Najd Stud

Breaking out of the pack to kick off Monday's opening session of  Book 4 at the Keeneland November sale in Lexington, Act Now (Street Sense) (Hip 2184), dam of recent runaway winner at Del Mar and TDN Rising Star Coach Prime (Quality Road), brought $610,000 from Mark McStay's Avenue Bloodstock. The 8-year-old mare was consigned by Nardelli Sales, acting agent to dissolve a partnership with Bill Werner. "We thought she could make that much, because Coach Prime was a such a lovely horse," said Kim Nardelli. "We did know all...

NEWMARKET, UK--As the week wore on, the shorts came off and the waterproofs went on. Goodbye summer, and hello more realistic weather for October, bringing with it more realistic prices for yearlings. Shamardal's sons have had plenty to say for themselves of late. Blue Point (Ire) leads the freshman sires' championship with his first runners, and Pinatubo (Ire) and Earthlight (Ire) have found favour in the sales-rings of Europe with their first yearlings. During the opening session of Book 3 on Thursday, an Earthlight yearling passed the test of one...

Unflustered by a series of delays before the start of Saturday's JenningsBet British EBF Novice S. at Newmarket, John and Thady Gosden trainee Eben Shaddad (Calyx {GB}--Galileo's Lady, by Galileo {Ire}) returned home with a 'TDN Rising Star' rosette after producing a scintillating display in the six-furlong contest. Let go at generous odds of 4-1, the eventual winner tracked the leaders in fourth after the initial exchanges of this unveiling. Making smooth headway into contention once past halfway, he quickened in style to seize control approaching the final furlong and...

Tattersalls has been a happy hunting ground for Najd Stud in recent years and the powerful Saudi outfit struck for the 210,000gns top lot Tabaretta (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) on the final day of the July Sale. Tabaretta (lot 902) has good form under his belt and boasts a rating of 90 after eight starts for Charlie Appleby. The three-year-old's latest win came in a 1m4f handicap at Wolverhampton in January and it was that sort of form that led Jimmy George of Tattersalls, who was doing the bidding on behalf...

Listed winner Sovereign Prince (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was the AED1.3-million (£283,981/€324,675/US$353,982) topper at the Emirates Racing Authority Horses-in-Training Sale on Tuesday. Successful in the Listed Jumeirah Classic in 2022, the former Godolphin inmate went to Najd Stud, who was active during Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale last month. Walk Of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who also raced in the royal blue, went for AED1.2 million to Athbah Racing. He was placed in the Listed Derby Trial at Lingfield last May, and was later third in the G3 Bahrain Trophy S. at...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- A colt from the third crop of boom American stallion Gun Runner (lot 18) was hammered down to Stephen Hillen, agent for prominent owner Dr Jim Hay, for €543,210 to top Tuesday's second renewal of the Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale, held in the parade ring at Meydan Racecourse. On behalf of the Scotsman, Hillen also acquired the second-dearest offering of the evening, a Justify half-brother to GISW Fog of War (War Front) (lot 2), for the equivalent of €518,519. Following the withdrawal of 10 horses,...

Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) fetched a modest 55,000gns when sent through this ring four years ago at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, but having won six of her 13 starts, including Group 1 events in England and France, the 4-year-old lit up the tote at Park Paddocks, selling to HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz's Najd Stud for 3.6 million guineas early Tuesday evening during the second Sceptre Session. Consigned by Jane Chapple-Hyam Racing, Saffron Beach was a winner in Group 3 company at career start number...

In recent years the name of Najd Stud has appeared with increasing frequency on the list of sales returns in Britain and Ireland, and the bloodstock industry globally can expect to hear plenty more about the growing Saudi Arabian breeding empire of its owner, HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz. On the Saudi Cup undercard, Prince Faisal was represented by a number of runners, including Grocer Jack (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who was just over two lengths behind Authority (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) when fifth in the G3 Neom Turf...

NEWMARKET, UK--There is a sustained drive by the British racing authorities towards greater inclusivity, and within the relatively small world of people who are keen to buy a racehorse or broodmare, there was certainly an inclusive feel to the proceedings at Tattersalls over the last two days.  Admittedly we tend to focus on the more expensive lots in sales reports. After all, in theory these should be the horses, or indeed their offspring, who are making the headlines in the future. But we all know that theories don't always become...

Three horses who recently changed hands for six-figure sums at the Tattersalls Horses-in-Training Sale have joined William Haggas's stable for Prince Faisal Bin Khaled's Najd Stud. The trio is led by sale-topper and dual Group 3 winner Grocer Jack (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who was bought for 700,000gns from owner/breeder Dr Christoph Berglar. "His second place in Group 1 company was behind Skalleti (Fr), who himself has good form behind Addeybb (Ire) last season," said Haggas. "Grocer Jack was also third in the German Derby as a 3-year-old behind former...

NEWMARKET, UK--A final-session high mark of 250,000gns carried the Tattersalls Horses-in-Training Sale out in ebullient fashion on Thursday. The buyer was Saudi Arabia's Najd Stud, which has been the leading purchaser in Newmarket this week with 14 horses bought for 2,791,000gns. One of the last added to the list was the day's leader, Shadwell's Laatansa (Fr) (New Bay {GB}), offered as lot 1447. Ronald Rauscher and Matt Camacho were among the early bidders for the 2-year-old colt but none could match the staying power of the Saudi team.  Back in...

By Chris McGrath NEWMARKET, UK--This has already been another record-breaking auction, even if they decide to release the whole of Thursday's closing catalogue into the high street--and a significant one, in terms of underwriting a yearling market that had appeared so curiously immune to the challenges of domestic prizemoney and a volatile economic environment. Once again, the third session of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale was defined by twin channels of export traffic: one to the Middle East, with investment seemingly driven not just by the Saudi Cup but by...