How Whatton Manor Has Become A Major Player

The makers of the popular BBC programme Country File could easily film a riveting episode just within the 700 acres of Nottinghamshire countryside that is Whatton Manor Stud. The farm is home to Longhorn cattle and rare breeds such as Wensleydale sheep and Suffolk Punch horses. But its main business is of course the breeding and rearing of thoroughbreds, something the Player family has done increasingly well in the 40 years since Peter Player inherited the farm from his aunt.

An inheritance of a plot of such rich land deep in the Vale of Belvoir can be regarded as fortunate, but it is one which has given rise to decades of work. Peter's son Ed is now at the forefront of the business and he speaks with reverence of the dedication his 80-year-old father has shown to the place for half his life. 

“There were no horse paddocks at all when we first came here,” he says. “It was cattle or arable land completely, but the Vale of Belvoir is well known for being brilliant land and he thought he could make a go of it with horses. My father was managing Hadrian Stud for the Wells family and then they sold Hadrian and for the next 40 years, his lifetime's work has been building up this stud up from scratch. Initially, we started with no fences and now it's up to 700 acres of fenced land.”

He adds, “We're an hour from the Doncaster sales and around 40 minutes to Newmarket, so it works very well for us.”

It is the latter destination, and Tattersalls in particular, which will be occupying Player's thoughts and time over the next fortnight. At Book 1 this coming week Whatton Manor Stud offers its strongest draft to date.

The eight at Book 1 are consigned for a range of clients, including the Players' Nottinghamshire neighbours Fiona and Mick Denniff, who are selling an Invincible Spirit (Ire) half-brother to group winners Beat The Bank (GB) and Chil Chil (GB), as well as Andrew Stone of St Albans Bloodstock and Rabbah Bloodstock. For the last two named, Whatton Manor consigns three Dubawi (Ire) yearlings, including a half-brother to this year's G3 Solario S. winner Silver Knott (GB), a 725,000gns purchase by Godolphin from Stone and Whatton Manor at Book 1 in 2021.

Making the quick buck is always the wrong choice; we want to have a reputation for breeding good horses

“Over the years, we've not really had many in Book 1,” Player says. “We've had the odd ones in certain years, but we've been very much more a Book 2 draft. Luckily, we've got some very good clients who breed some very nice horses, which gives us the opportunity to sell these horses in Book 1. We've always aspired to do so but it's easier said than done. You've only got to look through the catalogue at the moment and it's lot after lot of beautiful pedigrees.”

He continues, “To have a nice draft this year is very exciting. I'm happy to work with any stock, and I get just as much fun out of a horse we've sold for £2,000 that wins five races, but as the quality of mares here has improved, we've been lucky and had a lot of good horses from the farm.”

One of those is a young stallion who will no doubt soon be represented by some of his stock at Whatton Manor Stud. David Ward's G1 July Cup winner Starman (GB) was bred at the farm, and the Tally-Ho Stud resident is reported to have been one of the busiest stallions in Ireland this year.

“David is such an enthusiast and he very much views his involvement as a team with myself, Ed Sackville and Ed Walker,” says Player. “We all have our part and if something good like Starman comes along he's very appreciative and thanks us all for each individual bit we've all done, whether it's Ed deciding on the matings, us looking after the horse for the first two years of his life, and then Ed Walker training him beautifully, or Brian O'Rourke breaking him in.”

He continues, “Starman was bred from David Ward's first broodmare, and was the second horse he ever bred. The first was Sunday Star (GB) who was stakes-placed seven times. When Starman won the July Cup, it was very emotional, a very special day for all of us.”

The aforementioned Silver Knott, who holds an entry for the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy later this month, is one of the most recent star graduates and has provided his Group 1-winning dam God Given (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) with an excellent start to her broodmare career for Andrew Stone, who is also the owner-breeder of the G3 Chipchase S. winner Sense Of Duty (GB) (Showcasing {GB}).

“Again, Andrew is a hugely enthusiastic person loves his racing and puts a lot into the sport. He's had a very good year this year. Sense Of Duty was born here as well, and I know they really felt she was a Group 1 filly. She's had an issue but hopefully she can come back next year. Then to breed Silver Knott out of his pride and joy, God Given, was fantastic. We have a very nice Dubawi to offer from the mare [lot 504].”

