JAMES Delahooke, the bloodstock agent widely credited for establishing the foundations of Juddmonte Farms, has died following a heart attack on Wednesday. He was 77.

Brought up in a family which had tradition of owning, breeding, training and riding horses, he ran the family’s Adstock Manor Stud near Buckingham for 25 years, during which time the farm raised the winners of 29 international group races.

These included the Oaks and King George winner Time Charter and triple Group 1 winner Master Willie. Influential broodmare sire High Line stood at Adstock throughout his career.

In the early 1980s Delahooke was commissioned by the late Prince Khalid Abdullah to set up Juddmonte Farms in England, Ireland and the USA. Not only did he come up with an award-winning design for the farms, he assembled a top-quality broodmare band which has so far produced two Epsom Derby winners, and at least one winner of all five English classics. The sire and dam of both Juddmonte’s Derby winners were purchased for the farm by Delahooke.

He also bought the 2000 Guineas and Prix de l’Arc winner Dancing Brave as a yearling for $200,000.

Many of today’s leading bloodstock agents and prominent stud farm managers worked for him early in their careers, including David Redvers, Amanda Skiffington, Ted Voute and Simon Mockridge. He also advised numerous leading owner-breeders such as the late Gerald Leigh.

He is survived by his wife Angie and four children.