'It’s not just been the business, it’s been our home' - historic Woodhaven Stud on the market

A stud with the distinction of being the birthplace of the legendary Brigadier Gerard has been put on the market.

Woodhaven Stud, on the Berkshire-Hampshire border, has been owned by Juliet Reed for the last 40 years and is also the resting place of her Grand National winner Rhyme ‘n’ Reason.

It had previously been known as East Woodhay Stud and the home of John Hislop, the gifted gentleman rider and journalist. He bred Brigadier Gerard, galactic star of the early 1970s and winner of 17 of his 18 starts, including the 2,000 Guineas, an Eclipse and two King Georges in a halcyon era of the turf. 

He was a son of Queen's Hussar, the Sussex Stakes winner who stood at the nearby Highclere Stud out of maiden mare La Paiva. Brigadier Gerard was not a resounding success as a stallion himself at Egerton Stud and later returned to East Woodhay.

"Mr and Mrs Hislop owned the property before we bought it," says Reed. 

Brigadier Gerard and Joe Mercer win the 2,000 GuineasCredit: S&g

"Apparently the mare [La Paiva] wouldn’t get on a horse box and they walked her into Highclere Stud, because it’s just over the back of here and you could get there through the fields. I expect it was a lot easier then in those days.

"I didn’t have any connection to the Brigadier at all really but his statue was in the back garden at the time. When Mr and Mrs Hislop moved to their place in Newmarket, they took the statue up there with them."

Reed, who runs Woodhaven Stud with partner Carl Leafe, began breeding thoroughbreds from a handful of purchases when she moved.

The foundation mare was Welcome Break, from a good Juddmonte family and the dam of 1986 Fillies’ Mile winner Invited Guest, as well as En Vacances, who finished a neck second in Reed's silks in the Cesarewitch. 

Another named Vagrant Maid produced Listed Eyrefield Stakes winner Andy Dufresne and Wayfaring, a French Listed winner for Andre Fabre and Sheikh Mohammed who went on to achieve success in Australia. 

Palacegate Touch, who almost broke the post-war record of career wins with an extraordinary 33 for Jack and Alan Berry, is another graduate.

The stud, which is being offered by Carter Jonas with a guide price of £3.5 million, has a Grade 2 Listed house, 72 acres of grazing, 22 boxes and a covered yard among various other outbuildings and facilities. 

Woodhaven Stud has been Juliet Reed's home for 40 yearsCredit: Carter Jonas

The couple, who have spent such a long time focusing on the venture, have decided to take a step back but are hopeful it could remain a place of racehorse breeding for any potential buyers.

"We started off really from scratch and have bred a lot of winners," says Reed.

"We’ve got a couple of mares for clients that we’ve covered this year, we have a share in one, but our mares are all retired as we felt the time was right to call it a day.

"It’ll be a bit of a wrench to leave as it’s not just been the business; it’s been our home and such a fantastic place to live."

Reed did not breed Rhyme ‘n’ Reason, but the beautiful bay chaser is responsible for her becoming hooked on the sport.

A winner of two bumpers in Ireland, he had begun his career with Michael Dickinson before the trainer switched to the Flat with Robert Sangster. Aged six, and just a novice, he won the 1985 Irish Grand National trained by David Murray Smith, while in David Elsworth’s care he would land both the old Racing Post Chase and his biggest prize at Aintree three years later.

Despite nearly coming down at Becher’s Brook for Brendan Powell, and later losing his lead turning for home to a strong-travelling Durham Edition, Rhyme ’n’ Reason battled back on the run-in for his greatest moment.

It was to prove the gelding’s swansong as he had injured a hock during the race. He lived to the age of 18, when becoming ill from what Reed believes was most likely a snake bite. There had been similar incidents reported around the late 1990s in the area, which had been disturbed by construction for the Newbury bypass.

"He was the first horse I owned so I just got the bug," says Reed.

"He had to have a piece of bone removed from his hock and had to be retired. He lived here for nine years and he actually died the day Princess Diana was being buried. 

"He had a great retirement and is buried in the garden, where the Brigadier statue used to stand."

Happily, Leafe and Reid’s enthusiasm for racing has certainly not been ground out of them, but it might now take a more sedate, hands-off form.

"We’ve got one going into training after Christmas so we’ll probably keep a small interest going," she says. "It won’t be to the extent that we had before, but you never know, we might dabble again in the future when we don’t have to look after them!"

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