Player admits to a few grey hairs emerging these last few years watching horses like God Given's Dubawi colt grow, but says, “The most important thing for us is that they go out in a big field and they learn to be proper horses. We don't mollycoddle them to make sure they're perfect sales horses.

“Occasionally, accidents happen and you try to do everything to stop those but being a racehorse is crucial. My father always said to me, 'Keep it as close to nature as possible, and if you have racehorses off the farm, the money will come.' Making the quick buck is always the wrong choice. We want to have a reputation for breeding good horses.”

That certainly has become a hallmark of Whatton Manor Stud, as has the eye for a good pinhook. This is not only something that Ed Player enjoys doing but also the eldest of his three sons, Freddie. Now 16, Freddie has been pinhooking with some notable success for several years now. He first dabbled in 2017 when buying a Dandy Man (Ire) filly foal for 7,000gns and selling her on for £24,000. Later known as Dr Simpson (Fr), she won the G3 Mercury S. at Dundalk. Another of the young Player's pinhooks was the listed winner and multiple group-placed Method (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), while his father, along with Ed Sackville, bought subsequent four-time international Group/Grade 1 winner State Of Rest (Ire) as a foal, as well as G2 Lowther S. winner Besharah (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}).

Half the fun is making a judgement call: which stallions you like, which you think are going to be successful

“We get a huge amount of fun out of doing it,” says Player. “Obviously, the whole purpose of doing it is to try to make money, but when you have a horse like State Of Rest winning at Royal Ascot, that's a hugely exciting day. We bought him for 45,000 and sold him for 60,000, so he didn't make us much money, but the fun we've had has more than made up for it.”

He recalls, “He was a tall, good-moving horse that we struggled to get quite as much weight on as we wanted. We thought he was going to make a lot of money and things didn't quite work as we hoped, but he went to a great trainer and people have had great success out of him. It is a lovely story for people not buying horses for ridiculous sums of money.

“Half the fun is making a judgement call: which stallions you like, which you think are going to be successful. Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you get it wrong.”

It hasn't always been horses at the forefront of Player's mind. Though growing up at the stud with his sister Alice–who is married to Goffs auctioneer and breeder Nick Nugent–and encouraged to be hands-on from an early age by their father, Ed worked in the city for ten years before returning home. 

“Growing up, it was all hands on deck as my father was working every hour of the day to make ends meet and trying to get a business going,” he says. “So we never sat at home and did our homework. We were always out in the field, and from an early age it was my love, but I like to think I was sensible enough not to go straight into it. I learned about business and accounts, got my city qualifications and had a lovely time, but that was a stopgap to always wanting to come back and being lucky enough to have a business that my father was building up.”

He continues, “It's very much been a family effort from all of us. My mother's been a huge part of it. Now Freddie's very involved and loves it. From an early age, he has been obsessed with the pedigrees, the breeding, the racing, the sales. The younger two, Archie and Harry, are getting more involved and enjoying it. That's half the fun for me, if we can do it as a family, and they all come feeding with me at weekends.”

The future of Whatton Manor Stud appears to be in good hands, then, and if you are wondering which rabbit Freddie Player will pull from the hat next then be sure to inspect his Magna Grecia (Ire) colt out of Occupation (Ire), who is part of Whatton Manor's 23-lot draft for Book 2.

Like many, Player expresses his amazement at how well the bloodstock industry came through the pandemic and continues to thrive. 

“It was extraordinary,” he says. “I couldn't believe the market would be that strong, and I can't believe it's been this strong this year. Our industry has this amazing resilience and seems to come up with new people to buy horses.” 

Though he has given the youngsters in his care as much of a head start as possible while spending their formative years in the sweeping paddocks of Whatton Manor, it is understandable that Player, like any consignor, has the odd nerve-jangle as sales times approaches.

“It concerns me how many more horses have got to be sold this year, despite it being so strong so far, but we try to keep our heads down and keep working away,” he says. “I think we've got a very good bunch that's going to sell for a range of prices, and I'd be astounded if there weren't some very good racehorses amongst them.”

