout the current ownership, Lanwades has been expanded and its facilities continually improved. With the addition of St Simon Stud in 1982, Staffordstown in Co. Meath, Ireland, in 1990, and parts of Meddler Stud in the late 1990’s, Lanwades nowadays encompasses well over 1,000 acres of prime grassland in Newmarket and Ireland.
In 1986 NINISKI was joined at Lanwades by French 2,000 Guineas winner NISHAPOUR, owned and bred by HH the Aga Khan. During his tenure at Lanwades, NISHAPOUR sired French Oaks winner SHEMAKA and French Derby winner MOUKTAR. Dual European Champion Miler SELKIRK joined the Lanwades roster of stallions in 1993 and was, like his predecessor NINISKI, also Champion First Season Sire with his first crop of runners. He sired 17 Gr.1 winners and is an Internationally leading broodmare sire. Gainsborough Stud-owned Champion European Miler ZILZAL stood at Lanwades for 10 seasons, 1996 – 2005.
The latter’s retirement from active stud duties made way for Canadian Champion WITH APPROVAL, Gr.1 sprinter PICCOLO and Derby winner SIR PERCY to join Lanwades early in the new century. ARCHIPENKO, a Gr.1 winning son of KINGMAMBO, joined the stallion ranks for the 2010 season and has sired over 180 winners including Gr.1 winners MADAME CHIANG (Ascot), TIME WARP (Hong Kong x2), GLORIOUS FOREVER (Hong Kong), ELOGIADO (Argentina x2) and FORTY ONE (Argentina). His untimely early death in December 2017 was a severe loss for the stud.
AUSSIE RULES, the Classic-winning miler previously standing at Coolmore, joined the Lanwades' stallion band for the 2012 covering season and sired Gr.1 winner FIESOLANA.
Leading US sire LEROIDESANIMAUX, the sire of World Champion ANIMAL KINGDOM, was relocated from Florida to Lanwades Stud for the 2014 covering season and stood here for two seasons.
Epsom Derby winner and Gr.1 sire NORTH LIGHT stood at Lanwades for 2014.
In 2015 the first son of SEA THE STARS to retire to stud, the sensational German Derby winner SEA THE MOON, joined Lanwades. He has proved as instant success with his first crop (3yo’s of 2019) and was Champion First Season Sire and Champion Sire of 2yo’s in Germany in 2018.
In 2017 Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner, BOBBY'S KITTEN, joined the stallion roster. BOBBY'S KITTEN is the first stallion son of KITTEN'S JOY (Champion Turf racehorse and multiple Champion sire in USA) to stand in Europe, his first crop will race as 2yo’s in 2020.
In 2019 Gr.1 French Derby winner STUDY OF MAN arrived at Lanwades. A grandson of the Racing and Breeding Legend MIESQUE (dual Classic winner and dam of Classic winners KINGMAMBO, EAST OF THE MOON, etc) and is the only son of Japanese Super-Sire DEEP IMPACT at stud in England, will cover his first mares in 2020.