Blandford Bloodstock

Wathnan Racing's Aesterius (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}--Jane Doe {Ire}, by Hallowed Crown {Aus}) followed up an impressive debut score at Bath in May with a fifth in Royal Ascot's G2 Norfolk Stakes last month and was too good for five rivals to register a career high in Friday's Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown. The £380,000 Goffs Breeze-Up graduate broke smartly from the outside gate and stalked the pace in second through halfway. Looming large at the quarter-mile marker, the 6-4 pick seized control approaching the final furlong and kept on powerfully...

When Aidan O'Brien resurrected City Of Troy (Justify) to win the Derby, he was rightly hailed as a genius. Sadly, it didn't take long for that piece of brilliance to be overshadowed by an expose-style documentary carried out by Ireland's national broadcaster [RTE] which concentrated on horses being sent to slaughter.  Admittedly, the documentary featured mostly non-thoroughbreds but the build-up and reaction to the programme has dominated the mainstream coverage of this sport in recent times. Not O'Brien's moment of magic that arguably should have been celebrated more than it...

Wathnan Racing struck the woodwork more than once during Tuesday's opening day of Royal Ascot and made a belated breakthrough in Wednesday's opener, the G2 Queen Mary Stakes, with £190,000 Goffs Breeze-Up acquisition and once-raced Nottingham maiden winner Leovanni (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}--Kassandra {Ire}, by Dandy Man {Ire}). The Karl Burke trainee broke smartly and raced to the fore in the smaller far-side group throughout the five-furlong dash. Shaken up to gain an overall advantage soon after passing the quarter-mile marker, the 22-1 chance refused to buckle once in front...

DONCASTER, UK--Royal Ascot dreams abound for the connections of Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), who not only have that unbeaten star to look forward to, but a host of high-class two-year-old prospects as well after Anthony Stroud snapped up speedy fillies by Havana Grey (GB) and Sioux Nation (lot 119) to the tune of £720,000 on behalf of the ownership group at the Goffs Breeze-Up Sale. But Doncaster was dominated by the Derryconnor Stud-drafted diamond by Havana Grey, who led the way at £420,000 to provide top consignor Katie McGivern...

Whether it was Roderic Kavanagh working his magic once again, Katie Walsh clearing seven figures on the only two horses she brought to Park Paddocks or Charlie Poste enjoying a dream debut at the first major breeze-up sale of the year, there were no shortage of feel-good stories to emerge from the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale.  However, agent Richard Brown, consignor Mark Grant and trainer Jamie Osborne agreed that, while the top end of the market was arguably stronger than ever, the middle market remained tricky at Tattersalls this week. ...

Respected point-to-point handler and ex-jumps jockey Charlie Poste says that he is "absolutely loving" his first endeavours into the breeze-up business and looks forward to consigning his first draft at the upcoming Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up and Goffs UK Doncaster Breeze-Up sales.  Poste trained over 100 winners between the flags in Britain, including talented chaser Third Time Lucki, but explained how the broad international market for breeze-up horses compared to the parochial feel to the point-to-point game made it a no-brainer to try his hand at the former.  The early indications...

In a little over a year, Wathnan Racing has carved out a reputation for being an emerging ownership force, and the early signs are that the operation is here for the foreseeable future after continuing its recruitment drive by spending 500,000gns on talented sprinter Dark Trooper (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale on Wednesday.  That purchase through Blandford Bloodstock's ace agent Richard Brown came after the team spent 750,000gns on He's A Monster (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Just Bring It (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) from...

As debut performances go, they don't come much better than what Alex Elliott achieved in clearing over 2 million gns across 10 horses and supplying the two most expensive lots through the ring so far at this year's Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale through Imperium Sales. This was the sporting equivalent of scoring a hat-trick in the Champions League final on your full professional debut, landing any of the majors as an amateur golfer to winning Wimbledon at the first attempt. Quite understandably, Elliott, best known for sourcing top-notch equine talent--with...

Many hands make light work. Or in this case, it was many feet and steps that allowed Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock to find and then secure the Sea The Stars (Ire) colt who topped the final session of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale on Wednesday at 425,000gns. It was Juddmonte's Sam Guyette, shortlisting for the top bloodstock agent this week, who first lauded the Norelands Stud-drafted colt as a potential nap.  Brown revealed that, after taking this nugget with a heavy pinch of salt initially, he...

The second and final day of the Arqana Summer Sale featured both breeding stock and horses in training, and it was one of the latter contingent, La Filomena (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 480), who proved the most expensive at €395,000 on a bid from Stuart Boman of Blandford Bloodstock on behalf of Speriamo Bloodstock's Larry Young. Offered by Jean-Claude Rouget, who led the way as a vendor during the second day with six sold for a gross of €734,000, the George Kent-bred 3-year-old filly placed at two and...

George Strawbridge's 5-year-old mare Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Alive Alive Oh {GB}, by Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), seen out just once since 2021, was fit and raring to go for Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' S. at York and collected a fourth straight pattern-race rosette with a narrow victory in the extended 10-furlong contest. The April-foaled bay, whose resume also features wins in the G3 Prix Minerve, G2 Park Hill S. and G2 Lancashire Oaks, was settled off a sedate pace in sixth until turning for home....

Minutes after freshman sire Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) notched his first winner at Leicester, Ballyhane Stud incumbent Soldier's Call (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) repeated the feat when Archie Watson trainee Dreadpirateroberts (Ire) (Soldier's Call {GB}--Gangster Squad {Fr}, by Astronomer Royal) graduated in Saturday's Black-A-Moor Inn Half A Mile Away EBF Restricted Novice S. at Ripon. The 85-40 favourite ran second in his Brighton debut last week and broke sharply to seize an immediate lead in this return. In command throughout, he was last to come off the...