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The Weekly Wrap: Full Mark’s For Top Colt

A fortnight to go, apparently, until England casts aside all restrictions following the 16-month weirdness of the pandemic era. 'Freedom day', as it has been dubbed by those of Boris Johnson's government who are not currently serving time on the naughty step, has unfortunately not come in time for the regular 'July week' festivities in Newmarket. There will be racing with a reduced crowd and a sale taking place pretty much as normal, but without any of the parties and stallion parades that have become the staple of the town's midsummer highlight. As long as there's still an ice-cream stall at Tattersalls this week the bloodstock press bench will be happy.

It is fervently hoped that Ireland is granted similar freedom by its government before too long, for in our own small world the ongoing uncertainty regarding dates and locations of the yearling sales, in particular the Orby, is not helpful at all. The conflicting press releases of last week first clarified then muddied the situation and as much as it provides ongoing headaches for the sales companies, it can also be no fun for the consignors currently trying to line up staff for the season.

The past week's highlight came of course in the Coral-Eclipse, courtesy of the increasingly admirable St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). Last season's champion 2-year-old and the second Classic winner bred by Bob Scarborough from the Galileo (Ire) mare Cabaret (Ire), the colt  was apparently oblivious to the lofty, globetrotting reputations of Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) and Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) as he strode past them up the Sandown hill. A potential rematch in the Juddmonte International is a thrilling prospect, as is the potential battle between Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) in the Sussex S.

It seems crazy to think that up until this weekend there had been the pervading feeling that Aidan O'Brien was having something of a quiet season. He had by that stage won six European Classics, which is hardly slacking, but the overturning of talking horses High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the latter managing just seventh in the Derby as the lone Ballydoyle runner, exacerbated that impression. 

We've come to expect the Ballydoyle colts to dominate, but so far this year the stable has been largely carried by the fillies. Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) made a sensational belated return at Royal Ascot and she is backed up by a strong Classic generation that includes the mightily impressive Oaks winner Snowfall (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), English and Irish 1000 Guineas winners Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Empress Josephine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and Prix de Diane heroine Joan Of Arc (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). 

That is, of course, apart from St Mark's Basilica, who emulated Shamardal, Lope De Vega (Ire) and Brametot (Ire) in winning both the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix du Jockey Club since the latter was reduced in distance to 10.5 furlongs in 2005. Beating a pair of seasoned older horses, even in a small field for the Eclipse, puts him to the head of his generation for now, until we see how Poetic Flare fares at Goodwood and Adayar at Ascot, in what could be a King George for the ages.  

Also of significance for St Mark's Basilica, whose future lies at Coolmore, will be the early stud careers of his aforementioned half-brother and of Sottsass (Fr), who is bred on the same Siyouni-Galileo cross.

Sweeping The Board

In the mix for the King George among the older brigade is the quiet achiever Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who secured a memorable international Group 1 double for Aidan O'Brien over the weekend when landing the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. The 5-year-old, who became his sire's fourth Group 1 winner, has been a model of consistency this year, winning at each stakes level up to Group 1 since the opening day of the season, as well as being beaten a short-head when second in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and finishing runner-up to Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) in the G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot. 

While Australia's season is gathering a head of steam, credit must also be given to Broome's dam Sweepstake (Ire), who was a member of the first crop of Acclamation (GB) and became his second black-type winner in a matter of days when landing the listed National S at Sandown in May 2007.

Though she visited Galileo in 2012, her best results to date have come from her two matings with his son Australia, with Broome's full-brother Point Lonsdale (Ire) adding further lustre to the family by winning the listed Chesham S. The 2-year-old is also the most expensive of her yearlings to have passed through the sales. He was bought at Book 1 last year for 575,000gns, while the mare's 3-year-old Malathaat (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) was a €500,000 purchase by Shadwell from breeder Croom House Stud at the previous year's Orby Sale.

Acclamation's first crop also included Dark Angel (Ire), who became his first group winner and has done more to enhance the line than any of his paternal half-brothers–though he may yet be challenged for that accolade by Mehmas (Ire).

