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The Boughey Juveniles: ‘Breeze-Ups Are A Big Part Of Our System’

It was two years ago this week that Cachet (Ire) won the G3 Nell Gwyn S. at Newmarket's Craven Meeting, setting her on the path to Classic glory for trainer George Boughey, who enjoyed the biggest success of his burgeoning career so far when the daughter of Aclaim (Ire) returned to the Rowley Mile to win the G1 1,000 Guineas less than three weeks later.

That was a maiden victory at the top level for Boughey, who wasted no time doubling his tally in 2023 when Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) won the G1 Pretty Polly S. at the Curragh, before going on to suffer narrow defeats in both the G1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville and G1 Champion S. at Ascot.

Boughey will be without the services of Via Sistina in 2024–she recently won the G1 Ranvet S. at Rosehill on her first start in Australia for Chris Waller, having been bought for 2.7 million gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale–but the team at Saffron House Stables still has plenty to get excited about as the Craven Meeting looms, the first big staging post of the season as Boughey looks to build on the success of the last two years.

Considering the heights he's reached since saddling his first runners in July 2019, Boughey said, “I think getting to 100 winners is something I'd dreamt of doing and to have done it the last two years is a credit to everyone who has worked hard to get us there. It's hard to do and it's around-the-clock racing.

“We had fewer winners than the year before, but we had fewer runners,” he added of his 2023 campaign. “I think with the quality of our horses increasing, they don't take as much racing. Via Sistina was the star of the show and she was probably unlucky not to win one or two more Group 1s than she won. Finding horses at that level is what it's all about and we'll be doing our best to find another this year.”

When Boughey saddled a personal-best tally of 136 winners in Britain in 2022, no fewer than 51 of those wins were in two-year-old races. He sent out 27 juvenile winners last year in Britain and, according to Boughey, that was in part due to a change in buying philosophy which means he now has more horses who are unlikely to come into their own until well into their three-year-old careers.

“Last year we had more late-maturing horses,” he explained. “We had a few three-year-old maiden winners in January, winning over a mile and that sort of thing. I'll never change totally. I like having some sharper horses and we have a few sharper ones this year.

“We lacked that sharper horse last year but, in turn, the milers and the 10-furlong horses are the horses that we really want to be training. I'm pretty happy with how it's going and how it's evolving each year.”

Chic Colombine (Fr) (Seahenge) was in the minority when winning a pair of nurseries for Boughey last year, while her recent Listed victory at Saint-Cloud identifies her as one of the most exciting three-year-olds in his care this season. As for the juveniles, Boughey expects to add to his already significant team at the upcoming breeze-up sales, including at the Craven where Cachet was picked up for just 60,000gns in 2021.

“The breeze-ups are a big part of our system,” said Boughey. “I think we've had five stakes winners from the breeze-up sales and I try to buy horses at every sale. For me it's all about recycling, when they're not good enough, and keeping the ball rolling.

“I love the breeze-ups and I find it an intellectual challenge as much as anything. You have to try and work out what the previous trainer has effectively done. We've never had the budget to buy the really fast, swanky breezers, but the horses that we've found in the middle of the road, the sort of working man's breezers, have been fun horses on the track.

“They might not be superstars, all of them, but I think we bought a handful of breezers last year and most of them won.”

COLTS

Addictive (Ire)
Pedigree: Kodiac (GB) colt out of Dierama (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire})
Bought by Hamish McCauley/George Boughey for €50,000 from Aughamore Stud at Goffs Orby
Owner: Edward Ware
Comment: “He's a nice horse who ran with credit on his debut at Chelmsford. He's a hard-knocking two-year-old and I hope he'll be winning his maiden before long. He's going to want fast ground and he'll be better on turf.”

Asuka (GB)
Night Of Thunder (Ire) colt out of Lady Momoka (Ire) (Shamardal)
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
“He's a Sheikh Mohammed Obaid homebred. He's a half-brother to two relatively decent animals, Boiling Point (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Resolute Man (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). He's a nice horse–one for the second half of the year. As we know with most of these pedigrees, they improve with age, and I won't be in any rush with him.”

Brooklyn (Ire)
Night Of Thunder (Ire) colt out of Black Ruby (Ire) (Dansili {GB})
Bought by Arthur Hoyeau (Agent for Windfield Colts Partnership) for €175,000 from Ballylinch Stud at Goffs Orby
Windfield Partners
“He's a nice horse. He's very backwards, but I'd love to try and get a couple of runs into him in the autumn. He's doing everything right so far.”

Celeborn (GB)
Postponed (Ire) colt out of Galadriel (GB) (Dutch Art {GB})
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
“He's another homebred for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid. He's a nice horse out of a Dutch Art mare and he's training away nicely at the moment. He's quite some way from doing his first piece of work and I wouldn't expect to see him on the track until later in the summer or into the autumn. He's a horse who is going to improve when he gets over a bit of ground, but he's a straightforward colt with a nice attitude to his work.”

Dutch Finale (GB)
Dutch Art (GB) colt out of Rosebride (GB) (Mayson {GB})
Bought by George Boughey Racing/Michael Roy for 135,000gns from Evergreen Stud at Tattersalls Book 2
Mrs Susan Roy
“He's a precocious horse owned by Mrs Susan Roy and a brother to Salvuccio who they also raced. He's shown up well in the spring. He went a little bit weak and we've just given him a short break, but he's back training away. He's a more substantial horse than his brother and he cost a little bit more. It would be no surprise to see him in a late-April/early-May novice and he's been showing a bit of pace.”

Edge Ofthe Unknown
Quality Road colt out of Nefertiti (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})
Niarchos Family
“He's a nice horse but very much one for the backend. He's just been training away and he's a long way from doing any fast work. He's bred to be a miler and I wouldn't expect to see him over anything shorter than seven furlongs on debut. He won't be starting until the autumn, I'd imagine.”

