Other Yorkshire Studs - M

Manor Farm Stud
Malton
Owner: John R. Parkin
Type: Private
Notes: Manor Farm Stud (not to be confused with the numerous other operations of the same name - such as the one in Rutland!) is owned by stalls handler John Parkin. The stud hit 'the jackpot' at the 2002 Breeze-Up sales when they sold for 50,000gns a Victory Speech colt which had been bought by David Barron for a mere $11,000 at Keeneland the previous September.

 

Melbourne Hall Stud
Melbourne Hall, Melbourne, York
Owner:
Miss Cherry Tagart (died July 2005)
Acreage: 80
Type: Private (formerly public)
Previous Stallions: Crofthall, Clantime, Tudor Rhythm
Notes: Until recently Melbourne Hall was a glowing example of what a relatively new (founded in 1983) public stud with a couple of mid-range stallions could achieve. However Crofthall died in 1995 and Clantime in September 1997, since when the stud has been without a stallion and has concentrated on boarding mares and sales preparation. Cherry Tagart, who died in July 2005, has an exotic background having at one time worked for the Bertram Mills Circus. Her step-father was Robert White, a one time President of the Hackney Horse Society. Cherry was surprised to find, on White's death, that he had left her all his money. This bequest financed the purchase of Melbourne Hall which, coincidentally, was the original home of the Hackney horse. Clantime (Music Boy - Penny Pincher) was trained by Richard Whitaker to win 9 races, he was was also placed second in the Palace House S G3 (twice) and third in the Norfolk S G3 and Temple S G2. He retired to
Goosemoor for his first season before moving to Melbourne in time for the '90 season and proceeded to sire of string of top sprinters and two-year-olds including Atraf (Cork and Orrery S G3), Yorkies Boy (Palace House S G3), Tuscan Dawn (2nd. Epsom Dash L), Saint Express (William Hill H, 2nd.Flying Childers S G2 and Roses S L), Bishops Court (Prix de Petit Couvert G3, Rous Stakes L, Vodafone Dash L (twice), City Wall Stakes L (twice), Scarbrough Stakes L, 3rd.Nunthorpe Stakes G1, Temple Stakes G2) and Cape Merino (Bovis H and Tote Trophy). It is unfortunate that he died at only 15, when his popularity was at it's highest (his fee had just risen to £2,000). Crofthall (Native Bazaar - Woodland Promise) was in a similar vein and retired to Melbourne in 1983 in the ownership of the late Jeff Beddis and his wife Maureen. Crofthall's progeny include Snipe Hall (Empress S L, 2nd.Queen Mary S G3), Croft Valley (Champagne Silver Trophy L), Croft Imperial (3rd.Chesterfield S L and Roses S L), Rambo's Hall (Cambridgeshire H twice, 2nd.James Seymour S L) and Resolute Bay (Northumberland Sprint Trophy H). Mrs.Beddis is herself the breeder of Sierra Vista (2000 f by Atraf - Park Vista), sold for a mere 500gns to David Barker she has won over £200,000 in prize money including the 2005 renewal of the Temple Stakes G2 at Sandown as well as the £18,662 Be Friendly Handicap and the £19,431 Lester Piggott 'Start To Finish Handicap (both at Haydock) as well as consecutive runnings of the valuable Northern Sprint Handicap at Newcastle (2004 and 2005). Another Beddis horse bred at Melbourne is the Richard Fahey trained Saif Sareea, equally adept over hurdles as on the flat.
Of the above winners Yorkies Boy, Cape Merino and Croft Valley were all bred at Melbourne from boarding mares. Cape Merino herself was initially based at Melbourne and her 1998 colt by Inchinor was sent to the Doncaster Sales by Melbourne on behalf of Mrs.Diana Ellis and sold for 25,000gns. Subsequently named Cape Of Good Hope he was a winner for David Elsworth at three before being sold to race in Hong Kong for David Oughton. Here he has excelled and has won over £1m in prize money, which includes his summer raids to Europe in 2004 and 2005 which saw him win the Golden Jubilee Stakes G1 at Royal Ascot at York in 2005 and also, in 2004, finish second in the King's Stand Stakes G2, third in the Golden Jubilee Stakes G1 and fourth in the July Cup G1. Many of his best results overseas have come in defeat and he has been placed second in the Hong Kong Sprint G1, Chairman's Sprint Prize L (twice), Centenary Sprint Cup L and the International Sprint Trial L, and third in the Sprinters Stakes G1, Hong Kong Sprint G1, TEAC Lightning Stakes G1, Bauhinia Sprint Trophy L and the Chinese Club Challenge Cup L, it is unfortunate that his sprinting career has coincided with the mighty Silent Witness, or his record would be even more impressive. Cape of Good Hope finally chalked up his elusive Group One win when taking the Timbercorp Australia Stakes G1 at Moonee Valley in 2005 and this was soon followed by his Royal Ascot success. Unfortunately Mrs.Ellis had sold Cape Merino, who is also dam of the big sales race winner Cape Columbine, for 6,200gns at the Doncaster January Sales of 2000 before Cape Of Good Hope's full abilities were known, but Cherry Tagart still had the dam Laena, who has to date produced 6 winners. Another good recent winner, this one actually bred by Miss Tagart, is Mecca's Mate (2001 f Paris House - Clancassie (Clantime) ), trained by David Barker. By incredible coincidence Mecca's Mate's first stakes win came in the Land Of Burns Stakes L at Ayr (her first attempt in stakes company), and this occurred on the day before Miss Tagart's funeral. She was later third in the Beverley Bullet Stakes L and in 2006 she ran third in the Temple Stakes G2 at Sandown. In 2007 she won the Land O'Burns for a second time.
The Melbourne Hall Estate was placed on the market in January 2006, with a guide price of £1.5m for the house, flat, stable cottage, stabling (41 boxes) and 82 acres of gardens, parkland, paddocks and woodland. Additional photographs are, for the time being, available
here.