While his male line is thriving, Acclamation is also enjoying a decent season as a broodmare sire. In this field he had three winners at Royal Ascot, with Point Lonsdale being joined by Perotto (GB) (New Bay {GB}) and Rohaan (Ire) (Mayson {GB}), who is to be supplemented for Saturday's G1 Darley July Cup.

High On The Hill

The weekend's results also provided the second stakes winner of the season–in fact, in eight days–for Tiana (GB) (Diktat {GB}), the pride of Fiona and Mick Denniff's broodmare band.

Racing in Fiona's own colours, Tiana's 3-year-old daughter Auria (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) landed the listed Coral Distaff at Sandown the Saturday after her elder half-sister Chil Chil (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) had won the G3 Chipchase S. The latter will line up again this coming Saturday in the July Cup. 

The pair are the second and third stakes winners for their dam following the hugely talented Beat The Bank (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}), who notched five Group 2 wins as well as a Group 3 and listed success among his nine victories for Andrew Balding. He was also an important first group winner for his late owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha of King Power Racing, who was then emboldened to give 500,000gns for Chil Chil at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

Tiana was herself also bred by Denniff from the second mare she purchased, Hill Welcome (GB), back in 2001. The daughter of Most Welcome (GB) was bought as a 3-year-old at Doncaster having placed just once in seven starts for Barry Hills. Despite an underwhelming race record, she owned a decent pedigree as a half-sister to the G1 Middle Park S. winner Stalker (GB) (Kala Shikari {Fr}), but she was overlooked at the sale by all bar Denniff, who picked her up for just 3,000gns. The breeder will undoubtedly view that sum as money very well spent. 

Hill Welcome went on to produce 10 winners from her 12 foals, with the Oh So Sharp S.-placed Tiana being one of three black-type performers along with the G3 Molecomb S. runner-up Mary Read (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) and the 103-rated Aboyne N Beyond (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). 

Tiana is not the only daughter to have established her own successful branch at the Denniffs' Nottinghamshire farm as Mary Read's treble-winning daughter Dubai Bounty (GB) (Dubai Destination) is the dam of the late Kachy (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), whose nine wins included the G3 Molecomb S.

Now a black-type winner herself, Auria will be an exciting returnee to Denniff Farms eventually, but her next task looks likely to be the G3 Atalanta S. back at Sandown in August.

Tiana's current 2-year-old by Dubawi (Ire) could broaden the family's success as she is now in America having been bought last October by Mike Ryan. The agent is pleased with her progress and told TDN that she has been given some time to mature before she heads into training this autumn, most likely with Chad Brown. 

Breakthrough Success For Isfahan

Sisfahan (Fr) may have been bred in France but he brought about a notable breakthrough for his German-based sire Isfahan (Ger) when emulating his father by winning the G1 Deutsches Derby on Sunday.

It was not only an important first-crop Classic winner for the Gestut Ohlerweierhof stallion but it also makes Isfahan the only one of the second-crop sires in Europe to have been represented by a Group 1 winner this season. Of that group, Mehmas was the only sire to achieve that feat last year.

Isfahan was bought by Holger Faust for owner Stefan Oschmann's Darius Racing for €35,000 at the BBAG Yearling Sale of 2014 and, following a racing career which saw him win the German Derby, G3 Bavarian Classic and G3 Preis der Winterfavoriten, he was retired to stud by the owner. Oschmann has supported Isfahan not just with his own mares but also at the sales, and was last year rewarded with the stallion's first group winner, Isfahani (Ger), who landed the G3 Premio Guido Berardelli in Rome on debut.

Isfahan was the second-busiest stallion after Soldier Hollow (GB) in his first year at stud, but German covering numbers are significantly lower than those recorded by some stallions in Britain, Ireland and France. He covered 67 mares in 2018, followed by 46, then 35 in 2020.

Sisfahan, who is the first winner of Germany's most prized race for the country's champion trainer Henk Grewe, is also yet another feather in the cap of Guy Pariente's Haras de Colleville. Pariente is currently the leading breeder in France–ahead of such luminaries as Wertheimer & Frere and the Aga Khan–and so much of his success rests on his stallion Kendargent (Fr), the broodmare sire of Sisfahan.

