Jack The Giant, a talented thoroughbred who amassed almost £200,000 in winnings on the racecourse and then went on to claim all of the major RoR titles in the show ring, has been put down at the age of 19.

The 16.3hh son of Giant’s Causeway had a hugely successful career when in training with Nicky Henderson, claiming one win on flat, three over hurdles and five steeplechasing, as well as numerous other Group 1 placings.

After retiring from racing he was given to Sophie Henderson who brought together a syndicate of her friends — The Jackpots — who funded his second career in the show ring.

He went on to stand Tattersalls ROR supreme at Hickstead, supreme at the ROR Championships Aintree, at Burghley and at Royal Windsor, as well as taking the 2016 SEIB Insurance Brokers Racehorse to Riding Horse title at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), while produced and ridden by Allister Hood.

After three years with the Hoods, he went on to another ridden career in dressage and in-hand showing before going into retirement at the National Stud, where he was often the centre of attention with visitors.

“He was a great character who had such presence and ability as a racehorse and also as a show horse,” Allister said. “He took to showing quite quickly, he was naturally well balanced and he had a natural aptitude to work but he was quite cheeky as well, he wouldn’t have been a mug’s companion. You could hack out and enjoy him as long as you were aware if you gave him an inch he’d take a mile — but in a nice way.”

He added that Jack’s quality shone out in the ring, and he did respond to a crowd.

“You just had to have the prep before big occasion to make sure you really had him concentrating and with you because he would go up a couple of notches in a big arena,” he said.

Despite Jack’s considerable success in the show ring, Allister said one of his greatest memories of his time with Jack was when they were invited back to Nicky’s yard Seven Barrows for an open day.

Continued below…

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“We put on a little display in front of the house with all of Nicky’s clients there and the people who owned Jack as a racehorse (the Hanbury Syndicate] and we had the most wonderful day, seeing all his horses and being able to show Jack off,” Allister said. “They had a few schooling fences so we popped over those. He thoroughly enjoyed that; thought it was amazing.”

Over the past few weeks Jack had become lame with suspected arthritis in his shoulder and the decision was taken to put him down.

“It was very sad to hear but he had a great life and had a lot of care and attention,” Allister said. “He got to experience a varied life and everyone had him thought the world of him.”

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A highly infectious equine virus has been identified at the National Stud in Newmarket, leading to a precautionary closure of the main stud.

The neurological herpes virus infection, that is known to cause abortion, respiratory disease and occasionally mortality in foals, was found in a maiden filly (not pictured) — who according to the stud is fully vaccinated. She was already in the stud’s Heath Isolation Unit, having arrived from overseas on 20 January.

The National Stud followed the requirements of the “Codes of Practice”, which includes maintaining isolation, movement restrictions and hygiene measures for at least 28 days. The stud’s main yard was also immediately closed and all public tours stopped.

Managing director Brian O’Rourke is hopeful that breeding activity can resume at the start of the covering season around 15 February.

“The virus was found in the filly while she was stabled at the isolation unit, which is one mile from the main stud. All the horses that arrive from overseas go to the isolation unit for two weeks,” said Brian.

“The filly was struggling to get up in the field and we thought she may have broken her pelvis. So we bought her in and she was having problems urinating. We stopped all animals arriving and leaving the yard last Thursday (28 January). As soon as we got the results on the Saturday we stopped all public visiting as well.

“We are following the necessary procedures, everyone is wearing suits and there are foot dips — it is under control. We have tested all the other horses and it has not spread,” he added.

“As the National Stud we need to be setting the standard, and that is why we closed it straight away, as the disease can spread so easily. The isolation unit is currently in lockdown but we are hopeful that things will be back to normal for the start of the breeding season.

“The filly has been treated and is being monitored 24 hours a day. She is now urinating as normal and seems happy in herself.”

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They are usually the preserve of Trekkies and Star Wars fans – but now aficionados of model horses are to get their own three-day convention.

“Utterly Horses Hullabaloo” has been 10 years in the planning and organisers say the event, at The National Stud in Newmarket (24-26 August), will be the UK’s in one place.

Indeed, it will be a “model horse Mecca”, claims the woman in charge, Becky Benfield.

“We have visitors travelling far and wide to attend – the furthest being from the USA and Norway,” she told H&H.

Fans can try their hand at painting and “showing” their own horses and meet professional model horse artists, while more than 3,000 models will be on sale, including some vintage and limited edition ones.

With prices for some rare models reaching four or even five figures, this is definitely not one for the kids…

For more information visit www.utterlyhorses.com.

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (10 August 2012)

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The 2005 stud season will get underway with a host of new faces joining the established favourites at the National Stud.

First-season sires Passing Glance and Deportivo have been purchased to enhance the current group of established sires standing at the stud, which include the highly successful Bahamian Bounty. The stud is also home to Helissio, Silver Patriarch and Passing Glance, while Bollin Eric will spend the 2005 season at Wood Farm Stud in Shropshire.

The National Stud stallions will be joined by Lee Fleming’s Desert Sun, who will stand at the stud during the 2005 and 2006 seasons, while one for the future will be the recently purchased Pastoral Pursuits — who is one of Bahamian Bounty’s most promising progeny.

Pastoral Pursuits will continue his racing career with trainer Hughie Morrison through 2005, during which the National Stud will have 40% ownership of the stallion. At the end of the 2005 season the National Stud will purchase the remaining 60% and he will stand at the stud in 2006. The stud plans to syndicate a 40% share of the horse.

Morrisson says: “I am delighted at the prospect of Pastoral Pursuits being raced next year in partnership with the National Stud. He is a superb racehorse and I am confident that he has at least one Group 1 victory in him. He certainly justifies the current confidence of the market in the offspring of Bahamian Bounty.”

