A growing reputation

Photo: Laura Green for Tattersalls | Debbie Burt

James Thomas chats with Tom Blain of Barton Stud, who is looking forward to consigning the farm’s biggest and best draft of yearlings at Tattersalls October

BARTON STUD boasts a rich history that reaches back over 100 years, and with a young and dynamic team now at the helm a bright future is also in the process of being forged.

The site, which nowadays covers 480 acres on the edge of Bury St Edmunds, was established as a thoroughbred farm in 1921 by Sir Edward Hulton and sold to Huttleston and Henry Broughton four years later. When the brothers were called away to serve in Word War II the stud was leased to HH The Aga Khan, a move that saw the influential Nasrullah move into the Barton stallion boxes.

The likes of such stars as Night Shift have also stood at Barton down the years, while names such as Major John CritchleySalmonson and Joss Collins have managed the farm on behalf of the Broughton family. Since January 2013 the running of the operation has been handled by managing director Tom Blain, who, at 34, ranks among the rare breed of young British stud managers.

Blain was born into an equestrian family but says his parents “weren’t remotely involved” in horseracing.

Instead his route into the industry began after graduating from Cirencester University, where he studied international equine and agricultural business management. He subsequently served a rapid apprenticeship before taking the reins at Barton.

“My first ever job in racing was at Barton Stud and I went straight from uni to mucking out stables,” he says.

“I moved to Newmarket not knowing much about the racing industry or anyone in it and I’ve just worked my way up. I got given a stud hand’s job after phoning Phil Haworth, who now runs Whitsbury Manor, and he kindly agreed to take me on.”

A growing operation: this year Barton Stud (seen here at the Tattersalls Somerville Sale) has 85 yearlings catalogued through to the end of October

Blain spent an initial breeding season at Barton before joining the team at Cheveley Park Stud for a round of yearling prep. He then returned to Barton and shortly after was offered the position of assistant manager. However, circumstances soon conspired to see Blain offered an even bigger role.

I moved to Newmarket not knowing much about the racing industry or anyone in it and I’ve just worked my way up

“I thought being Phil’s assistant was a great opportunity so I said yes, but I’d already organised a whole sales season with Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock, so I agreed to join Phil after that,” says Blain. “While I was working the sales season Phil left Barton to go to Whitsbury, so that left the main job free. I went back as an assistant and then, at the age of 24, I was given the job of stud manager.”

“Many!” is Blain’s response when asked if there have been moments he felt he had bitten off more than he can chew.

“I was so green and had no experience at all really. I wanted to go and travel and do all of that, but I ended up getting an opportunity to run an amazing stud and, rather than going to Australia and America, I decided to jump in at the deep end.

“But you learn from your mistakes and the advice I give all young people who come and speak to me is first work harder than anybody else, and, two, always ask for advice.

“That’s something I’ve never had a problem doing and I still do to this day. We had about 26 foaling mares, a number of seasonal boarders and a couple of permanent boarders. I had to learn to get all the covering paperwork right, do all the foalings, talk to clients, learn about creditors and debtors, and managing people, and I wouldn’t have learned half of that if I’d travelled for ten years.”

Given his lack of experience, Blain found himself in a sink or swim situation, but the stud’s steep upward trajectory speaks to the fact he has done more than merely stay afloat. Barton is now home to 60 permanent boarders and associated youngstock, and counts some of the biggest breeders around among its client base. However, the managing director is acutely aware he has not got to this position single handedly.

“There are many people who’ve been hugely influential in my career and I’m still close to them today,” says Blain. “Phil gave me my first opportunity and has always been a sounding board for stud-related questions. Richard Brown is another, he’s a great friend and I wouldn’t be here today without him because he’s been hugely supportive of me and supported Barton with clients.

“Jono Mills is another who supported us early on with Rabbah stock, which is a huge responsibility and we’re greatly honoured to have them. There’s also Tim and Gill Bostwick, who sent us their mares six or seven years ago. They’re excellent breeders and I very much enjoy being involved with them and their advisor Oliver St Lawrence. They breed some lovely horses and their support gave us better stock to work with, which has helped lay the foundation for the consignment we have today.