El Burhan (Ire)
New Bay (Ire) colt out of Sar Oiche (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire})
Bought by Shadwell Estate Company for 210,000gns from Deerpark Stud at Tattersalls December Foal Sale in 2022
Shadwell Estate Company
“He's a nice horse who is yet to gallop but has been showing up nicely. He's got a good outlook and he's probably going to want a bit of give in the ground. He's progressing nicely and he's not far off galloping. I'm going to give him a chance to be a summer horse, but I've no doubt that he'll improve as the year goes on and into his three-year-old career.”

Foro Romano (Ire)
Acclamation (Ire) colt out of Frosty's Gift (Goldencents)
Bought by Arthur Hoyeau (Agent for Windfield Colts Partnership) for 45,000gns from Galbertstown Stables at Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale
Windfield Partners 1
“I thought he'd run a little bit better at Wolverhampton. He's a nice horse and he probably wants six furlongs on turf. He might wait for six but, if there's the right opportunity, then you might see him again over five. He was greener than I thought he'd be on debut. He was just on the back foot a little bit from the get-go and when he really had to quicken it just came a bit unnaturally to him and he had a bit of a wobble. He'd probably been finding his work a bit easy at home. I hope to see a different horse next time–he's better than he showed.”

Hopewell Rock (Ire)
New Bay (GB) colt out of Tidewalker (Ire) (Lawman {Fr})
Bought by George Boughey for 235,000gns from Camas Park Stud at Tattersalls Book 1
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
“I hope he's a nice horse and he cost a few quid at Tattersalls Book 1. He's a horse for the summer, I hope. I'm going to give him a chance at being a seven-furlong horse, but he hasn't worked or anything. He's just training away nicely and he's got a really nice outlook. I'm sure he's going to be a miler or possibly a 10-furlong horse next year, but those nicer milers often do start popping their heads up before Royal Ascot. He's a very long way from an Ascot horse, but he's going the right way at the moment and is one to enjoy in the autumn.”

Inshad (Ire)
Gregorian (Ire) colt out of Siphon Melody (Siphon {Brz})
Bought by Hamish Macauley/George Boughey for £31,000 from Grove Stud at Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale
Fawzi Abdulla Nass
“He's by Gregorian and has got a bit of a rounded knee action. He's going to appreciate six or seven furlongs, I'd imagine. He's owned by Fawzi Nass, who understands the game being a trainer himself. He'll be given a chance to run over five furlongs, but I'd imagine he'll be seen to better effect when he steps up in trip.”

Luzon Prince (GB)
Pinatubo (GB) colt out of Jumira Princess (Ire) (Redoute's Choice {Aus})
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
“I haven't seen much of him at the moment. He's just been training away and he's still quite backwards. I can't imagine we'll see him until the autumn.”

Motawaared (GB)
Mohaather (GB) colt out of Papaya (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire})
Bought by Shadwell Estate Company for 75,000gns from WH Bloodstock at Tattersalls Book 2
Shadwell Estate Company
“He's a nice colt owned by Shadwell. He's going the right way and looks a seven-furlong horse, probably a miler in the end. He hasn't galloped, he's just cantering away. He finds his slower paces pretty easy, but we haven't asked him to go any faster yet.”

Pit Boss (GB)
Ardad (Ire) colt out of Mara Grey (Ire) (Azamour {Ire})
Bought by Hamish Macauley/George Boughley/Amo Racing for 62,000gns from Throckmorton Court Stud at Tattersalls Book 2
Amo Racing Limited
“He's a fun horse who is galloping away at the moment. He's not ready to run yet, but he's shown enough to suggest he can be fun through the summer. His brother Crispy Cat was owned by Amo Racing as well and he seemed to have a super attitude on the track. This horse would be the same. He's not as immediately early as I'd hoped, but he'll be on the turf around late-April/early-May.”

Play Me (GB)
Too Darn Hot (GB) colt out of Initially (GB) (Dansili {GB})
Bought by A C Elliott for 75,000gns from Genesis Green Stud Ltd. at Tattersalls Book 2
Valmont and Ellipsis II
“He's a nice colt who has done a couple of bits of work. His pedigree suggests he wants seven furlongs or a mile and that's probably where he'll end up. He's just a very straightforward horse who enjoys his work and he should be winning races as a two-year-old.”

Royal Alliance (Fr)
Persian King (Ire) colt out of Alliance d'Or (Ire) (Linngari {Ire})
Bought by George Boughey for 300,000gns from Tally-Ho Stud at Tattersalls Book 1
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
“He was a Tattersalls Book 1 purchase for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid. He's a nice horse and a miler in time. I can't imagine we'll see him until the backend, but he's been training away nicely without having galloped. He's a very good-looking colt.”

Sapphire Valley (Ire)
Blue Point (Ire) colt out of Mystic Dawn (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB})
Al Asayl Bloodstock
“He's a homebred for Al Asayl Bloodstock. We trained his half-brother last year, Dark Before Dawn, who was a first foal and we didn't quite get him to win. He's bred on the same cross as the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner, Big Evs. He's not worked yet, but he's going the right way. He's not overly big, but he seems to have a decent attitude to his work.”

Stayinit (GB)
Due Diligence gelding out of Gilt Linked (GB) (Compton Place {GB})
Bought by Hurworth Bloodstock for 20,000gns from Whitsbury Manor Stud at Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale
Shylock
“He's a fun horse. He's just been gelded and he's on a break at the moment. He's a little bit more backwards than some of them.”

