Henry Cecil Open Weekend Returns in September

Following a record 2021 season, the Henry Cecil Open Weekend will be held Sept. 17-18 at Newmarket. Each September, racing and equine enthusiasts descend on British racing's headquarters for a behind-the-scenes look at Britain's best-known racing yards. Last year featured several training yards, including George Boughey and Harry Eustace, Charlie Fellowes, James Ferguson, Roger Varian and Simon & Ed Crisford. The highest number of yards opened to the public in 2021, and record crowds raised £60,000 for the event's chosen charity partners. The 2022 Henry Cecil Open Weekend will continue to support the racing industry and its workforce whilst also supporting the local community.

Money raised this year will be donated to the long-term charity partner and main beneficiary Racing Welfare, as well as the National Horseracing Museum, Newmarket Day Centre and the Newmarket Heath Ambulance, a fundraising initiative to purchase a quick response unit for work riders on Newmarket Heath.

“Last year we saw huge numbers of visitors to Newmarket during the Henry Cecil Open Weekend. It was fantastic to see and for everyone to experience all that our town has to offer,” said Charlie Fellowes, Chairman of The Henry Cecil Open Weekend. “A huge thank you must go to all those who continually support the event and enable the Open Weekend to happen. A particular thanks to all the trainers, racing staff, volunteers and participants, without whom the event would not be possible.”

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit The Henry Cecil Open website.

The post Henry Cecil Open Weekend Returns in September appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Crystal Estrella Shines As Record-Breaking July Sale Concludes

NEWMARKET, UK–It's not often that a camera crew follows a filly on her way into the ring but the confidence behind Crystal Estrella (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) was well placed at Tattersalls with Sir Michael Stoute's charge selling to Team Valor for 275,000gns on the final day of a record-breaking July Sale.

An impressive winner of a 10-furlong novice at Goodwood in May, Crystal Estrella will remain in training with Stoute, resuming her career under the banner of Barry Irwin's operation, who recently stated their intention to concentrate on racing in Europe rather than America.

Just as he did on Thursday when facilitating the sale of Grenoble (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) for 130,000gns, Jason Singh of Tattersalls took instruction on the phone to secure the sales-topper on behalf of Team Valor.

The wildcard entry (798B) boasts a big pedigree and, while she is already rated 89, is open to improvement having raced only three times in her career.

She is a half-sister to Crystal Pegasus (GB) (Australia {GB}), a seven-time winner, including the Listed Mornington Cup in Australia, and black-type performer Crystal Hope (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). Her granddam Crystal Star (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) is the dam of Crystal Ocean (GB) the Champion Older Horse in Europe back in 2019, and other high-class performers Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Crystal Capella (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Crystal Zvezda (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Barry Irwin of Team Valor, talking on the telephone, said of the fifth-highest price of the entire three-day sale, “I like the way she finished her races out, especially in the last 150 metres or so. She looks like she is a solid middle-distance filly on the way up. I like her pedigree, she looks as though she is a big, good-looking filly who will improve this year and especially next year.”

He added, “She has a half-brother who won four in a row, including two listed races in Australia. He could possibly win a group race and that will help a little bit. The second dam was very good. I am going to send her back to Sir Michael, I am going to think about what I want to do. He knows her, and I will talk to him, I have not done so yet. It is hard to find fillies like her. I am happy to have her.”

The entire turnover for the 2022 July Sale rose by a whopping 36% to 16,743,285gns from 12,301,300gns. The median was also up by 25%, from 12,000gns to 15,000gns, and the average rose 41% to 32,199gns, but the clearance fell slightly (2%) to 92%.

The day three stats were also on the rise as turnover this year ended up at 4,168,500gns compared to 2,904,100gns in 2021. That equates to a 44% rise. The median for Day 3 was up 25% to 15,000gns and the average was up 62% to 29,989gns while the clearance rate fell by 2% to 96%.

 

 

Royal Ascot Winner Latin Lover Makes 210,000gns

He provided his young trainer Harry Eustace with the thrill of a lifetime when rocketing to Royal Ascot success last month and Latin Lover (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) made more headlines, but this time off the track, after selling for 210,000gns.

Winner of the Palace Of Holyroodhouse S. at the Royal meeting, where he showed a deadly turn of foot inside the last furlong to weave his way through traffic and win by half a length, Latin Lover (lot 710) was sold online via Ahead All.