Now 18, it is perhaps remarkable that Kendargent only notched a first Group 1 winner this season with Skalleti (Fr), who was also bred by Pariente, as was his Group 2-winning brother Skazino (Fr).

He had, however, already been represented with a top-flight winner as a broodmare sire when Sealiway (Fr) won last season's Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. That result was doubly pleasing for Pariente as not only was the colt another Haras de Coleville graduate but he is by Kendargent's young stud-mate Galiway (GB).

In France this season, Pariente has already celebrated 38 wins from 65 starters bred at his Normandy farm, which has now also supplied the toast of Germany.

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Demand High At Restructured July Sale

NEWMARKET, UK—Broodmares led the way through the first session of the mixed Tattersalls July Sale, an auction which is usually broken into morning and evening sessions to allow for the excellent racing on offer down the road at the July Course. This year, however, the reduced crowd drawn to Park Paddocks dodged showers and caught the racing action on screens around the sales grounds while the only show in town with a controlled audience continued apace within the ring.

Direct comparisons to the regular July Sale are worthless. The traditional five sessions across three days have become two day-long sessions, and another mixed sale will take place at Tattersalls on Aug. 25 and 26 for the first time. The stand-out figure from Thursday’s returns was the 96% clearance rate: only eight of the 194 horses offered did not find a buyer. From the 186 sold, turnover of 4,172,000gns was recorded at an average of 22,430gns and a median price of 13,250gns.

Ballyhane Stud’s Prince Of Lir (Ire) has been in the news of late courtesy of his first-crop Group 2-winning son The Lir Jet (Ire) but it was his sister’s turn in the spotlight on Thursday when she became the first six-figure lot of the sale. Kalagia (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) won three races when in training with Mark Johnston and fetched 55,000gns when offered at the December Sale last year. Now five and carrying her first foal by Highclere Stud’s Land Force (Ire) she was sold by that same farm for 130,000gns to National Stud manager Tim Lane.

“I’ve bought her on behalf of a British breeder who is also a client of ours,” Lane said of lot 232. “She has a good commercial pedigree and Prince Of Lir has made a good start.”

Kalagia has another stakes performer as a half-sibling in Nitro Boost (Ire), a listed-winning daughter of Dandy Man (Ire) and the family’s speedy credentials are augmented by the G3 Champagne Sprint S. winner Resplendent Glory (Ire) (Namid {GB}), a half-brother to Kalagia’s dam Esuvia (Ire) (Whipper).

Drafts from major breeding operations Juddmonte, Shadwell, Cheveley Park Stud and Godolphin were among the first-day offerings and the first mare in the ring from Godolphin equalled the 130,000gns paid for Kalagia.

Tony Nerses, representing Blue Diamond Stud, was the buyer this time around of New Jazz, a 4-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy sold in foal to young Darley sire Harry Angel (Ire). Originally bought for $550,000 at Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale, New Jazz, who landed a mile maiden for John Gosden, is out of the listed winner Seanchai (English Channel). Next year she is already pencilled in to visit Blue Diamond’s Irish National Stud-based stallion Decorated Knight (GB).

“We always wanted a Scat Daddy and we saw her as a yearling but she was beyond our pocket then,” said Nerses of lot 251. “She is a lovely individual and we are glad to get her now. We hope to cover with our own stallion, she should suit him.”

Also in foal to Harry Angel was Gentlewoman, a 4-year-old daughter of Shamardal out of Satin Kiss (Seeking The Gold), a sister to G1 Middle Park S. winner Lujain. Trainer Roger Varian signed the ticket for the young mare (lot 393) at 125,000gns on behalf of an unnamed international breeder who had been unable to travel to the sale.

Bringing Them Home
Both David and Diane Nagle of Barronstown Stud and Fiona and Mick Denniff of Denniff Farms stepped in to be reunited with fillies bred and previously sold by them as yearlings.