Strobelight (Ger)
Earthlight (Ire) colt out of Soprana (Ger) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB})
Bought by Westward Bloodstock for £85,000 from Barton Stud at Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale
Ms Fiona Carmichael
“He's a nice horse. He's done a couple of bits of work and is showing up nicely. He's going to be a seven-furlong horse in time, I think, but the fact he's done a couple of bits of work already is encouraging. I've just backed off him in the knowledge that he's going to want further.”

Target Man (Ire)
Earthlight (Ire) colt out of Dettoria (GB) (Declaration Of War)
Bought by Ben McElroy/Amo Racing for 325,000gns from Redpender Stud at Tattersalls Book 2
Amo Racing Ltd
“He's a straightforward horse and he looks like he's well capable of running five furlongs. He will improve for the run, like most of my two-year-olds, but he's showing up well enough to run well on debut. I think he'll probably get six furlongs, but he's more than capable of starting over five [since finished second on debut at Lingfield on Monday, April 8].”

Unnamed (GB)
Pinatubo (Ire) colt out of Filona (Ire) (Motivator {GB})
Bought by Rabbah Bloodstock for 95,000gns from Q Cross Stables at Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale
Salem Rashid Bin Ghadayer
“He's a horse who is bred to sprint but is still quite backward. He hasn't galloped yet, but he's a nice enough horse. He's just still maturing into his frame at the moment, so I haven't pushed any buttons.”

Unnamed (Ire)
Magna Grecia (Ire) gelding out of Intermittent (GB) (Cacique {Ire})
Bought by George Boughey Racing for €44,000 from Baroda Stud at Tattersalls Ireland September Yearlings
For Sale (at time of writing)
“He's doing well. He's a horse who is going to want decent ground in the summer and probably seven furlongs. He's been training away nicely and he's not far off doing a piece of work, which makes him more precocious than most in his family. He's a half-brother to Spangled Mac and Mrs U S A, who were both winners for me. I hope we can find someone to own him!”

Unnamed (Ire)
Kodiac (GB) colt out of Key To Power (GB) (Slade Power {Ire})
Bought by Hamish Macauley Bloodstock/AMO Racing for 78,000gns from Tally-Ho Stud at Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale
Amo Racing Limited
“He's a half-brother to Secret Attack who ran once in the Amo Racing colours in January before being sold. He's a horse who has just taken a bit more time than I thought he would, but his brother by Inns Of Court didn't run until the turn of the year, so I'm not in any rush with him. He's a good-looking animal.”

Unnamed (GB)
Zoustar (Aus) colt out of La Rioja (GB) (Hellvelyn {GB})
Qatar Racing Limited
“The family has probably slightly flattered to deceive so far. They're a good-looking bunch and he's a very good-looking horse. I'm not in any sort of rush with him and he looks a seven-furlong horse/miler. He's just cantering away nicely at the moment.”

Unnamed (GB)
Study Of Man (Ire) gelding out of Mariee (GB) (Archipenko)
Bought by Hurworth Bloodstock for 3,500gns from Staffordstown at Tattersalls December Yearling Sale
Shylock
“He's a fun horse. He's quite a tall horse and has a bit of maturing to do, but he's done very well since we bought him as a yearling. The family has thrown up winners and I'd be surprised if he's not winning at two. He's a likeable horse. I don't think he's a superstar, but he's certainly going to be winning races.”

Unnamed (GB)
Iffraaj (GB) colt out of Power Of Light (Ire) (Echo Of Light {GB})
Dr Ali Ridha
“He's owned by his breeder, Dr Ali Ridha. He's a full-brother to Powerful Breeze, who raced for Hugo Palmer and was second in the Fillies' Mile. He's a very good-looking colt. I'm not in any rush whatsoever with him and he's not galloped yet, but he's going to be a lovely horse for the second half of the year. I'm really looking forward to seeing how he matures through the summer.”

FILLIES

Adoon Valley (Ire)
Too Darn Hot (GB) filly out of Jordan Princess (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire})
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
“She's a homebred for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid. I expect we'll see her in the second half of the year. She's not worked yet, but she shows a nice attitude. These are the first two-year-olds we've had for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid. We bought a few yearlings at the sales and he sent us a few homebreds. They're a great set of silks to have in the yard and I've dreamt of training pedigrees like that. Hopefully, we can find a fast one.”

Bacor (Ire)
Mehmas (Ire) filly out of Flying Sparkle (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire})
Bought by Hurworth Bloodstock for 105,000gns from Tally-Ho Stud at Tattersalls Book 2
George Waud
“George has a handful of horses with me now and is a big supporter of the yard. She looks pretty sharp and her dam won on debut for Amo Racing. She's bred to run five furlongs and she'll probably be out at the end of this month. She's likely to want fast ground, but she's showing up well at home at the moment.”

Beronia (Ire)
Hello Youmzain (Fr) filly out of Testa (Ire) (Acclamation {GB})
Bought by Kildaragh Stud for €210,000 from Haras de la Perelle at Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale
Antoinette Kavanagh
“She's a filly for the second half of the year. She's by Hello Youmzain, a first-season sire–I've only got one by him. She seems to be going nicely enough, but we're a long way from pressing any buttons with her. She's from a family that the owners know very well and they were looking to buy back into the family.”

Bountiful (GB)
Zoustar (Aus) filly out of Rich Legacy (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire})
Bought by Highclere Agency for 95,000gns from West Park Farm at Tattersalls Book 2
Highclere Thoroughbred Racing – Golfinch
“She's pretty sharp. She's done a handful of bits of work and I'm working back from the Craven Meeting with her. She's showing plenty of pace at home and we've had this race in mind for a while. I like to run a two-year-old at Newmarket when it's one I think is capable of doing so–she looks capable at the moment.”