The stud’s ongoing development will ensure that it can hold its own in the highly competitive racing breeding industry should its funding from the Levy Board be lost and includes the expansion of its broodmare band, which now totals some 24 mares.

Stud general manager Reid Coulter recently told H&H: “There is no point in waiting for the Levy Board to disappear, or whatever might happen to it. We must become more commercially aware and competitive and get out and find the stallions people want and can afford.”

• Don’t miss an Horse & Hound New Stallion Special (6 January ’04), on sale now, which includes a feature on the changing times at the National Stud

Fakenham racecourse will hold its first ever National Stud Raceday on Sunday 21 November, during which stud’s stallions Silver Patriarch (pictured) and Bollin Eric will be on parade.

Two special races, the Silver Patriarch Handicap Steeplechase and the Bollin Eric Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Race, will take place on Sunday afternoon, and winning owners will receive a nomination to either of the two stallions.

“The winners of those two races will choose a nomination to either stallion regardless of which race they won,” explains Stud spokeswoman Jan Wade. “If the winner of the Silver Patriarch Handicap Steeplechase wants a nomination to Bollin Eric, that’s fine.”

Born in 1994, Silver Patriarch won his first race in 1996. A year later, he became Champion Three-year-old Stayer in Europe, after winning the St Leger at Doncaster among other races. Aged four, he landed both the group 1 Coronation Cup and the group 1 Gran Premio del Jockey Club.

Throughout his career, Silver Patriarch won or was placed in 20 of his 24 starts, 17 of them at Group level. His record has made him hugely popular with breeders and he has been fully booked each year since going to stud. In 2005, he will be limited to 100 mares and will command a fee of £2,500.

Bollin Eric was also a St Leger winner and a Champion Three-year-old Stayer. A son of Epsom Derby winner Shaamit out of Bollin Zola, he was conceived and born at the National Stud in 1999. He won, or was placed, in 17 of 18 starts and his total earning amounted to over £500,000.

Bollin Eric stood at stud for the first time in 2004 and will stand at Wood Farm Stud in Shropshire next year at a fee of £2,000. He will be on show at Fakenham on Sunday and at the National Stud until early December, when he will move to Wood Farm Stud.

Fakenham’s National Stud Raceday will also promote the stud’s latest owner/breeders club in the Never Say Die Novices Steeplechase. Named after Epsom Derby winner Never Say Die, the club gives members an opportunity to follow the progress of a racehorse from conception to the racecourse, visit trainers’ yards and watch the club’s horses perform on the track – all for a £3,000 fee to be paid over five years.

National Stud staff will be at Fakenham throughout the day, where they will present an exhibition on the stud’s current work in the parade Ring Room.

“Under the new regime, we are keen to get out in the industry much more,” says Wade. “We want to make sure that the image of the stud becomes much more of a showcase for British breeding and we are working a lot more closely with the industry.”

Racegoers can expect the National Stud to take part in many more industry events in 2005. Meanwhile, Fakenham’s gates open at 11am on Sunday and the first race starts at 12.40pm. Admission costs £6 but it is free for children under 16.

The National Stud, the showcase for the British breeding industry, has unveiled plans for a major revamp of the Newmarket-based operation.

A business plan outlining proposals for the next four years has been put forward. Both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and The Levy Board, which has overall responsibility for the stud, have signed up.

The fundamental aspects of the business plan set out how the stud can be made into a sustainable commercial venture. Although government-owned, the National Stud receives no funding from the state, and it has been operating under some serious financial pressures in recent years.

A spokesman for the DCMS explained their vision for the stud: “The stud must be able to meet its own costs in an ongoing manner, and we feel that the only way this can happen is by broadening its remit.”

A huge amount of emphasis in the future development of the operation is placed on increasing the number of visitors to the stud, concentrating on all aspects of informing and educating the public, and above all, raising the profile of, and enhancing, the educational programs at the stud.

To this end, executives at the National Stud have been looking into the question of achieving charitable status. This would provide access to funding which they currently cannot apply for as a government-owned operation. This would benefit the educational side of the stud in particular, allowing for an improvement in facilities and a higher profile venture.

Both the National Stud and the DCMS are concerned that the operation is an anachronism in its current form. Andrew Parrish, chairman of the National Stud explains: “We have to be clearly relevant to the future of the industry, accessible to the public as well as to breeders, and financially viable.”

The National Stud was founded in 1916 when Colonel Hall Walker offered his bloodstock to the British government on the condition that it purchased his breeding establishment in County Kildare. The government accepted this offer on the understanding that the maintenance of this first-class foundation stock would ensure breeding of high quality light horses for the army.

The increasing mechanisation of the army last century reduced the importance of the stud’s original function, but the government retained it for the purpose of breeding high-class thoroughbreds. The DCMS is adamant that as its exclusive function, this is outdated, not least because the National Stud now stands in the shadow of breeding establishments such as Coolmore and Darley.

A DCMS spokesman told HHO: “The stud is no longer fulfilling its public purpose. Obviously it was founded for very good reasons but the outlook has got to be modernised.”

While accepting the need for progress, the National Stud has defended its position, emphasising its potential to play a central and distinctive role in the future of the thoroughbred industry.

Sarah Carmichael, marketing manager at the National Stud, maintained that in spite of competition, the stud’s position in the industry is exclusive.

Sarah says: “There is tough competition out there and you can’t escape it. Our current financial status puts us on a totally unequal playing field to studs such as Coolmore. Not only do we have very successful stallions, which we intend to improve and increase but we also play a vital role in the industry in terms of education and information.”

A matter concerning the stud, which has yet to be addressed, is the abolition in 2006 of The Levy Board. It is likely that The Levy Board will be replaced by a body within the industry but the lack of certainty leaves a large question mark hanging over the future management of the establishment.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now