Predictably, the interest in Latin Lover was huge. With a rating of 89, the progressive 3-year-old appealed to just about every jurisdiction and after a lengthy battle in the ring, the winning bid was struck off-site.

The buyer's representative said, “Latin Lover looks strong and a good example of one by Starspanglebanner. He won well at Royal Ascot last month in a big field of 27 runners.

“He has improved after being gelded last year and is concentrating more on the job as a 3-year-old. His performances are getting better. He is a good size and I expect him to make up into a good sprinter.”

Latin Lover was consigned by Glenvale Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale in 2020 and was bought by De Burgh Equine for £21,000. He is out of Blue Dahlia (Ire), who is by Shamardal, and is the dam of four individual winners.

 

Qatar at the Double

Qatar Bloodstock and Andrew Balding enjoyed some good days on the track with G1 Racing Post Trophy and G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. winner Elm Park (GB), who was bred by the trainer's mother Emma at Kingsclere Stud. The son of another former Kingsclere star Phoenix Reach (Ire), Elm Park retired to Haras du Saz in the south-west of France and the most notable English runner from his few first-crop 3-year-olds to have made it across the Channel is Upton Park (Fr), who was bought as a yearling by David Redvers for €8,500 at Arqana. Following his two wins at two and three from just four starts, Upton Park (lot 827) returned to the ring at Tattersalls to fetch a top bid of 150,000gns from Ibrahim Saeed Al-Malki.

“He won very well at Newbury and he's progressing which is what I am looking for,” said the trainer. “He will end up in Qatar and will probably be aimed at the Qatar Derby. I like big, scopey horses.”

The preceding lot, Spartan Army (Ire) (Highland Reel {Ire}), will also leave the Qatar Racing fold, having been sold from Joseph O'Brien's stable for 170,000gns to race on for Alan King.

“He will have a dual-purpose campaign,” said agent Jerry McGrath, who signed for him on behalf of an undisclosed client. “He will be going jumping but hopefully he's not finished on the Flat. He's by an exciting young sire who looks like he's doing well with his jumpers.”

 

Salvator Mundi to Qatar

Leading Qatari trainer Gassim Al Ghazali has been a regular at the horses-in-training sales over the years and, after a pandemic-enforced hiatus, this year he has returned in person to continue the restocking of his Doha stable. Along with agent Will Douglass he bought seven lots this week, waiting until near the end of the sale to secure the one at the top of his list, the 3-year-old Galileo (Ire) colt Salvator Mundi (Ire), from John and Thady Gosden's stable.

Offered as lot 806 for owner/breeder Bjorn Nielsen, the half-brother to listed winner Chartreuse (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) has won his last two starts over 1m4f and 1m6f to climb to a rating of 91, and was eventually sold for 205,000gns.

“He's a progressive horse and we like buying from Mr. Gosden because they are well-bred and well-produced. They are looked after and respected, and there are miles left in the tank,” Douglass said. “This horse has a proper pedigree. He'll go straight to Qatar and he was a bit of a stand-out in here.”

 

Horse Watchers Reinvest Raasel Prize-Money

Not long after recording their best day on a racecourse when 10,000gns purchase Raasel (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) scorched along the Sandown turf in landing the G3 Coral Charge, The Horse Watchers, who have made a habit of unearthing jewels at the horses-in-training sale, paid 70,000gns to add Aphelios (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) to their team.

The most The Horse Watchers had ever spent on a horse prior to Friday was 50,000gns but Chris Dixon, who along with his brother Martin is a key cog in the wheel of the syndicate, revealed that the group of owners were happy to reinvest some of the prize-money for winning the Coral Charge.

Aphelios (lot 654), signed for by Jason Kelly Bloodstock and The Horse Watchers, is a half-brother to black-type performer Land Of Legends (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), and won for Harry and Roger Charlton.

Dixon joked, “We are rolling up the prize-money we won with Raasel last week–we do like to gamble so it's in our nature.”

Prior to Raasel's Sandown victory, Dixon took part in the TDN's weekly Q&A series, where he outlined what the syndicate's approach was to recruiting horses at the sales.

Along with Aphelios, Kelly and The Horse Watchers also bought Nasim (GB) (Galileo Gold {GB}) (lot 437) for 32,000gns from Andrew Balding and paid the same amount for Marco Botti's Mobashr (lot 554), both on Thursday.