Englemere (Ire)
Goken (Fr) filly out of Ascot Family (Ire) (Desert Style {Ire})
Antoinette Kavanagh
“The owners bought the mare carrying this filly. She looks sharp and she's bred to run five or six furlongs pretty early doors. She's done a couple of bits of work and has been showing up nicely. I'd expect to see her on the track in April over five furlongs. I haven't really pushed any buttons with her yet, but she's not a million miles away from an entry.”

Isla Bella (GB)
Land Force (Ire) filly out of High Luminosity (Elusive Quality)
Bought by Hurworth Bloodstock for 6,500gns from Highclere Stud at Tattersalls Book 3
Robert Johnson & Roldvale Ltd
“She only cost six grand. She wants to be early and she's not overly big. She's a fun filly and the owners had a horse with me called Band Of Joy last year. She was a Land Force filly and she won a couple of GBB races and more than paid for herself. I'm not sure whether lightning can strike twice, but we'll certainly give it a go.”

Loving Angel (Ire)
Dark Angel (Ire) filly out of White Bullet (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus})
Bought by Joe Foley for £48,000 from Jamie Railton Sales Agency at Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale
Bronte Collection
“She's a nice filly. I haven't done anything serious with her. She's probably just going to come into herself at the end of this month. I like her and she's improving with each week. I'd be surprised if she doesn't start over five furlongs, but she may well get six in time.”

Made The Cut (Fr)
Wooded (Ire) filly out of Amaze Me (GB) (Aqlaam {GB})
Bought by Hamish Macauley Bloodstock/George Boughey for 42,000gns from Sherbourne Lodge at Tattersalls Book 1
Ed Babington, Sam Sangster and Lee Westwood
“She's named after Lee, probably, who has made the cut this time and been able to come in on the horse having missed out on Missed The Cut! She's an attractive filly who is going to take a bit of time. We had a bit of fun with her brother at the end of last year, a Middleham Park horse called Alfred. She's going to need seven furlongs and will probably be a miler at the end of the year. She's just been training away nicely and I haven't really asked her to do anything yet, but she's going the right way.”

Missile Mac (GB)
Havana Gold (Ire) filly out of Super Midge (GB) (Royal Applause {GB})
Bought by Hurworth Bloodstock for 34,000gns from Kirtlington Stud at Tattersalls Book 3
Adrian McAlpine
“A straightforward filly who has been in pre-training for much of the winter. She's just come to us and she looks like a six-furlong filly. She was bought to try and win a GBB race and I think she's going to be a bit of fun. She's owned by Adrian McAlpine, a big supporter of the yard who owns all the 'Mac' horses. I don't know a huge amount about her at the moment, but she's done a couple of half-speeds and is going the right way.”

Night In Paris (Fr)
No Nay Never filly out of Oh Beautiful (GB) (Galileo {Ire})
Bought by Hamish Macauley Bloodstock/George Boughey for 140,000gns from WH Bloodstock at Tattersalls Book 2
Mrs John Magnier and Mrs Paul Shanahan
“She's a nice filly and has been showing up well. She's done a couple of bits of work and shows more pace than her pedigree suggests, being out of a Galileo mare who would probably put a bit more stamina into her. I'm going to try and wait for the six-furlong races with her, but she may well debut over five. She's an attractive filly, by a fantastic stallion, and she has a super attitude to her work.”

Orange Sky (Ire)
No Nay Never filly out of Beauly (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire})
Bought by George Boughey for 330,000gns from Grove Stud at Tattersalls Book 1
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
“She's a half-sister to Missed The Cut we bought from Tattersalls Book 1. She's just gone a little bit weak and I can't see her starting over anything shorter than seven furlongs. She showed up well early doors, which probably means there's an engine in there somewhere. I've been kind to her of late and she's just been training away. She's one for the autumn, I'd imagine.”

Orchid (Ire)
Blue Point (Ire) filly out of Dalkova (GB) (Galileo {Ire})
Bought by Highclere Agency for €110,000 from Glenvale Stud at Goffs Orby
Highclere Thoroughbred Racing
“She's a nice filly who will want seven furlongs in the summer. I've done very little with her, she's just been training away, but she's got a good outlook. Her sire can do very little wrong and it's nice to have a filly by Blue Point for Highclere.”

Praying For Time (Ire)
Sea The Stars (Ire) filly out of Sweet Delight (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus})
Bought by Blandford Bloodstock for 50,000gns from Platinum Bloodstock at Tattersalls December Yearling Sale
Tactful Finance and Friends
“She's a backwards filly bought at the December Sales. You won't see her until the autumn–she's well named and luckily the owners are very patient!”

Shimaleyah (Ire)
Dark Angel (Ire) filly out of Gharbeya (More Than Ready)
Shadwell Estate Company
“She's a Shadwell homebred. She's just training away, I haven't galloped her. I imagine she's going to want seven furlongs.”

Spirit To Win (GB)
Invincible Spirit (Ire) filly out of Unforgetable Filly (GB) (Sepoy {Aus})
Dr Ali Ridha
“She's out of Unforgetable Filly for owner-breeder Dr Ali Ridha. She's done a couple of bits of work and shows plenty of pace. I'd imagine we'll wait for the six-furlong races with her. I was at Hugo Palmer's when the dam was there and this filly seems to have a similar attitude. That was probably what made Unforgetable Filly good so, if she has any of her ability, then she's going to be a lot of fun for the owner. We're not in an immediate rush and I look forward to seeing her on the track.”

Unthinkable (Ire)
Kessaar (Ire) filly out of Mediska (GB) (Medicean {GB})
Bought by Hamish Macauley Bloodstock/George Boughey for 32,000gns from Tally-Ho Stud at Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale
Shylock
“She's showing up well enough to win a novice. I trained her brother Robbie Roger, who showed plenty at home and much less on the track, so I hope she goes through with it when she gets to the sport [subsequently finished fourth on debut at Wolverhampton on Wednesday, April 10].”

