Anthony Penfold, the longtime racing and bloodstock manager for Prince Fahd Salman who also operated his own Bugley Stud and worked as a independent bloodstock agent, has died age 74.
Penfold's early ventures in the bloodstock industry included forming Goodwood Bloodstock Agency with former jump jockey John Woodman in 1972. Penfold began working for Prince Fahd in 1983 and was retained on a full-time basis in 1985, a role that he held until after Prince Fahd died in 2001. Prince Fahd was a son-in-law of Prince Khalid Abdullah of Juddmonte Farm, who introduced him to racing, and Prince Fahd, with Penfold as an advisor, set up studs in Dorset and Lexington. Prince Fahd's best horse was Generous (Ire) (Caerleon), purchased for him by Penfold as a yearling and trained by Paul Cole to win the G1 Dewhurst S., the G1 Derby and G1 Irish Derby and the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. During Penfold's tenure with Prince Fahd, the Prince raced eight European Classic winners and his horses won over 90 group and graded races in Europe and the U.S. In addition to Generous, those also included the Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks victress Ramruma (Diesis {GB}), Irish Oaks winner Knight's Baroness (GB) (Rainbow Quest) and American champion turf mare Fiji (GB) (Rainbow Quest), who was sold to Brushwood Stable at Keeneland November after Prince Fahd's death in 2002 for $3.1-million in foal to Danehill. Ramruma was also sold after Prince Fahd's death for 2.1-million gns, which in 2003 set a record for a broodmare at a European auction. She was bought by John Magnier in foal to Machiavellian.
Penfold was in 2003 appointed as stud manager and bloodstock and racing adviser for Britton House Stud in Somerset, England, a role that he took on alongside running Bugley Stud in Dorset with his wife Mary-Ann. One of Bugley Stud's top graduates was Strategic Prince (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who was sold by Bugley for 150,000gns at Tattersalls October in 2005 and went on to win the G2 July S. and G2 Vintage S. and finish third in the G1 Dewhurst S. The Penfolds also bred last year's G2 Airlie Stud S. winner Velocidad (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who is trained by Joseph O'Brien for the Coolmore partners and Westerberg. Penfold's daughter, Sophie, is married to Tom Magnier.
Paying tribute to his friend and former colleague, Angus Gold said, “Anthony was a man we all looked up to. He did a fantastic job for Prince Fahd and what always impressed me was that he was very much his own man, looking after both the racing and breeding sides of Prince Fahd's operation.
“He was very helpful to all of us of the slightly younger generation, pointing us in the right direction and giving us a cuff round the ear when we needed it. I was in admiration of the job he did for Prince Fahd and the success they made of it–they didn't have as many horses as some of the bigger operations but they were incredibly successful, highlighted by Generous. Anthony was a huge help to me and it really was a privilege to know him.”
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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