Weekly Round Up
The week centred around a trip to Tatttersalls Sales in Newmarket to the December Sales on Thursday. It was time to say goodbye to Chica Rapida and Alaskan Phantom who both sold. Chica will go hurdling with new trainer Gail Haywood in due course and being a strong robust filly with plenty of size it could well suit her. The recent efforts by the British Horse Racing Authority to improve the program for fillies and mares over jumps have opened up lots of opportunities for the fairer sex and she could be just the type to take advantage of them if taking to her new job. Alaskan Phantom was the only runner of the week in an attempt to get a win on the board, it looked a good opportunity but she was far too keen in first time blinkers and ran no sort of race. She has been bought to continue her racing career in Qatar.
Whilst in Newmarket there was the opportunity to view three new stallions . Although perhaps not the most obvious horses retiring to the stallion ranks this season all three have plenty going for them not least that they are sons of some of the best stallions of the moment. It is good to see some speedier types at the more commercial end of the market being given an opportunity to stand in the UK.
Bearstone Stud are offering the very good looking son of Oasis Dream and champion race mare Attraction, Fountain of Youth who was a very precocious two year old who trained on to win a Group 3 over five furlongs at three on the Curragh.
Highclere Stud are to stand Cable Bay a son of the all conquering Invincible Spirit, again an attractive individual he was a good early two year old, who was placed in several group races at two, including the Dewhurst Stakes. A consistent campaigner at three and four in Group Company he won a Group 2 and 3 at four over seven furlongs.
Due Diligence was the offering from Whitsbury Manor stud, a son of the leading American sire War Front who has created a real stir on both sides of the Atlantic he began his career in the US before coming to Ireland to race for Coolmore, winning a Listed race before running a fine second in the Group One Diamond Jubilee at three against older sprinters.
Plenty of visitors this week, Peter Britton who has supported us since our second year of training and has been involved in the Diskovery Partnership since its inception and also a few other horses – notably Affileo came to view his Hilltop Ranger and also his own yearling (bought on the proceeds of the lucrative sale of Affileo to Team Valor). His scopey colt is by Intense Focus out of a very tough race mare called No Trimmings who won five competitive Irish Handicaps. He is prepared to sell a 25% share if someone wanted to get involved in a tough colt. More details here.
On Friday morning it was lovely to spend a bit of time with Clive and Trish Wilson who have their homebred Who’sthedaddy running next week. They saw him having a quick stalls reminder under Kim Van Der Vegt our apprentice who will ride him on Wednesday at Lingfield as she returns to race riding after getting some more experience and doing plenty of fitness work. They also had a look at Socrates a half brother to Who’sthedaddy who they are racing in partnership with friends.
The Sepoy colt out of Violet also received a couple of visitors this week including Shaun Johnson of Ontoawinner and Barry Wilton, already a member of the Diskovery Partnership, Barry has expanded his portfolio to a share in the colt through Ontoawinner. In a fierce wind we watched Hilltop Ranger do a nice piece of work with lead horse Fireback, before heading to the more sheltered Fibresand gallop for third lot to watch the yearling colt. Hilltop Ranger is nearing her debut and there are still a couple of shares available if anyone wanted some instant action details here. More details of the ontoawinner syndicate can be found here.