Violet Love (GB)
Havana Grey (GB) filly out of Passionate Love (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB})
Bought by Hamish Macauley/George Boughey for £30,000 from Galbertstown Stables at Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale
Amo Racing Limited
“She ran with credit on her debut when second at Southwell. We were handicapped by being stood in the stalls for too long and she was a little bit slowly away from the gates. She's not overly big–she looks to be an early-season two-year-old, so that's what we're doing. I think she's more than capable of winning a restricted race.”

Unnamed (Fr)
Pinatubo (Ire) filly out of Fresh Air (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire})
Bought by Robson Aguiar for €185,000 from Haras d'Etreham at Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale
Amo Racing Limited
“She's one for seven-furlong races, I would think. I haven't pushed any buttons with her, she's just cantering away nicely. She's still got a bit of maturing to do before we see her on the track.”

Unnamed (GB)
Bated Breath (GB) filly out of Lady Aquitaine (El Prado {Ire})
Bought by Avenue Bloodstock for M V Magnier for 260,000gns from Newsells Park Stud Ltd. at Tattersalls Book 2
Tynan, Magniers, Shanahan & MacLennan
“She's an attractive filly with a very good pedigree. She's still quite weak and it looks like she's going to take a little bit longer than a couple of her immediate siblings. She's a straightforward horse who has just been cantering away. She's quite some way off galloping and it wouldn't be a surprise if she had another break before we started doing a bit more with her.”

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‘We Need To Stop Telling Ourselves How Great We Are – Prize-Money Isn’t Good Enough’

Leading trainer Johnny Murtagh has identified the leading juvenile prospects that he is looking forward to unleashing this season but spoke out about the increased levels of frustration that trainers are facing when it comes to hanging on to their big-name stars due to what he describes as stagnant levels of prize-money in Ireland.

The Group 1-winning handler has called on Horse Racing Ireland, who announced a €1.4 million increase to prize-money [to €69.4 million] for 2024 in the latest budget, not to rest on its laurels.

Murtagh, who runs Daamberdiplomat (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) and Final Voyage (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) in valuable all-weather contests at Lingfield and Newcastle respectively on Friday, explained that, with the rising costs that have come with running a busy training yard, he needs to clear €1 million in prize-money per season.

He also called for a €100,000 race to be run in Ireland on a weekly basis throughout the Flat season and labelled some of the purses on offer for the feature races at the Curragh and Naas in the opening weeks of the new season as “not good enough.”

The Curragh-based handler said, “We should have a 100-grand race every week in Ireland. Look at the Group 3 Devoy Stakes at Naas the other day–that should be a 100-grand race but the winner got €23,600. The Group 3 Gladness Stakes at the Curragh was the same–the winner got just over €40,000. That's no good. How can we keep the best horses in Ireland with that sort of prize-money? If it keeps going the way that it is, we won't have those horses in Ireland.”

Murtagh added, “Take horses like Final Voyage and Daamberdiplomat, who I run at Newcastle and at Lingfield on Friday, for example. There is nothing for those horses at Dundalk. The prize-money in England is going up. The way they are going, they'll be looking down on us. “There are a lot of 50-grand races on the Flat in England now. Look at the prize-money at Newcastle, Lingfield and even Chelmsford on Friday and compare that to the final meeting of the year at Dundalk. There's no comparison. Not only that, they have the Racing League and many other valuable handicaps over in Britain. It's not the same in Ireland. HRI shouldn't be resting on its laurels.”

Murtagh sent out 41 winners domestically in 2023 and cleared the €1 million mark. In fact, he has earned over €1 million in each of the past four seasons in Ireland but admitted that he may be forced to travel horses more in future if prize-money levels remain the same on home soil.

He continued, “I'm looking at where the prize-money is now. Before, it wouldn't pay you to travel over to Britain. Nowadays, you have to travel for the prize-money. We need to stop telling ourselves how great we are in Ireland. It's very frustrating that we are buying horses to sell them in Ireland now. It shouldn't be the case that when, a horse reaches a certain level, it makes more sense to move him on because he can't win even close to what is being offered by the foreign market.

“When you come across a horse rated 100, for example, you should be thinking, 'brilliant, I have a horse capable of paying his way for the owners this year,' but it's not the case at all. As I said, there should be a 100-grand race in Ireland every week. The prize-money just isn't good enough.”

Just four juveniles made up last year's tally of 41 winners. That number was down from 14 in 2022, eight in 2021 and seven in 2020. In an effort to boost his juvenile stats for this season, Murtagh returned to the yearling sales last year and added roughly 20 youngsters to the team on spec, most of which have now been sold.

He explained, “I didn't buy any yearlings a couple of years ago–just trained what was sent to me-and we only had four two-year-old winners last season as a result. I went and bought 20 two-year-old types at the yearling sales last year and I have most of them sold by now. The sweet spot used to be between 20 and 50 grand but it's getting harder and harder to buy those nice horses now.

“We have a nucleus of people who support us every year. Fitzwilliam Racing used to buy between eight and 10 yearlings every year but they didn't shop last year so we had to go out and find a few more people.”

He added, “It's been difficult. Most of the big owners have their own agents that they like to use. I rarely get orders. I go out and buy the horses on spec and, when you are spending your own money, you approach the sales differently. I think I only had three orders to go and fill at the yearling sales last year. The rest I bought myself and got sold afterwards.”

When shopping the yearling sales, Murtagh says that he has certain criteria that he tries to fill when recruiting future runners to the stable.

He explained, “We buy an early type who might take us to Royal Ascot, a filly who could win a maiden or get placed in a maiden and then get sold on to America, and then the back-end middle-distance horse who might be good enough for Australia in time. The main thing you're looking for is a horse that you might be able to trade on. Listen, that's the only way you can survive in this business in Ireland. It's terrible when you have to buy horses to sell them. We're becoming a nursery for abroad and that's the problem.”

