Newmarket Launches Gold Season

NEWMARKET, UK—The Rowley Mile's autumn racing programme and the October Sales at Tattersalls have long been a draw for industry professionals and racegoers from all over the world to Newmarket. For the first time, the two key events in the town during late September and October have been officially linked to form the Newmarket Gold Season.

The two weeks of Britain's flagship yearling sale, which starts on Oct. 8, routinely sees ferocious trade at Tattersalls' Park Paddocks, with more than 160 million gns having changed hands throughout the fortnight last year. The extra visitors in Newmarket for the sale, and for the top-class racing on offer, are estimated to deliver more than £40 million to the local economy through that month alone.

“For the team and for me, it's not just about racecourses, it's about the whole town—we are team Newmarket,” said Amy Starkey, Regional Director for Jockey Cub Racecourses' East Region, at a launch for the Gold Season on Tuesday.

The four consecutive weekends of racing at the Rowley Mile begin this Saturday, coinciding with the Henry Cecil Open Weekend and featuring the Cesarewitch Trial. This is followed by the Cambridgeshire Meeting from Sept. 26 to 28, Sun Chariot Day on Oct. 5, with the action culminating in the Dubai Future Champions Festival on Oct. 11 and 12. During what will now be known as the Gold Season, a total of 21 Pattern races will be staged, including five Group 1 contests, with a total of £4.2 million in prize-money on offer.

“If I look back on some of the prouder moments at Newmarket, the 350 campaign celebrating 350 years of racing here was fantastic but it was a one-year campaign,” Starkey added. “The amazing thing with the Newmarket Gold Season is that we can continue to develop the stories and the resonance for many years to come. This year is about embedding the concept.”

Referring to the loss of the G1 Champion S. to Ascot in 2011 and a regular reshuffling of the autumn stakes races in the years that followed, she said, “After years of having an unsettled racing programme, we can now stand here and say that we are proud of our racing programme.”

Starkey was joined at the press conference by champion trainer John Gosden, who has sent out 13 Group 1 winners already this season and last year landed the G1 Darley Dewhurst S. with Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) just days after his full-brother had sold for a sale-topping 3.5 million gns to Qatar Racing at Tattersalls. Now named Darain, that colt is also with Gosden, who trained his dam Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) to three Group 1 wins.

“He's very much shown me that he's more like his mother and will develop more as a 3-year-old, whereas Too Darn Hot just wanted to get on with things,” said the trainer. “But he's going very nicely and he should make his debut in mid-October.”

Gosden also issued an update on stable star Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) as she heads towards her attempt at an historic third victory in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He said, “I'm very pleased with her. She cantered this morning and she enjoys her training. She makes it easy on her trainer because she is willing and positive, but these preparations are never easy because you're always watching out for any little problem but so far we are happy with her. The key thing is to keep it as natural as possible.”

While his fellow trainers may run scared of Enable, Gosden admitted that the horse he fears is Godolphin's Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) ahead of a possible Dewhurst tilt for his smart debut winner Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who runs today (Wednesday) at Sandown.

He added, “It was very impressive the way Palace Pier won the other day but if Pinatubo turns up in the Dewhurst he will terrify people, so we may head across the Channel [for the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere] as long as they don't lock us out.”

Taking place during the weeks either side of the Dubai Future Champions Festival is the October Sale, with 2,084 yearlings catalogued to sell during throughout nine days of trade.

“For seven consecutive years the highest-priced yearling in the world has come from Book 1 and this year it features 59 full- or half-siblings to Classic or Group 1 winners,” said Tatttersalls' Marketing Director Jimmy George at the launch.

While last year's top lot is waiting in the wings to make his debut, the colt who ran him a close second was one of the stars of Irish Champions Weekend, the G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. winner Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). A 3.4 million-guinea yearling, he is a brother to dual Group 1 winner Japan (GB), who was sold from Book 1 for 1.3 million gns the previous year. Mogul has two entries during the Gold Season, in the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. and the Dewhurst.

George added, “A partnership has existed between Tattersalls and Newmarket Racecourses for a very long time but this makes it official. We've worked very closely together and Tattersalls have sponsored prestigious races here for as long as I can remember.

“Last year's 2-year-old programme at Newmarket perfectly encapsulated what it is all about and the story that caught everyone's imagination was Too Darn Hot and then his brother topping Book 1. Then at the same time we had Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and Fairyland (Ire) winning two of the most prestigious juvenile races here at the Rowley Mile and both of them were purchased here at the October Yearling Sale, so it marries up beautifully. If we could see that happen again this year we'd all be very pleased.”