 

St Lawrence Strikes Again

It was a busy few days in Newmarket for Oliver St Lawrence and the leading bloodstock agent picked up another top-notch prospect for Bahrain in four-time winner Roxzoff (Ire) (Zoffany  {Ire}) for 150,000gns.

St Lawrence paid 100,000gns for Nietzsche's Star (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and 120,000gns for Rollajam (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) at the sale on Thursday and once again flexed the muscle he has behind him when securing the highly touted Charlie Hills-trained 3-year-old.

Roxzoff (lot 636) will team up with Sheikh Nasser, whose representative Yousif Taher, said, “He is a good horse who we think will suit racing in Bahrain and I came especially for this horse. He is well handicapped and improving and will race for Sheikh Nasser's Victorious Racing.”

 

De Vega Snapped Up For Saudi Arabia

Puerto De Vega (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 645) won the fourth race of his career at Epsom off a rating of 78 just over a week ago, which was a timely boost to his date with the sales, with the Ballylinch Stud-bred and owned gelding selling for 80,000gns.

Another rock-solid horse to be on his way to Saudi Arabia, Puerto De Vega was described as an ideal type for Carnival races by Andre Pereira, the acting agent who snapped up the gelding from The Castlebridge Consignment.

Pereira said, “He is a lovely horse, a beautiful type, very correct and a great physical. He has proven form, and by Lope De Vega and out of an Exceed And Excel mare.

“He goes to Saudi Arabia for the Carnival season. Hopefully, if he adapts well out there, he will make up into a horse for the World Cup meeting. I am very happy to get him.”

 

Record Trade

“Records across the board are always welcome and the 2022 Tattersalls July Sale has achieved unprecedented figures for all the key indicators,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony as the sale concluded on Friday evening. “The sale turnover has exceeded 16 million gns for the first time, an average price in excess of 30,000gns is also a first for this fixture and the median of 15,000gns is another sale record and a clear indication of a sale which has shown extraordinary strength and depth from start to finish.

“The top price of 540,000 guineas paid for the outstanding Shadwell mare Rihaam is also a July Sale record, but perhaps the most important statistic is the clearance rate which for the fourth consecutive year was more than 90%, and on day two of the sale was a truly extraordinary 99%. Demand at all levels of the market has been typically international with buyers from every continent in the world all contributing to the record-breaking trade and particularly notable has been the strong Australian contingent headed by Zhang Yuesheng's Yulong Investments. Domestic buyers, both Flat and National Hunt, have also been competing strongly all week and the sustained demand for well-bred fillies and mares is another positive not only for the Tattersalls July Sale but also for the wider industry.”

The post Crystal Estrella Shines As Record-Breaking July Sale Concludes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Harry Eustace Continues Family Training Tradition

Within the same week that Thady Gosden joined his father John on the joint-training licence at Clarehaven, across town a metaphorical baton was passed from father to son at one of Newmarket's most historic stables, Park Lodge. 

This has been both home and place of business to James and Gay Eustace for a little over 30 years and the time has come for their eldest son Harry to convert his extensive and diverse apprenticeship into becoming a trainer in his own right. James has thus stood aside for Harry to take over the licence and the running of the stable, while he and Gay maintain an involvement as directors of the company. 

Despite the fact that training partnerships were recently introduced in Britain, and that the couple's other son, David, now trains in partnership with Ciaron Maher in one of the most successful stables in Australia, James is content with their new arrangement, which is still very much a family business.

He says. “I think [partnerships are] a very good idea, but we've planned this for a few years, really. Obviously, having training partnerships has been a marvellous opportunity for David, our youngest son. He's got a fantastic position in Australian racing due to training partnerships. Harry is now two years older than I was when I first took out a licence. He's got an amazing CV, far better than I had. He will make an excellent trainer. And, frankly, it's his time.”

Eustace senior is good at heaping praise on others, not that his assessment of his son is at all wide of the mark. Harry has more than served his time as understudy, not just by growing up in a stable in the heart of Newmarket, but by working as assistant at home and around the world to William Haggas, Chris Wall, Jeremy Noseda, Lee and Anthony Freedman, Peter and Paul Snowden and Christophe Clement, as well as completing the highly regarded Irish National Stud course. But in a business in which competitiveness, and a potential range of tricky traits that go hand-in-hand with that rivalry, James Eustace has remained the epitome of the type of Englishman which is fast vanishing: charming, decent, honest and, above all, self-effacing. 

