'Management issues' lead to departure of National Stud director Tim Lane

National Stud director Tim Lane has left his role after the conclusion of an examination of “management issues”, with an interim team put in place for the forthcoming breeding season.

Lane, 45, joined the National Stud in 2017 having previously run Oakgrove Stud in Monmouthshire for John Deer, owner of horses such as Al Kazeem, Avonbridge and Patavellian.

Lane’s departure has resulted in a reshuffle at the 512-acre National Stud, with an email to clients last week revealing Joe Grimwade, the former manager of the National Stud and the Royal Stud, will take over on an interim basis.

The email, sent by nominations manager Jamie Jackson, read: "I am writing to let you know that we are currently working through some management issues, which are being taken very seriously.”

The email does not spell out why Lane was no longer undertaking his roles at the Jockey Club-owned National Stud, while a statement from the organisation on Monday only outlined he was “leaving the business”.

Teddy Grimthorpe, who was recently appointed racing manager to Imad Al Sagar, is to step up from his role of chairman to become executive chairman and lead the management team at the stud for the 2022 breeding season. Anna Kerr, the stud’s chief operating officer, will oversee day-to-day operations and management.

Teddy Grimthorpe: will lead the National Stud management team for the 2022 breeding seasonCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Grimthorpe said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to express our thanks and support to Anna Kerr and Joe Grimwade. I am pleased to accept the invitation to switch from a non-executive to an executive role for this breeding season.

“Our stallions, boarding, sales and education have all been proving very popular and I’m sure we can build on that progress in the time ahead.”

The National Stud offers residential training courses in stud practice and management, part funded by the Levy Board, the Racing Foundation and the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, and other educational courses, alongside offering commercial foaling, boarding and spelling services for a range of clients.

The farm also stands six stallions, with Group 1 Commonwealth Cup winner Advertise listed at the highest fee of £25,000 per covering. Flag Of Honour, Rajasinghe, Aclaim and Lope Y Fernandez are also on the roster of sires. The stud’s leading stallion is Time Test, who sired Group 3 winners Romantic Time and Rocchigiani in his first crop last year.

A breeding right – permitting the owner to send one mare to the stallion each breeding season – to the ten-year-old sold for £115,000 to bloodstock agents Peter and Ross Doyle in an online auction run by Tattersalls last week, with Ross Doyle describing him as “a young sire going places”.

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