WHAT a sorry state the National Stud in Newmarket was in for most of the first decade of the new millennium. There was boardroom strife, including a mass walk-out of directors in 2003, the stallion roster had become bloated with commercially unattractive names and the balance sheet showed bruising losses.

Happily, the stud became a more peaceful and prosperous place during the 2010s thanks to its acquisition by the Jockey Club in 2008 and the appointment of renowned horseman Brian O’Rourke as managing director in 2009.