A total of 91 horses have been supplemented to the Goffs UK Spring Horses-in-Training and Point-To-Point Sale at Doncaster on May 24-25.
High-class pointers and form horses, as well as every Irish 4-year-old point-to-point winner from the weekend were added to the sale. Among the new additions is lot 506, Western Harmony (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}), who won at Ballindenisk on Sunday for Sam Curling's Skehanagh Stables. The first day of selling, featuring 272 lots, will be dedicated to pointers and young form horses. The second day's trade is devoted to horses-in-training and 268 entries have been catalogued. For the full catalogue, please visit the Goffs UK website.
  In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by a pair of new stakes winners by No Nay Never on Saturday.
Coolmore sire No Nay Never sired a stakes double in America on Saturday, to bring his international total to 49 stakes winners.
First it was No Nay Mets (Ire), a colt from his 2021 crop, taking the Royal Palm Juvenile S. at Gulfstream Park (video), a Royal Ascot qualifier. Owned by Bregman Family Racing, LLC, the colt is trained by George Weaver.
Bred by Coolmore, the son of Etoile (War Front) was a €180,000 yearling out of the Arqana August Sale, and was a $335,000 buyback at the OBS Spring Sale in April. The first foal out of his Group 3-winning dam, No Nay Mets was making his racecourse debut. His granddam, Gagnoa (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), has produced group winner and G1 Criterium International second Ancient Rome (War Front), while this is also the family of G1 Derby winner Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf heroine Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}).
Later in the afternoon, No Nay Never's No Nay Hudson (Ire) won the William Walker S. at Churchill Downs for trainer Wesley Ward (video). The 3-year-old colt is owned by Andrew Farm and For the People Racing Stable, LLC.
Part of the RJB Bloodstock breeding programme, the half-brother to the stakes-placed Tailor's Row (Street Cry {Ire}) was a $190,000 Keeneland September yearling when selected by Demi O'Byrne and Sean Grassick. His Grade II-winning dam has a juvenile colt named Old Flag (Ire) (U S Navy Flag) and a yearling full-brother to the winner still to come.
No Nay Never has sired 35 winners from 66 runners (53%) in the U.S. and has 17 stakes horses (26%). Of his nine stakes winners (13.6%) in that jurisdiction, GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Meditate (Ire) is his best runner so far.
NO NAY HUDSON takes The $225k William Walker Stakes with @James_D_Graham aboard for Wesley Ward!
— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) May 13, 2023
Lope De Vega Winners For Familiar Connections
No Nay Never was not the only stallion to sire a pair of winners in the U.S., as Ballylinch Stud's Lope De Vega (Ire) teamed up with Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables and his go-to trainer Chad Brown with 3-year-old winners Reflexivity (Ire) at Belmont Park (video) and Program Trading (GB) at Monmouth Park (video) this past week.
The Niarchos Family's Flaxman Stables Ireland bred Reflexivity out of their G3 Lacken S. heroine Only Mine (Ire) (Pour Moi {Ire}). Originally a €250,000 Goffs Orby yearling, the chestnut filly was bought back for $240,000 out of the OBS Spring Sale last month. Distant kin to Group 2 winner and multiple Grade I-placed Dream Peace (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) whose Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) won the G3 Musidora S. at York on Wednesday–she is followed by a yearling filly by Wootton Bassett (GB).
Fittocks Stud & Arrow Farm & Stud bred Klaravich's first-out Monmouth winner, Program Trading, who was bought by Mike Ryan out of Book 1 at Tattersalls October for 250,000gns. His half-sister Alabama Anna (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) has yet to race. From the family of G2 Park Hill S. winner Silk Sari (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), who also ran second at Group 1 level, he is a half to a Pinatubo (Ire) filly born in 2022. Third dam Gossamer (GB) (Sadler's Wells) won the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas in 2002.
Lope De Vega has also sired 35 winners from 66 U.S. runners (53%). Of that batch, 16 are stakes horses (24%) and five are stakes winners (7.5%). Both Newspaperofrecord (Ire) and Aunt Pearl (Ire) won editions of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, the former for Brown and Klaravich.
Aston Martin has been named the Official High-Performance Partner of The Derby Festival, it was announced on Wednesday.
In addition, the luxury car manufacturer will become the title race partner of The Aston Martin Dash, part of the company's 110th anniversary celebrations in the UK. Aston Martin's DBX707 will be showcased throughout The Derby Festival, and guests arriving at Epsom Downs Racecourse via helicopter will be conveyed via the luxury SUV.
Oliver Turner, Regional President of Aston Martin in the UK and South Africa, said, “Aston Martin is thrilled to become High-Performance Partner of The Derby Festival and title partner of The Aston Martin Dash, bringing our unique brand to an event steeped in history and prestige.”
James Crespi, General Manager at Epsom Downs Racecourse, said, “We are delighted to be partnering with the iconic luxury British sports car manufacturer in Aston Martin for The Dash, the world's fastest horserace, as well as across the two days of The Derby Festival.
“The Derby Festival's status as an iconic British event is well known and this partnership provides a really exciting platform to look to the future and innovate at racing's most spectacular carnival.”
Racing Foundation Chief Executive Rob Hezel will step down from his role with the organisation to pursue a portfolio career, he announced to the RF Board on Wednesday.
Hezel, who has held his position for eight years, will remain in place until a successor is found. He was recently appointed to a non-executive role on the Industry People Board. During Hezel's tenure, over £35 million in funding has been granted by the RF to areas of racing in people training and development, equine welfare, community engagement, and environmental sustainability.
Julia Budd, Chair of the Racing Foundation, said, “Rob's departure will be a true loss to the Racing Foundation and the Board would like to pay tribute to his contribution.
“Rob has led the Foundation to have a substantial impact on the industry during almost eight years as chief executive and I would personally like to thank him for his commitment to both the industry and the Foundation. He has truly embodied the Foundation's purpose and has been a catalyst for change.
“Rob's decision to announce his plans allows for an orderly process to recruit a new Chief Executive who can evolve the organisation's strategy for the future ”
Hezel added, “Having worked to develop the Foundation and its influence across the sport, I believe it is now the right time for me personally to pursue a change of career and the right time for the Foundation to benefit from a fresh approach to its leadership.
“However, I must put on record my thanks to the fantastic Chairs with whom I have worked: Sir Ian Good, Ian Barlow and Julia Budd for their support, advice and guidance.
“I would also like to thank the Foundation's amazing Trustees who have overseen and guided our work and of course the brilliant Tansy, Rhi and Antonia without whom none of what we have achieved would have been remotely possible.”