Melbourne Hall, with paddocks in foreground. Click for a larger image

 

 

Melouise Stud
WestYorkshire
Type:
Public
Current Stallion: Abzu (2000: £400)

 

Merryvale Stud
Knaresbrough, North Yorkshire
Owner:
Arthur Key
Type: Private
Notes; Merryvale Stud is the home of trainer Kariana Key, who's family breeds many of the horses she trains. Probably the best product of Merryvale is Clarinch Claymore (96 g Sabrehill - Salu) who has won 10 races including the historic Watt Memorial at Beverley and £71,257, having been sold by Kariana's father, Arthur, for 12,000gns. Mr.Key previously had horses with Malcolm Jefferson, Robin Bastiman and Richard Fahey as well as James Given. Foundation mare Salu was formerly trained by Tim Etherington and purchased out of training by the Key's.

 

Musley Bank Stud
Musley Bank, Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 0TD
Owner:
Mr.Colin Tinkler, Jnr.
Acreage: 38
Type: Private (when a stud)
Notes: Musley Bank was owned by former leading National Hunt jockey (he finished 4th in the championship in 1975 with 67 winners) and dual-purpose trainer Colin Tinkler Jnr, who is the son of Colin Tinkler and the elder brother of Malton trainer Nigel Tinkler. Probably his biggest success as a trainer was with Swingit Gunner in the 1987 November Handicap, although he also trained useful two-year-old Chime Time to finish 3rd in the Gimcrack S G2. He stopped training in the late eighties to concentrate on the stud (which he'd founded in 1981), where pin-hooking weanlings for re-sale as yearlings was a major part of the operation. His son Nicky has had a few rides as an amateur and rode his first winner on St.Lawrence (owned by his mother Carol) in January 2000. The stud purchased a potentially useful mare at the 2000 December Sales when paying 7,000gns to Darley Stud Management for Fathing a 2yo filly by Gulch out of German 1,000 Guineas winner (trained by Bill Watts) Kazoo, however this mare was sold two years later. In June 2003 Musley Bank (which stands on 38 acres and has main house, gallops, indoor school, turnout paddocks and numerous boxes) was sold to Tinkler's former riding colleague Richard Fahey who started training from their towards the end of July. Colin Tinkler wne to train at Mijas in Spain in Spain around the same time, although he has now retained to Britain to train 'down south', whilst his wife Carol continues the stud operation from the family farm
Ivy Lea at Scampston on the other side of Malton.

 

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Copyright 2002 Stephen George-Powell

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