For example, he says of his Park Lodge predecessor, Ron Sheather, trainer of the top-class sprinter-miler Chief Singer (Ire), “I think Ron trained for 13 years and he trained a Group winner every year bar one, and never had more than 30 horses. It took me 13 years to train a Group winner. I mean that is an amazing record. I don't personally think he ever really got the credit he deserved for the quality of trainer that he was.”

Of his own stepping down from the limelight, Eustace adds, “I don't need to see my name in the paper. You know, I've been there, done it. I do think one man has got to make the decisions. And, frankly, I'll be very relaxed not having to make the decisions. It's over to Harry now. So in a way, I've got the best of every world. I ride the hack out two lots every day and have all the pleasures, but none of the stress—or a lot less of the stress anyway.”

However steady one's temperament, there is of course no avoiding a certain amount of stress when it comes to the business of training racehorses. Harry appears to have a similarly laidback and friendly approach to life as his father, and he admits that he has plenty to thank his distaff line for as well. His mother Gay is the daughter of Alan and Diane Oughton, and the sister of David Oughton, trainer of G1 Golden Jubilee S. winner Cape Of Good Hope (GB) (Inchinor {GB}).

“Frankly, she's the one with the pedigree,” says Harry. “Both her parents trained, and her brother trained very successfully in Hong Kong, and brought a Royal Ascot winner over. She's the one who actually has the background for it, and knows the industry very well. She certainly knows how to run a business impeccably well.”

He adds with a grin, “Unfortunately, Mum has introduced monthly accounts meetings, which means I can't get too loose with the spending. So we'll just have to keep track of those. I think for the first ten years that they trained here, it was, you know, belt-tightening stuff. I'm sure Dad would agree that the reason it managed to keep going in the early days is that Mum ran an incredibly tight ship. So without her, neither of us would be sitting here. Well, that's definitely true for me anyway!”

The Eustaces bought Park Lodge Stables from Chief Singer's owner Jeff Smith, who in turn had taken over its ownership from Richard Galpin of the Newmarket Bloodstock Agency in order to ensure that Ron Sheather could continue to train from the yard adjacent to Newmarket's famous Jockey Club Rooms. 

Smith, whose breeding operation is based at Littleton Stud in Hampshire, has remained a loyal supporter throughout the three decades, with his homebred Orcadian (GB) (Kirkwall {GB}) having been trained by Eustace to win five races, including the G3 St Simon S. and listed August S.

A portrait on the kitchen wall depicts Orcadian with two of his stable-mates of the time: the listed winners Welcome Stranger (GB) (Most Welcome {GB}), a homebred for Henry and Rosemary Moszkowicz, and Rachel Wilson's homebred Ruby Wine (GB), who owns a footnote in history as the sole Flat stakes winner for her sire Kayf Tara (GB). Such owner-breeders have been the mainstay of many of the country's smaller stables for generations, but as times change all trainers have had to adapt, and syndicates are now a major part of many operations. 

One of those at Park Lodge Stables, Blue Peter Racing is a nod to the yard's most illustrious former resident, Lord Rosebery's 1939 2000 Guineas and Derby winner Blue Peter (GB), trained by Jack Jarvis. The box from which the colt was trained is now occupied by six-time winner Coverham (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}), who was James Eustace's final runner on Mar. 26. The Classic winner's old stable still has his name painted on the back wall, along with strips of Lord Rosebery's colours of primrose and rose.

Eustace is a walking history book when it comes to his yard, which dates back to the 17th century and was once owned by William Crockford, who was responsible for starting Newmarket's gambling halls in the early part of the 19th century. A further link to that history for the current incumbent is that Eustace was introduced to racing by his old schoolfriend and fellow Newmarket trainer William Jarvis, the great nephew of Blue Peter's trainer. 

He says, “Jack Jarvis trained here from the end of the First World War until he died in the winter of 1968, and Sleeping Partner (GB) won the Oaks in 69. He trained here for 50 years and trained a lot of good horses, including Blue Peter, who was odds-on to become a Triple Crown winner but then the St Leger was cancelled because of the outbreak of the Second World War. The [National Horseracing] museum used to have his Gallops Book and it was open at Blue Peter's last trial before the Leger. There were some amazingly good horses in this trial and Jack Jarvis wrote underneath something like, 'this is the best piece of work I have ever watched'.”

