By Andrew Atkinson
Stables in Middleham that are to be overhauled, with Sir Michael Stoute’s assistant James Horton appointed as trainer, were formerly owned by Lennie Peacock.
Based at Manor House Stud in Middleham, Peacock was the breeder of dual Guineas winner Tirol and top-class sprinter Redkirk Warrior.
Her nephew, Charlie Nelson, said: “She was a remarkable lady. For a small stud, the amount and the quality of winners really is special.
“And, of course, the stud is still producing Group 1 winners. That just shows her judgement and talent.”
Born Lenore Quinlan, her involvement with Manor House began when she married Middleham-based trainer Dick Peacock in 1953.
Her husband oversaw the careers of Group 1 winners Tudor Melody and Fearless Lad, and was the son of Matt Peacock who trained Dante to win the Derby in 1945.
Also the grandson of Dobson Peacock who founded the stud in 1883 and became the first Yorkshire-based handler to train 100 winners in a season in 1932.
Two Classic winners had been raised at Manor House, Dante and his younger brother Sayajirao, who won the 1947 Irish Derby and St Leger, before Peacock wrote her own memoirs of the stud’s story.
Her crowning achievement as a breeder was Tirol, a son of Thatching, bred in partnership with Robert Sangster.
Peacock went to 13,000 gns to buy out Sangster’s share at the 1987 December Sale, before reoffering Tirol as a yearling at the following year’s Highflyer Sale, where he was bought by Peter Doyle for 52,000gns on behalf of John Horgan.
Manor House Stables were occupied in father to son succession for 100 years up until Lennie’s husband, Dick, died in 1984.
Dick had followed his father Matthew in 1951 and he had succeeded his father, Dobson in 1935, the stud being founded by him in 1883.
Dobson had a string of over 100 horses and was the first Middleham trainer ever to train 100 winners in a season. The stretches all the way down to the river.
Lennie Peacock also farmed on an extensive scale, including the famous ‘Middelham Jewel’, which brought £1.3m at Sotherbys in 1986 found on her land, close to Middleham Castle.
She sadly passed away in March 2018, aged 97, with the stud sold to John Dance of Laurens fame.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were present a month after the joy of VE Day to watch Dante, a horse going blind, become the last Yorkshire winner of the Flat’s ultimate race and lift a newly-liberated nation’s spirits after the austerity of World War II.
Caption: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth present to watch Dante win 1945 Derby.
