Meet the small-scale owner-breeder on cloud nine after quickfire homebred double

Christmas cheer came early for Des Thurlby as the owner-breeder enjoyed two homebred strikes on consecutive days at Kempton and Chelmsford last week. 

Thurlby, who has been involved in racehorse ownership for nearly 25 years and accumulated more than half a century of winners in his own name, couldn't hide his delight with the exploits of Nanny Park and Harryella.

Both are trained by James Fanshawe, and the juveniles' names have family connections.

Thurlby says: "I've got only two mares so to have homebred winners on consecutive days is fantastic. 

"It's all down to Michael Swinburn at Genesis Green Stud, that's where I keep the mares, and he does a great job. I'm absolutely thrilled."

Thurlby has been around two types of horsepower for a good while, as he says: "I'm a human resources director and worked for Ford for 25 years, as well as Jaguar and Land Rover. 

"I turned 60 this year and have owned horses since 2000, I started off with Linda Stubbs, then went to Chris Wall and now I'm with James Fanshawe. I'm hard to get rid of and tend to stick with them!

"I've now had 52 winners as a single owner, so that's quite an achievement as I have only two or three horses each year. I was a junior member at Newmarket for years and that's what got me into racing, so it's great to have an occasional winner at my home track."

Luang Prabang has been Thurlby's flagship broodmare, with the Invincible Spirit mare not only responsible for Chelmsford nursery winner Harryella, who is by Postponed, but also fellow winner Nuvolari (Time Test) and the Group 2-placed Woodhay Wonder (Tamayuz). 

The last-named sold to Stroud Coleman and trainer Tom Ward for 26,000gns at the 2022 Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, and notched back-to-back wins in lucrative sales races at Newmarket last year, before which the filly had picked up black type when third in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes.

Also a dual winner this year for owners Matthew Webber and Toby Ward, Woodhay Wonder has apparently inherited plenty of her dam's strong-willed nature. 

Thurlby says: "Luang Prabang is the ancient royal capital of Laos. We went on holiday there ten-plus years ago and thought what a great name for a horse. I bought her at Tattersalls and put her into training with Chris Wall, I was with Chris for about ten years before he retired and he won two races with her.

"I remember we bought her, we went round to the stable afterwards and the lasses said, 'Just so you know, she doesn't like men.' 

"Chris said, 'Well, that's a good start'. Chris always said she was one of the most difficult horses he ever trained. She could smell a vet at 100 yards, is always taking a bite out of someone and you have to be on your guard. 

Woodhay Wonder: talented performer bred by Des ThurlbyCredit: Mark Cranham

"She had lots of ability but saved a bit for herself. I decided to keep her and put her in foal, so she's been a broodmare at Genesis Green since retirement. 

"Chris had trained the family previously and said the colts are normally sensible but the fillies are quite tricky, and she's had only one filly, which is Woodhay Wonder. Tom Ward's done well with her as I think she can be a bit difficult, she wants to be the boss just like her mother, but she's very talented. She's the best foal I've bred to date."

We could be hearing plenty more from Luang Prabang and her family, with youngsters shortly turning two and one. She is also in foal to one of the best young sires around. 

"We have a yearling who has just gone into training with James Fanshawe by Saxon Warrior, he's called Franschhoek because we went on holiday there," says Thurlby. 

"She has a colt foal by Masar, who I'll probably have to keep as the market's a bit quiet on him, but he's nice and I like middle-distance stallions. 

"Luang Prabang is in foal to Study Of Man, so that's exciting, and I think she's carrying a filly but I'm not totally sure. Now she's three from three we'll have to have some enjoyable conversations about where to send the mare next year, maybe Modern Games or Pinatubo. We'll step her up a bit and have plenty of time to think about it."

Meet Me Halfway, the dam of Kempton novice winner Nanny Park, has had a more chequered career at paddocks, but the multiple winner by Exceed And Excel certainly has a nice prospect in the form of her daughter by Golden Horn. 

Luang Prabang is in foal to the exciting Study Of ManCredit: Lanwades Stud

Thurlby says: "I bought Meet Me Halfway at Tattersalls and put her in training with Chris. She won four races and was my first broodmare.

"She's just been very unlucky. She's not got in foal a couple of times and has had a couple of foals with some issues. This year we sent her to Saxon Warrior – three times we sent her to Ireland and three times she didn't get in foal. 

"She had a cracking colt by Dream Ahead earlier this year who had to be put down because he had eye infections and went blind. So she's been very unfortunate but has had a couple of really nice foals; she had a Dark Angel called Purgatory and he won three, and then Nanny Park by Golden Horn."

Explaining how his recent double act Nanny Park and Harryella – both ridden to victory by Danny Muscutt – came to be named, Thurlby says: "The Kempton winner is named after my long-term partner Carolyn as the grandkids call her Nanny Park, because she always takes them to the park. 

"The grandkids are called Harry and Ella, hence Harryella. We had them round the other night and showed them the videos of the two horses winning. They're only two and five but they were jumping up and down and recognised the colours and names."

Thurlby is hopeful that 2025 can bring further success for Nanny Park, given that she hails from a family which includes Champion Hurdle winner Sublimity. Progress looks likely with age, based on her sire and the distaff side of her pedigree, while her dam could return to Golden Horn in the coming months. 

He says: "Nanny Park is nice and her sire Golden Horn is another middle-distance stallion I like. I saw him win the Arc and the Eclipse, he was just a fantastic racehorse. Meet Me Halfway could go back to him next year, we'll see, while Nanny Park's been put away. 

"James is fantastic with these late-maturing fillies, so we'll see how she progresses. I wouldn't be averse to keeping her as she's really well put together and has a great temperament. 

"She's still got a bit of growing to do, so I hope there's further improvement in her."

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