For Nagle, his purchase of Monya (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) from Shadwell at 100,000gns was a small outlay compared to the 4-year-old’s Book 1 yearling price of 425,000gns. Since that time she has been in training with Charlie Hills and has placed twice in three starts. The grey filly (lot 321) is a half-sister to two classy performers who have helped to keep the Barronstown name in lights in recent years: last year’s G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. winner Royal Dornoch (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and the super tough German 1000 Guineas heroine Hawksmoor (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), whose six victories include five Group/Graded wins in Europe and America.

Fiona Denniff went to 70,000gns to take home the 4-year-old winner Maximum Effect (GB), who again represents a family which had been very kind to the breeder of late. Sold as lot 367, the daughter of Iffraaj (GB) is a half-sister to the G3 Molecomb S. winner and G1 Commonwealth Cup runner-up Kachy (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) and to the 94-rated 3-year-old Gifted Ruler (GB) (Muhaarar {Ire}). She had been sold as a yearling for 120,000gns to Lady Bamford and finished in the first three in seven of her eight starts through her time in training with John Gosden.

Denniff, bidding outside in the rain with agent Mark McStay, said after securing the filly, “I’ve made a habit of selling my fillies and somebody else racing them, then I buy them back. I came down this morning in my lorry hoping to get her. She looks remarkably like her dam and I have her at home with a Harry Angel foal. I must admit this is way more than I was expecting to pay.”

Maximum Effect is a daughter of Dubai Bounty (GB) (Dubai Destination) and is from a family which also includes the fellow Denniff-bred Group 2-winning miler Beat The Bank (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}).

“Dubai Bounty has a yearling colt by Showcasing. We will retain him, and Tom Dascombe thinks a lot of Gifted Ruler, too,” Denniff added.

Vega’s Baby
Vega’s Angel (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) has had a busy start to 2020. The Cheveley Park Stud-owned 3-year-old made her racecourse debut on Jan. 20, broke her maiden at Lingfield on Feb. 21 and a month later was covered by the stud’s young stallion Ulysses (Ire). Offered in the Cheveley Park Stud draft as lot 382, she was bought by James Kelly of Linacre Stud in partnership with Normandy-based Haras du Mont Dit Mont in Normandy.

“She’s from a family I have been trying to get into for 20 years,” said Kelly of the daughter of the prolific racemare Lily’s Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), whose ten victories included the G3 Chartwell Fillies’ S. “We sell foals, so that will be the plan, and we will put a good cover on her and have some fun with her hopefully.”

Her family has been particularly successful for George Strawbridge for a number of years. The owner-breeder bought Vega’s Angel’s third dam Bellarida (Fr) (Bellypha {GB}) from the Wertheimer family back in 1997 and from her bred the Group 3 winner In Clover (GB) (Inchinor {GB}), who is in turn the dam of three Group 1 winners in We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

Angel Delights
Highclere Stud was involved as vendor of the co-top lot of the day but it will also gain a new recruit to its paddocks in lot 366, Indigo Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who was offered on behalf of Rifa Mustang by the Castlebridge Consignment.

The sister to the young stallion and G2 July S. winner Alhebayeb (Ire) was sold in foal to the Tweenhills shuttler Zoustar (Aus) and brought the hammer down at 70,000gns.

“We are big fans of Dark Angel,” said Highclere’s Jake Warren. “She is in foal to Zoustar, a leading stallion in Australia, and we have liked the foals we have seen by him. She is also a full-sister to a top-class juvenile in Alhebayeb. She will come back to Highclere Stud for a partnership.”

Online Action
Continuing the facility brought in for the breeze-up sales, purchasers who have been prevented from visiting the sale in person under the current travel restrictions have been able to get involved online through the internet bidding platform. Forty-two individuals placed online bids on approximately 50 lots throughout Thursday’s session.

Among the five horses sold that way on Thursday was lot 406, Arabian Girl (Ire), a daughter of Shamardal and the G3 Ballyogan S. winner Majestic Queen (Ire) (Kheleyf), who fetched 75,000gns to final bid from a buyer listed under the name ‘Against All Odds’. The 3-year-old’s dam was purchased by Godolphin through the Goffs London Sale of 2015 for £825,000. Arabian Girl, who is unraced, was the mare’s first foal.

The final session of the July Sale takes place from 10am on Friday.

 

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