Eustace continues, “Jeff Smith bought the yard when Richard Galpin had to sell, and that was really in order for Ron to be able to carry on training here. Ron and Jeff were a great partnership and it's a measure of Jeff Smith that after Chief Singer was syndicated to stud, he said to Ron that he could have the yard as a gift or the equivalent in money.”

He adds, “I'm delighted to say that Jeff is carrying on supporting Harry. In fact, all our owners, to a man, have stayed, in spite of Covid and all the rest of it.”

As the pandemic first struck, Harry Eustace was wrapping up his tenure with William Haggas by overseeing the training of Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and Young Rascal (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) in Australia, where they each won Group races, with Addeybb notching a Group 1 double. He has first-hand experience of stables large and small and is relishing the possibility of getting his hands on a classy performer like the stable's former star War Artist (Aus) (Orpen), who won the G2 Golden Peitsche as well as finishing runner-up in the G1 Golden Jubilee S. for James Eustace.

He says, “The beauty of growing up with Dad is that with a smaller stable, each winner is incredibly precious. Also when a good horse does come around, you know, there's a stark contrast. So you try and manage them particularly well to make them last as a successful racehorse at their highest level for as long as you can. They're very hard to come by, so when they do come around, you want to look after them.”

Harry continues, “I also worked for a fantastic horseman in Christophe Clement. He was brilliant with horses and was incredibly patient and allowed horses time to mature. He gave them longevity, which I think is something that now more than ever is something that we need to think about. Certainly on the Flat, because the jumps game has horses people can get behind because they're around a while, but I think if we can have Flat horses that are around a while, that will only help us.”

While concentrating on his own first days as a trainer, Harry has also been keeping an eye on his brother's stable, which claimed another Group 1 at the weekend with the imported Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}).

He adds, “It's very easy to keep in touch with anyone anywhere now, so we're always in touch, and it's equally easy to follow runners and winners. We're obviously incredibly proud of what he's done down there. They've sort of taken it to another level. They're so far clear in the Victorian premiership and Sir Dragonet was a real feather in the cap.”

And he is keen to emulate his fellow Newmarket trainers such as William Haggas, Ed Dunlop and Charlie Fellowes in campaigning horses abroad, particularly on his brother's new patch.

“Travelling horses is the new norm really,” Harry says. “I think it's what people are always thinking about. For that reason, having worked abroad in most of the major racing jurisdictions, knowing people where your horse is going to run, can only be an added bonus. In particular Australia, having my brother down there will help. So to take a horse down there, that would be the dream.”

In the meantime, Newmarket is about to burst back into life with next week's Craven Meeting, though the name Harry Eustace could appear on a race card before that as the town's newest trainer has an entry at Lingfield on Saturday with Potenza (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}), already a three-time winner for the stable.

“We've got 30 [horses] in and about 35 on the books,” he says. “We'd be about 50/50 2-year-olds to older horses. Predominately the 3-year-olds are quite lightly raced—very kindly, Dad looked after them last year. Hopefully a couple of them can progress. Then we're just fingers crossed that a 2-year-old can step up and and be half decent.”

And despite there being a different name on the licence, there's very much an echo of the old Eustace modesty and manners that people have become accustomed to as Harry concludes, “But we're very lucky that everybody stayed and some new people have come in. To back a first-up trainer, I think takes a bit of courage, so it's very kind of them to do so.”

 

The post Harry Eustace Continues Family Training Tradition appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Harry Eustace to Take Over Park Lodge Next Year

James Eustace, who has trained for 30 years, will be followed by his son Harry, 32, at Park Lodge Stables early in 2021, Racing Post reported on Tuesday. Harry Eustace has been an assistant trainer to William Haggas for four years.

“I’ve had a wonderful time with William and Maureen Haggas but have decided the pandemic was not a good enough reason not to start training,” said the younger Eustace to Racing Post. “It’s been long in the planning to take over from dad and I’m very much looking forward to the challenges ahead.”

Added his father, “I turned 60 this year which is a bit of gamechanger and I’ve been training at Park Lodge for 30 years so it’s time for a younger person to step in. All my owners have been informed and they are staying on board and are very positive about it.”

The post Harry Eustace to Take Over Park Lodge Next Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights