Proud Yorkshireman in control of reins on Knavesmire for first time

As racing manager to Price Khalid Abdullah, one of the world’s most successful owners, Lord Grimthorpe is responsible for 250 thoroughbreds – including unbeaten wonderhorse Frankel, who makes his long-awaited appearance this weekend after recovering from a minor leg injury that caused palpitations throughout the sport.

It is this role, now in its 14th season, that provided Grimthorpe with the profile so that he was a natural choice to succeed Nicholas Ridley as chairman of his beloved York Racecourse,

The three-day Dante Festival, which begins today, is the first meeting with Grimthorpe, a proud Yorkshireman, in control of the reins.

His ambition is to help attract even more Grade One races to Knavesmire and enhance a racing programme that is already deep in quality. If he can use his contacts and influence to help the existing management team whose reputation is now unrivalled in British racing, he says he will be delighted.

Yet, with deference to his role with Prince Khalid’s Juddmonte Farms breeding operations, Frankel will only run at York in August if conditions suit Sir Henry Cecil’s mercurial colt – sentiment will not play a part.

“In Prince Khalid’s mind, if it was possible for him to run in the Juddmonte International which he supports, he would like that,” Grimthorpe told the Yorkshire Post in an exclusive interview.

“That said, the mantra for Frankel is to do what is best for him. Sentiment will not come into it. If we think a mile-and-a-quarter is the best way to go, then the Juddmonte would be a big part of that.”

The public’s fascination with Frankel – the best in the world on current ratings – has seen Grimthorpe enjoy an even higher profile; it was he who issued the most robust of denials on Grand National day to an inaccurate BBC report that the colt was about to be retired.

However, this does a slight disservice to the Grimthorpe family’s proud association with the ‘Sport of Kings’ through the generations.

A hereditary peer in recognition of an ancestor’s work 150 years ago devising a timing mechanism to make the clock readings at Big Ben more accurate, Grimthorpe’s grandfather owned Fortina, the 1947 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, and his father owned and bred Mrs McCardy, the 1977 1000 Guineas heroine for Mick Easterby.

Born in the Ryedale village of Westow and educated at Harrow School, one of Grimthorpe’s fondest memories was of Mill Reef winning the 1970 Gimcrack Stakes before becoming one of the all-time greats with his Derby win the following year.

The Gimcrack and the Lowther Stakes, two of the mainstays of York’s Ebor meeting in August, are both contests that Grimthorpe – and the York management team headed by William Derby – would like to see elevated to Grade One status.

It would, says the chairman, be a continuation of the racecourse’s commitment to provide the very best races – and prize money – in order to attract the finest horses to York and build on last year’s record attendance at the idyllic track. “You have to keep on improving,” he says.

Yet, in many respects, it is the Dante meeting that Grimthorpe believes to be the most revealing – because it helps to unveil stars of the future who are likely to feature in the Classics and other premier races.

Though Prince Khalid-owned runners are likely to be short on numbers – Timepiece is likely to be the Saudi prince’s best hope in tomorrow’s Middleton Stakes – it was at this meeting two years ago that a star emerged in Workforce.

Runner-up in the Dante, he was to make history three weeks later by becoming the first horse to win the Epsom Derby – Flat racing’s blue riband race – after losing at York. That he prevailed in the Classic in a course record was testament to the training abilities of Sir Michael Stoute, whose fortunes have been in decline since Workforce’s memorable victory in the 2010 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Europe’s richest race.

“The beauty of the Dante meeting is that it is all about potential,” says Grimthorpe, who says that Frankel’s brother, Noble Mission, will not line-up in tomorrow’s feature that celebrates the legacy of Dante, the last Yorkshire-trained horse to win the Derby.

“I always thought that the day Workforce won the Derby, I didn’t think anything would top that, but Frankel winning the 2000 Guineas last year, in such style from the front, was one of the iconic moments in all sport.”

Though he is the voice of Juddmonte Farms and seen deep in conversation alongside Frankel’s trainer, Sir Henry Cecil, and jockey Tom Queally in the paddock before and after the races, most of the preparatory work – including discussions on tactics – takes place behind the scenes.

He says these are occasions when it is important not to confuse the jockey with too many instructions.

Grimthorpe’s primary role is to ensure the right horses are entered in the race most suited to their programme – Juddmonte has horses with 14 trainers around the world and the key is to ensure that three runners are not entered in a contest where the prize money is modest at best.

He is also the link between trainers and Juddmonte’s breeding operation that is one of the most lucrative and successful in the world. He is constantly on the phone to trainers – they invariably call him with “bad news” – travelling to meetings or walking racecourses, as he did when Frankel had a gallop at Newmarket 10 days ago.

He donned his boots to ensure the ground was not too soft to impede the horse’s long stride.

“About 99 per cent of Prince Khalid’s horses are home-breds,” explained Grimthorpe, who was a bloodstock agent for 20 years before accepting the role.

“We are dealing with third and fourth generation Juddmonte breds and the key is deciding what is best for the horse – which race or when to retire to stud.

“With Frankel, Prince Khalid might have thought about retiring him at the end of last season if it was felt he was going to stay as a miler.

“But when we discussed it, he thought it was important that the horse had more to prove in terms of distance, hence the decision to stay in training.

“Frankel is fine. He’s got over his injury scare and he’s progressing towards the Lockinge at Newbury on Saturday. I’m pleased with all his preparatory work.

“The thing that makes him special is his stride and his beauty of movement – it is superb to watch. He is really low to the ground and spends very little time in the air... it is rhythmical.”

It is a sight that Teddy Grimthorpe would love to see at York but only, he stresses, if it is in the best interests of the horse.

“Frankel comes first,” he adds.

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