The Aga Khan, for whom Murtagh enjoyed some memorable days in the saddle for, remains a loyal supporter with seven juveniles in training at Fox Covert stables and reportedly more on the way.

However, Murtagh explained that, along with the illustrious Aga Khan pedigrees that the stable has the luxury of working with, there are many recruits to the yard that have been less obvious.

He said, “We have seven two-year-olds for the Aga Khan in training at the moment and there are still a couple more to come in. There is a Wootton Bassett (GB) colt out of Tanaza (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who goes well, while they also have a nice Footstepsinthesand (GB) colt here as well.”

Murtagh added, “I like shopping at the yearling sales because it keeps your eye in. We don't even look at what the horses are by any more. We try to look at every single horse if we can because Lord Rapscallion (Ire), he was by Alhebayeb (Ire), Champers Elysees (Ire) by Elzaam (Aus) and Create Belief (Ire) by Awtaad (Ire). If you are looking at the page first, rather than the model, you won't be able to buy them.”

Colts

Oasis Dream (GB) colt out of Its A Given (GB) (Bated Breath {GB})
Bought by: Johnny Murtagh/Linehan Bloodstock for €40,000 at Goffs Orby Book 2
Owner: Paddy Woods
Comment: This fella is tough, sharp and hardy. He looks ready to go. He may want fast ground so we will need to wait for the ground to dry up.

Ardad (Ire) colt out of Sugar Hiccup (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire})
Noel Hartley
Bought by Johnny Murtagh / Linehan Bloodstock for €50,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale
I haven't had an Ardad before but Eddie [Linehan] was keen to get one as he said he's a sire who gets very good two-year-olds. This lad is sharp and fast. He looks a typical two-year-old type and is exactly what we wanted to have to go to war with this year.

Study Of Man (Ire) colt out of Kesarina (GB) (Medicean {GB})
Bought by ATS Racing for €40,000 at the Goffs Orby Part 2 Sale
Tony Smurfit
A nice colt for the second half of the season. Paddy Twomey has a very nice horse by Study Of Man, Deepone, the winner of the Beresford last year, and he could be a nice horse in the making.

Zoustar (Aus) colt out of Abbakova (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire})
Bought by FCS Bloodstock/Linegan Bloodstock for £72,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale
I have had a bit of luck with the stallion. We had Young Champion (Ire), which he is known as in Hong Kong, finish second in a Listed race at Naas for us before being sold out there. This lad reminds me a bit of him.

Fillies

Unnamed
Blue Point (Ire) filly out Ridge Ranger (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire})
Bought by FCS Bloodstock / Linehan Bloodstock for 215,000gns at Book 2 at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale
Wellspec
This filly was bought on behalf of Welspec, who also had Malacanne (Ire) (Raven's Pass) with me. She is the first Blue Point I have trained and we were delighted to get her. Blue Point did unbelievably well last year. She's very sharp and is showing us plenty. Hopefully she'll be out by May.

Mehmas (Ire) filly out of Under Offer (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB})
Mark Dobbin
Bought by Johnny Murtagh/Linehan Bloodstock for €150,000 at the Goffs Orby Book 1
She is a half-sister to Basil Martini (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), who was a Listed winner for Joseph O'Brien. Again, she should make a sharp two-year-old and is coming along nicely with the early bunch. She probably won't be a five-furlong filly but maybe six furlongs could suit her well and she should be out soon. She's owned by Mark Dobbin who is a good supporter.

Kodiac (Ire) filly out of Castellated {GB})
Mark Dobbin
Bought by FCS Bloodstock / Linehan Bloodstock for 165,000gns at Book 2 at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale
Another filly owned by Mark Dobbin, she came from Tally-Ho Stud and we like her a lot. I haven't had many by the sire but we're looking forward to this one.

Havana Grey (GB) filly out of Freckles (GB) (Arakan)
Bought by Johnny Murtagh/Linehan Bloodstock/Nick Bradley Racing at the Goffs Orby Sale Book 2 for €85,000
Nick Bradley has a very nice Havana Grey filly with me. She's probably one of my sharper fillies. Hopefully we'll get her out before the end of April. Nick saw her first–it was him who put her to me. He told me he was out at 50 grand and then when I bought her, he said he'd take half of her. I couldn't leave this filly behind me at the sales. I just kept bidding on her and I'm delighted we have her now. Nick had two horses with us last year and both of them won. In fact, I think every horse he has had with us has won. He's pretty shrewd at picking them out and hopefully this can be another.

Belardo filly out of Shelannga (Ire) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz})
Aga Khan
I have more fillies than colts this year and this is a nice one from the Aga Khan. I haven't had many Belardos in the past but this filly goes particularly well. She is showing plenty but we're not going to rush her. She is taking all of her work really well. We have a lovely Too Darn Hot filly for the Aga Khan as well and they are just a couple that are showing the right signs at the moment.

Inns Of Court (Ire) filly out of Wild Mix (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire})
Bought by Johnny Murtagh/Linehan Bloodstock for €50,000 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale
Tony Smurfit
This is a half-sister to Noel Meade's good filly, Caught U Looking (Ire) (Harzand {Ire}), who did very well last year. This is a very big filly and she will be out in the back-end of the season but she is a fine filly.

Ten Sovereigns (Ire) filly out of Enharmonic (E Dubai)
Bought by Johnny Murtagh/Linehan Bloodstock for €70,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale
Michael O'Flynn
They don't give stallions a long time to make a name for themselves these days but I'd have to say I'm a fan of Ten Sovereigns and I'm looking forward to this filly. She'll be out in the second half of the season.

Raven's Pass filly out of Seschat (Ire) (Sinndar {Ire})
Bought by Syndicates Racing for €22,000 at the Goffs Orby Book 1 Sale
Syndicates Racing
She is backward–she's a big girl. I think Jack [Cantillon] has all the shares sold in this filly and she's nice.

The post ‘We Need To Stop Telling Ourselves How Great We Are – Prize-Money Isn’t Good Enough’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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‘Good Horses Keep Us All Going’ – Jessica Harrington Stable Tour

Jessica Harrington is the most successful female trainer that Ireland has ever produced. The 76-year-old has sent out multiple Cheltenham Festival winners, including the legendary Champion Chaser Moscow Flyer (Ire), as well as Classic winners Alpha Centauri (Ire) and Magical Lagoon (Ire) from her Moone-based stables in County Kildare.

Plans are now afoot to take home more big-race riches this season and, despite the fact that Harrington is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, there is only one topic of conversation at the breakfast table at this time of year.

“We are very excited about the season ahead and, training horses as good as this, they keep us all going,” Harrington said in typically upbeat fashion.

She added, “We haven't pushed any buttons with our two-year-olds yet but, at this early stage, a filly called With Style (Ire) would have to be my pick.

“Overall, we have a very nice bunch. But even the two-year-olds we had last year, they were a quality bunch as well, so we have some very nice three-year-olds this season to go with the juveniles coming through. It's very exciting.”

Before the Flat season takes centre stage, there is the small matter of the Fairyhouse, Aintree and Punchestown Festivals to navigate, and Harrington will be hoping to break her duck in the Grand National in Liverpool with the aptly-named Lifetime Ambition (Ire).

“He's very well-named, because it has been a lifetime ambition for me to win the race and of course we came very close to doing that when Magic Of Light (Ire) finished second to Tiger Roll in 2019.

“Lifetime Ambition is nicely-weighted and we're hoping the ground will dry out a bit for him. He's had experience over the fences and jumped them very well so we are hopeful.”

All told, the Harrington stable has 170 horses to look forward to on the level, of which, 65 are two-year-olds. Below, Harrington gives her verdict on some of the juveniles who have been showing up well on the gallops at home.

High Five: Harrington celebrates Magical Lagoon's Irish Oaks triumph with Shane Foley | Racingfotos.com

Two-Year-Olds
Fillies
Heavenly Being
Pedigree: Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly out of Rapacity Alexander (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire})
Bought by BBA Ireland for €525,000 from Mountarmstrong Stud at Goffs Orby
Owner: Yuesheng Zhang
Comment: We like her a lot. She's a half-sister to No Speak Alexander (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}), who won the G1 Matron S. for us a couple of seasons back. She looks as though she will make a two-year-old and we hope to get her out in May. We haven't had many Night Of Thunders but we think we have some good ones by him this year. She's very like No Speak Alexander in that she is a light-framed filly.

Glamourously
Mehmas (Ire) filly out of One For June (Ire) (Arcano {Ire})
Bought by BBA Ireland and the Glamour and Glory Syndicate for €33,000 from Mountarmstrong Stud at Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale
Glamour And Glory Syndicate
We're delighted to have this filly for the new syndicate for the girls. She is a lovely Mehmas filly and has been away to the Curragh. She could run in two or three weeks' time.

What A Squeeze
Dark Angel (Ire) filly out of Fashionable (GB) (Nashwan)
Bought by BBA Ireland for €75,000 from Glacken View at Goffs Orby
Alpha Racing Syndicate
A half-sister to Jack Naylor (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}), we are very happy with her. She is quite like Jack Naylor, is a little bit bigger than she was, but they have the same physique–strong and plenty of bone. She goes nicely. The Alpha Racing Syndicate has been quite successful, I think members have made a profit every year it has been running, so it is a good way for people to get involved in racehorse ownership.

Ally Pally
National Defense (GB) filly out of Myth Creation (More Than Ready)
Cormac O'Flynn
Bought by Cormac O'Flynn for 37,000gns at the Tattersalls Somerville Sale
She's a nice filly, is sharp, and actually has an entry to run at Dundalk next Tuesday. She could run in the Somerville Auction Sale race.

September Leaves
Night Of Thunder filly out of Antique Platinum (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire})
Homebred
Moyglare Stud
She looks sharp and will be out in May. She is a nice Moyglare homebred and we're looking forward to her.

Matter Of Fact
No Nay Never filly out of Malicieuse (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})
Homebred
Niarchos Family
She's a very nice filly and looks like being a proper two-year-old. She has plenty of size but is compact. We've had plenty of No Nay Nevers down through the years but no superstars. We think that might change this year as we have a lovely bunch by him.

With Style
No Nay Never filly out of Inca Wood (UAE) (Timber Country)
Bought for €150,000 by BBA Ireland from Manister House Stud at Goffs Orby
Yuesheng Zhang
This is a lovely filly and will probably be ready to run in May. She is big and strong and everything she has been doing is really good. She's been showing us plenty and we're looking forward to her. Yulong are great supporters of our yard and have been increasing their numbers every year and now have 30 in training here. We have some lovely two-year-olds for them this year and this is one of them.

Ocean Bliss
El Kabeir filly out of Gold Zain (GB) (Aqlaam {GB})
John Kirkland and Jim Ryan
A half-sister to Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation), she's sharp and will want really nice ground because she has lovely action. We will be waiting for the ground to get a bit tighter for her.

Comic Book
Frenkel (GB) filly out of Vagabonde (Ire) (Acclamation {GB})
Bought by BBA Ireland fo €250,000 at BBAG September Yearling Sale
Yuesheng Zhang
This could be very smart. She won't run until June or July–she's a mid-season filly and you'd expect her to be that on pedigree. She has been doing everything very nicely and we're quite hopeful about her.

