Desert Crown's purchaser Richard Brown lands Bloodstock Agent of The Year award

Richard Brown has gone back-to-back in the Bloodstock Agent of The Year award after the Blandford man was responsible for purchasing this season’s Group 1 winners Desert Crown, successful in the Derby, and Perfect Power, who claimed the Commonwealth Cup.

Geoffrey Howson, honorary president of the Federation of Bloodstock Agents (FBA), presented Brown with a bottle of Krug champagne to mark the award ahead of the Friday session of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. They were joined by Ed Player of Whatton Manor Stud and Gary Robinson of Strawberry Fields Stud, from whom Brown bought Desert Crown for 280,000gns in 2020.

“The key thing is that Blandford is a big team effort,” said Brown. “The rest of the guys have had a phenomenal year too. Tom Goff bought Emily Upjohn, Stuart Boman bought Zaaki, who’s been a star in Australia, and Tom Biggs bought the Coventry winner Bradsell. We work all the sales together so it’s a huge team effort.

“You also couldn’t do it without your clients and I’m very lucky that I’m allowed to back my judgement for owners like Saeed Suhail, Sheikh Juma, Sheikh Rashid, Sheikh Hamed and Andrew Stone."

The Epsom heroics of Desert Crown was a landmark moment in Brown's career, and he reflected on the highlight of 2022 by saying: “I first came to Tattersalls in around 1997 leading horses around the ring for studs like Furnace Mill and Snailwell, so to have bought a Derby winner out of the same ring is very special.

"It’s the race that I think everybody wants to be involved with the winner of and I’ve been extremely fortunate that we’ve done that through Saeed Suhail backing my judgement and Sir Michael Stoute being an amazing trainer. It’s the stuff dreams are made of really.”

Howson commented: “When Richard Brown received his FBA Bloodstock Agent prize last year, he told me that he was determined to win it again in 2022. I replied that the only way he could receive the award two years running was to have bought the winner of the Derby. Immediately after his Book 2 yearling purchase, Desert Crown, won the Derby, he texted me 'Told you I wanted another bottle of Krug!'”

Other public auction purchases made by Brown include Durston, winner of the Group 1 Caulfield Cup, Group 2 Lowther Stakes victress Swingalong, Australian Group 3 winner Desert Icon and the Listed scorers Haqeeqy, Mighty Ulysses and Umm Kulthum.

Brown is also racing and bloodstock manager to Andrew Stone of St Albans Bloodstock, who landed the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes with the exciting Sense Of Duty and enjoyed a first Royal Ascot success with Sandringham Stakes scorer Heredia, both of which are homebreds.

St Albans Bloodstock also enjoyed its biggest ever sales ring success when the Dubawi colt out of homebred Group 1 winner God Given, who also bred this season’s leading juvenile Silver Knott, sold to Godolphin for 1,500,000gns during Book 1.

Howson added: “As recorded last year, Richard has continued to impress me with his continued work ethic in the mould of his mentor, Joss Collins, of professionalism and enthusiasm. I have told Richard that the only way he can win again in 2023 is to have bought the winner of the Triple Crown!”

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