“And, of course, the Broughton family has always been very supportive of my ideas and I’m very grateful for the opportunity given to me. I owe them a lot for what they’ve done for me over the years.”

...the advice I give all young people who come and speak to me is first work harder than anybody else, and, two, always ask for advice

Barton has long since proven its land and facilities are capable of producing racehorses who compete in the sport’s upper echelons, think the likes of Krypton Factor, Powerful Breeze, Vintager and Yulong Gold Fairy, to name but a few.

The roll of honour grew further during Doncaster’s St Leger meeting when Polly Pott ran away with the Group 2 May Hill Stakes.

BUT THE industry is now a very different place to when Barton was established over 100 years ago, and arguably Blain’s biggest triumph has been to steer the stud in a more commercially minded direction.

We have by far the best bunch of yearlings we’ve ever had going to the Tattersalls October Sale

Not only can the stud boast of consignments of increasing quality and quantity at the foal and yearling sales, but the operation has branched out into the vibrant horses-in-training market under the banner of Barton Sales.

“Barton has always been a boarding farm, but I love the sales and the challenge they present,” says Blain. “It’s something I aimed to drive forward and I think by producing our stock at the sales to a high standard we gained the trust of more breeders and started to gather momentum. Barton Sales evolved from there.”

Last year’s Tattersalls Autumn Horses-inTraining Sale results illustrate the point, as Barton sold 37 lots for 1,599,000gns.

A further 45 lots brought 2,284,500gns at the December Mares Sale, and Blain expects to be even busier at those auctions in 2022. Moreover, this year began at the February Sale, when the Barton Sales-consigned 41 lots including a significant number from the Shadwell dispersal, sold for 1,038,500gns.

“Originally it was hard to change the perception that we’re not just an English stud farm that sells a few foals and yearlings, but professional consignors.

Karen Lyles, responsible for lunging all the yearlings at Barton, with the Wootton Bassett filly out of Kazeera, full-sister to Al Kazeem (Book 1, Lot 9)

Zoe Isaacson, assistant manager, and, above, Chris Lumley, who has been at Barton for over 50 years and Blaine says “could not have done it without him”

“However, Barton Sales has been a great success story and we’re going to the horsesin-training sales with lots of exciting horses from highly respected trainers,” says Blain.

But there is no bigger sign of the modern day Barton’s burgeoning reputation than the size of the draft it is bringing to the upcoming Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

As recently as 2013 the stud took just three lots to Book 2 and one to Book 3, and had none in Book 1. But this year Barton has 75 yearlings catalogued across the October Sale, including 22 in Book 1.

“We have by far the best bunch of yearlings we’ve ever had going to the Tattersalls October Sale,” says Blain. “It’s exciting but also a bit nerve wracking as there’s some very valuable horses among them. I feed off that pressure though and I love the challenge, so the overriding emotion is excitement more than anything.”

Blain is unlikely to be the only one excited by the Barton Book 1 draft, as the group contains a well-bred daughter of Dubawi, two by Galileo, a trio of Frankels and others by Kingman, Lope De Vega, Siyouni and Wootton Bassett.

“To have yearlings by these kinds of sires is where we want to be,” he says. “I’ve always dreamt of having more horses in Book 1 and it suddenly all came together this year, so I can’t deny that I’m very excited.

“Breaking into any sale is tricky but it’s particularly hard at the upper echelons. There aren’t many commercial clients with the mares to support these stallions, and the ones who can are usually sewn up. Getting this kind of horse has been a great challenge but it’s one I’ve enjoyed, at least now that we’ve got there!”

Of the Dubawi filly out of Geisha Girl (Lot 499), a half-sister to Elusive Wave, Blain says: “She’s a beautiful horse and moves very well for a Dubawi. We’ve never sold a Dubawi before and she’s out of a Galileo mare so it’s the perfect cross. I’m very excited about her.”

