New Bay (GB)

It is never a chore to pay the team at Ballylinch Stud a visit. The winding road that leads to the stone entrance is hugged by greenery and pastures as well as a resplendent view over the River Nore which separates the Mount Juliet Estate and the stud. Once on the grounds, history is preserved amongst the new infrastructure as The Tetrarch's grave greets you on your way to the stallion yard. It is a yard which houses horses who need little in the way of introduction. The newest member...

Roster stalwart Lope De Vega (Ire) enjoyed another excellent year with his progeny and will remain at a roster-topping €125,000 at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland. Now the sire of 103 black-type winners since reaching his centennial earlier this year, the chestnut also sired a 1.8 million guineas yearling during the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales. No less than 26 of his progeny have won stakes worldwide in 2022, led by dual Group 1 winner turned $2.7-million Keeneland November alum Dreamloper (Ire). He is also the sire of G1 Prix Vermeille heroine...

Group 1 winner Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}--Alava {Ire}, by Anabaa) has been retired and will stand at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland in 2023. A fee will be announced in due time for the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. hero and a limited number of shares will be available to breeders. Bred by Ballylinch and raced by Teme Valley Racing and Ballylinch in partnership, the Roger Varian-trained bay won the G2 Champagne S. as a juvenile and was also third at Group 1 level in both the Dewhurst S....

Caught off guard in Royal Ascot's G1 Prince of Wales's S. and Sandown's G1 Coral-Eclipse, James Wigan and Ballylinch Stud's Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}--Hayyona {GB}, by Multiplex {GB}) made it third time lucky at the highest level when upsetting the hitherto undefeated Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and a stellar field in Saturday's G1 Qipco Champion S. at Ascot. The race is a qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland next month. Having appeared set fair to join the upper echelons when routing his rivals...

One of last term's leading juveniles, Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud's Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) took until Saturday to put it all together again as a 3-year-old and chose the big stage to do it on in Ascot's G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. He has now punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland in November, if connections wish to travel. Anchored in rear early by Tom Marquand after a tardy break, the 33-1 shot who had enjoyed a confidence-boosting success in Sandown's Listed Fortune...

Saturday's G2 BetVictor Hungerford S. at Newbury had the feel of a contest primed for an upset and that was duly provided by Jumby (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) who managed to win the seven-furlong feature with a deal of authority. Last seen finishing an inauspicious 14th in Ascot's International H. July 23, Anthony Pye-Jeary and David Ian's 4-year-old cut a different figure on his biggest class jump yet with the on-fire William Buick to guide him to a career-best. Always happy held up off the pace set by Pogo (Ire)...

Last term's G1 Sun Chariot S. victrix Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}--Falling Petals {Ire}, by Raven's Pass) posted a fourth in Meydan's Mar. 26 G1 Dubai Turf before regaining the winning thread in Royal Ascot's June 15 G2 Duke of Cambridge S. and continued on a roll with a decisive victory in Tuesday's G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville. The 3-5 favourite was swiftly into stride and held sway in the centre of the track from the outset of this straight one-mile test. Drawing the sting out of her six...

ASCOT, UK--One person at Ascot on Friday had a broader smile than most as Günther Schmidt, the German breeder of Claymore (Fr) (New Bay {GB}), was not only able to collect his Royal Ascot winning breeder's trophy but is also travelling on to the Knavesmire to see the colt in action in the G2 Sky Bet York S. on Saturday. "The timing is perfect," said Schmidt, who was at Ascot with his wife Elke. "We've come straight here this morning from the Harwich ferry and then we are driving up...

There was so much focus on The Queen's Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the build-up to Thursday's G3 Hampton Court S., it had almost assumed the air of a foregone conclusion but in the final analysis the Royal runner was second-best to the G3 Craven S. runner-up Claymore (Fr) (New Bay {GB}). With Frankie's day about to get even worse, Adam Kirby set off in front on Mary Slack's 7-1 second favourite and refused to let the Gosden runner past when it came down to...

Wednesday's G2 Duke of Cambridge S. offered another episode of stalls drama that seems to have dogged the first two days of Royal Ascot, but by the time Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) had come home alone there was a sense that Sibila Spain (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) would have needed wings had she not been removed from the contest after going down in the gates. Making her European return under a five-pound penalty due to her winning exploits in Newmarket's G1 Sun Chariot S. in October, the Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained...

Sandown witnessed something truly special on Thursday evening as James Wigan and Ballylinch Stud's Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}--Hayyona {GB}, by Multiplex {GB}) brought up a sensational 12th renewal of the G3 Coral Brigadier Gerard S. for Sir Michael Stoute. The way the seasonal debutante hit the line with five lengths to spare over Shadwell's exciting Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who was previously unbeaten here, with Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) another length away in third, it is hard to say that any of the former Freemason Lodge winners of...

Group 1 winner Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) is targeting the G1 Dubai Turf on Mar. 26. Trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, the chestnut won both her starts at two, including the G3 Oh So Sharp S. She resumed last April with a second in the G3 Nell Gwyn S. and was runner-up to Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the G1 1000 Guineas on May 2. Off the board in the G1 Oaks and G1 Falmouth S. in June and July, respectively, the Sangster family and J. Wigan colourbearer...