Phil Cunningham

DONCASTER, UK -- For the third year in succession, Highflyer's Anthony Bromley and owner Phil Cunningham dominated the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale, coming away from day one with six horses bought for a combined sum of £717,000. That spend included one of the most expensive horses sold on Wednesday - a Showcasing half-brother to high-class sprinter Washington Heights - at £180,000. It was at this sale in 2023 when Cunningham enlisted the services of Bromley, widely regarded as one of the best judges of equine talent there is. The pair...

Rebel Racing, the training operation founded by Phil Cunningham, is set to open its own barn in Dubai this winter, with trainer Richard Spencer heading the team. "This is a hugely exciting challenge," said Cunningham. "We'll still have the heart of the team in Newmarket, but the opportunity in Dubai is huge. Quite frankly, it beats racing around the all-weather in January - the prize-money and experience over there speak for themselves. The Dubai racing team have been incredibly helpful and made the process very straightforward. We're really looking forward...

Owner Phil Cunningham has put on record his hopes that Saturday's Stewards' Cup success with Two Tribes, coupled with the fact he gave away covers to the Goodwood hero's sire Rajasinghe for free this year, will be enough to reinvigorate his pride and joy's career at stud. Not only was Rajasinghe responsible for the Stewards' Cup winner Two Tribes, but the National Stud resident also supplied the fourth Run Boy Run, who formed part of a memorable first, fourth and fifth in the prestigious six-furlong handicap for Cunningham and trainer...

From Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel to James Ingram and Michael McDonald, the personal playlist of Phil Cunningham, carried in the names of many of his horses over the years, has provided the perfect accompaniment to some memorable days on the turf.  In fact, back in 2007, legendary singer/songwriter Steve Harley, who died last year, was spotted among the merry throng after Cunningham's Cockney Rebel (Ire) sprang a 25/1 surprise in the 2,000 Guineas. He would go on to complete a Classic double at the Curragh three weeks later.  On...

There are always mutterings and grumblings among the breeding community about the cost of stallion nominations, so how about using a stallion for free?  That is exactly what Phil Cunningham and the National Stud are offering breeders with a certain quality of mare in regard to the 10-year-old Rajasinghe (Ire) as he embarks on his seventh covering season in Newmarket. The son of dual Royal Ascot winner Choisir (Aus) became a winner at that prestigious meeting himself back in 2017 when landing the Coventry Stakes in record time.  By the...

by Kristen Manning/Dane McLeod/Thomas Baddock/TTR AusNZ The top sales prices continued on Thursday as racing's heavyweights clashed over a cracking son of Snitzel (Aus) from Group 3-winning mare Humma Humma (Aus) (Denman {Aus}), setting a new Magic Millions Yearling Sale record of A$2.8 million.   Lot 489 - Snitzel (Aus) x Humma Humma (Aus) (Denman {Aus}), colt - A$2,800,000 Just moments into Day 3 on the Gold Coast, the sale ring erupted with excitement for lot 489, the second foal of three-time stakes-winning mare Humma Humma by champion sire Snitzel....

"A victory for small breeders!" That was the emphatic verdict from an emotional Muriel Knox after her family had topped Tuesday's opening session of the Goffs UK Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale with their homebred Havana Grey (GB) filly for £240,000. Mark McStay's Avenue Bloodstock struck the winning bid on behalf of Skara Glen Stables. Lot 157 might have been consigned by Sarah Fanning Sales, but it's fair to say that this was a Knox filly through and through with Miss Mercy (Ire) (Law Society) as her fourth dam, a mare...

One of two maidens in the line-up for Friday's Listed Ire-Incentive - Pays To Buy Irish Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury, Phil Cunningham's Yah Mo Be There (GB) (Mohaather {GB}--Shurakaa {Ire}, by Night Of Thunder {Ire}) produced a telling turn of foot to provide his first-crop sire with a breakthrough black-type winner at the track on which the Shadwell freshman captured the G3 Greenham Stakes and G3 Horris Hill Stakes. Second on debut to the highly-regarded Andesite (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}) at York in May before running down the field in...

Classic-winning owner Phil Cunningham has said that linking up with renowned bloodstock agent Anthony Bromley to secure nearly £1 million worth of yearlings in the past week alone can be viewed as a statement of intent ahead of what the 53-year-old hopes will be his best season yet in 2024.  Cunningham, whose Cockney Rebel (Ire) landed a memorable Guineas double in 2007, spent £617,000 on seven colts at the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale last week and added another five to the squad through the Highflyer agent at the Tattersalls Somerville...

Everybody loves a bargain, especially in January in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. The latter may barely have affected the bloodstock sales so far, but a knock-on effect may be felt if smaller or syndicate owners start to reduce their racing investment, which in turn would surely have a bearing eventually on the lower end of the yearling market. The top tier generally takes care of itself, while the middle market has been given a great boost by increased international participation, though that in itself is not necessarily a...

The National Stud's resident Rajasinghe (Ire) (by Choisir {Aus}) became the latest first-season sire to break through on Monday when his son Waiting All Night (GB) took the five-furlong maiden on Wolverhampton's Tapeta. Homebred by Phil Cunningham, the Richard Spencer-trained bay who traded at 12-1 travelled strongly tracking the leaders for James Doyle and when tackling Confederation (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) a furlong out was soon in command to score by 3/4 of a length. The dam, who has a yearling full-brother to the winner, is a granddaughter of Poppy...

Five years ago, a colt by Choisir (Aus) emulated his trailblazing sire with victory at Royal Ascot. When Rajasinghe (Ire) lined up for the G2 Coventry S. he was about to make only the second start of his career following his debut victory at Newcastle a month earlier. At the Royal Meeting, the colt owned by Phil Cunningham's Rebel Racing stepped forward again to deliver his trainer Richard Spencer an important breakthrough success in only his first full season with a licence. "We've been quite lucky, obviously it's still quite...