I’ve always dreamt of having more horses in Book 1 and it suddenly all came together this year

The Galileos, a colt out of the dual Group 1 winner Amazing Maria (Lot 336) and a sister to the black-type performers Pandora, Allegio and Isabella (Lot 225), are offered on behalf of Lady Ogden, widow of the successful owner-breeder Sir Robert Ogden.

“It’s a great honour to sell these horses for Lady Ogden and they’re both lovely individuals,” says Blain. “The filly out of Song of My Heart is very athletic and she’s a full-sibling to three stakes horses.

“Galileo fillies are always exciting, especially when they look as nice as she does, and they’re rarer than ever now that they’re not making them any more.”

LOT 436 is the Frankel colt out of Desirous, a daughter of Kingman and the Matron Stakes (G1) winner Emulous.

“This is a proper Juddmonte family,” says Blain. “This is the first foal out of the mare and he’s turned into a lovely horse; he’s a very imposing colt and I’m excited to see how he goes. I bought the mare a couple of years ago for Faisal Mishref. He’s been incredibly loyal and I’ve got a lot to thank him for.”

Barton have once again been tasked with selling Biddestone Stud’s yearlings, including the Invincible Spirit colt out of the

Listed-placed Paco’s Angel (Lot 107) and the Le Havre filly out of Glenmayne (Lot 502), whose second foal, the Godolphin-owned Galashiels, won a Listed contest shortly after the catalogue was published.

“We have an incredibly good-looking Invincible Spirit colt out of Paco’s Angel, who was a black-type filly from a very good pedigree,” says Blain. “He’s very imposing and if he’s not a racehorse then I’ll be very surprised. He was born and bred at Barton and I’m very pleased with him as he’s getting better all the time.

“The Bostwicks also have a Le Havre filly who’s out of a sister to Millisle, who was obviously champion two-year-old. This filly is incredibly good-looking, has an amazing walk and Galashiels has just won a Listed race so it’s an active family. She’s a proper filly with a pedigree so she should make a lot of appeal.”

Barton is also entrusted with the Lope De Vega colt out of Brightwalton Stud’s Group 3 March Stakes winner Maid Up (Lot 44).

“Jeffrey [Hobby] is a great friend and has been incredibly loyal and we’re very honoured to sell some lovely horses from his beautiful Brightwalton Stud,” says Blain.

“He has a nice Lope De Vega colt out of

This year we’ve got the best team we’ve ever had and it’s hard not to mention everybody because they all bring so much to the table individually

Maid Up. She was a good filly and this is her first foal. He’s developed into a lovely horse.”

Selling such a significant number of horses is not without its challenges, but Barton’s 12-strong full-time team possesses a level of skill and work ethic that has Blain in a relaxed mood.

“This year we’ve got the best team we’ve ever had and it’s hard not to mention everybody because they all bring so much to the table individually,” he says. “Zoe Isaacson [assistant manager] has been here for seven years and she’s been hugely influential. She’s incredibly dedicated to the horses and is unbelievably efficient and quite simply we couldn’t run the stud to the standard we do without her.

Issacson with the Invincible Spirit colt out of the Group 3 fourth-placed Paco’s Angel (Book 1, Lot 107) and from the direct family of Grand Lodge

“I have to mention Chris Lumley, who was the stud groom when I first started so I used to work for him. He’s been at Barton for over 50 years and is one of the kindest men I know and has been incredibly loyal and works unbelievably hard. He’s a very modest man but I couldn’t have done it without Chris, who’s steered the ship when Barton’s been in rocky territory.

“Turning up at Tattersalls with 75 yearlings is a daunting task and they are long days at the sales, so I have so much respect for the team – the people at the sales and those at home – who do the whole two weeks.

“It’s an extraordinary effort and I’m always eternally grateful for the people who come and help us because, frankly, we couldn’t do it without them.”

History may well be the bedrock of Barton Stud but, with Blain and his team at the helm and an impressive collection of stock on its books, the next chapter is set to be every bit as significant as what has come before.