Annupuri
Too Darn Hot (GB) filly out of Mirror City (GB) (Street Cry)
Bought by Jamie McCalmont for 120,000gns from Jamie Railton at Tattersalls Book 2
Marc Chan and the Niarchos Family
She's a nice filly but she's not as sharp as we thought she was initially. She has started to grow and might need a bit more time. The Too Darn Hots we have are lovely-actioned horses and they look like they will want good ground.

Betula
Lope De Vega (Ire) filly out of Galileo Gal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})
Craig Bernick
She's beautiful and is typical of Lope De Vega. She'll be out in the middle of the season and is out of a half-sister to Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}).

Emerald Banner
Starspangledbanner (Aus) filly out of Green Castle (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire})
Homebred
Francis Jennings
She's a full-sister to Millisle (Ire) and is actually stronger than Millisle was at this stage of their careers. There's actually a little bit of a story behind this filly. Her dam, Green Castle was retired at Francis Jennings' stud but, when Millisle won her Group 1, she was whipped back in from the field and went straight in foal to Starspangledbanner and has even produced another filly, so now they have two full-sisters. I think she was 22 or 23 when she had this filly but she doesn't look like an old mare.

Earth
Galileo filly out of Alpha Centauri
Homebred
Niarchos Family
The second foal out of Alpha Centauri, she's a very big lady and is a lovely-mover. She will take a bit of time but she has an incredible pedigree and we are looking forward to seeing what she can do. She might be more of a three-year-old.

Unnamed
Kingman (GB) filly out of Starfish (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})
Homebred
Mrs Frank Barry & Mrs Luke Barry
A half-sister to Astadash, who won the Denny Cordell Lavarack S. at Gowran Park for us, she is very nice and will be out in the middle to back end of the season. Starfish has been an excellent producer for the Barry family and hopefully this filly can be another.

Lucky Melody
Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) filly out of Queen Of Carthage (Cape Cross {Ire})
Bought by BBA Ireland for €195,000 from Baroda Stud at Goffs November Foal Sale in 2021
Yuesheng Zhang
Very nice filly. She's a big girl but is also very sharp and is a half-sister to Lucky Vega (Ire), who did so well for us and obviously means a lot to the Yulong team. We hope to have her out in the middle of the season and she's nice.

Colts
Dundrum
Profitable (Ire) colt out of Rosy Morning (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus})
Bought by BBA Ireland for 31,000 from Castlebridge at Goffs Sportsman's
John G Hennessy
We fancied him to run a big race on debut at Dundalk last week but he came back lame. He actually pulled muscles quite badly so there was a genuine excuse for him disappointing on the day. We hope to get him back to what he was showing us at home before that because he's a colt with an awful lot of speed.

Old Sea
Blue Point (Ire) colt out of Liver Nauticus (Ire) (Azamour {Ire})
Homebred
Moyglare Stud
He's a half-brother to Trevaunance (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}). He's very big and has good action. He does everything very easily and, while we thought he was early, he's started to grow a little and may need more time.

The Bear Trap
Kodi Bear (Ire) colt out of Dat Il Do (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB})
Bought by BBA Ireland for 60,000gns from Pier House Stud at Tattersalls Book 2
Alpha Racing Syndicate
He's a gorgeous colt and we're hoping to start him off in a Curragh maiden before long. We think he could be nice.

Guest Star
Due Diligence colt out of Livella Fella (Ire) (Strategic Prince {GB})
Bought by BBA Ireland for €46,000 from Boherguy Stud at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale
Hronis Racing
A sharp colt, he'll be out within the next month. He looks early and is training well.

Star Hunter
Lope De Vega colt out of She's Complete (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire})
Yuesheng Zhang
A lovely Lope De Vega colt who will be ready to run by the end of May. He's showing up well.

Imperial Magic
Showcasing (GB) colt out of Solfilia (GB) (Teofilo {Ire})
Yuesheng Zhang
Bought by BBA Ireland for €200,000 from Manister House Stud at Goffs Orby
He is sharp and will run in two or three weeks' time. His work has been good and he is very straightforward.

Highland Bling
Highland Reel (Ire) colt out of Padma (GB) (Three Valleys)
Bought by Hubie De Burgh for €22,000 from Vinegrove Stud at Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale
OTI Racing and Brosnan Racing
A very nice Highland Reel colt, he will want a mile but does things nicely at home.

Instant Appeal
Advertise (GB) colt out of Moment Of Time (GB) (Rainbow Quest)
Bought by BBA Ireland for 78,000gns from Newsells Park Stud at Tattersalls Book 2
Alpha Racing Syndicate
Another sharp colt, we'd expect him to be early and he's a very nice colt to do anything with. He's from the first crop of Advertise, who was a very fast horse himself, and we like what we see so far.

Kinesiology
Study Of Man (Ire) colt out of Kinaesthesia (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire})
Bought by BBA Ireland for €65,000 from Staffordstown Stud at Goffs Orby
Alpha Racing Syndicate
On breeding, he will be a middle-distance horse in time and we won't be in any rush to get him out. It will probably be the middle of the season before we see him but he's quite a likeable colt and is doing everything we have asked of him.

The post ‘Good Horses Keep Us All Going’ – Jessica Harrington Stable Tour appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Charlie Johnston: ‘You Can Still Get Value On Horses With Great Pages’

The Johnston approach to sourcing talent sounds terribly simplistic and there's no doubting that it has appeared that way through the oodles of success the Middleham men have had on the racecourse.
But this year was an important one for the Johnstons with Charlie taking over from his father Mark, the winningmost trainer of all time in Britain, who opened up on how he tackles the yearling sales to TDN Europe last year.
Given the importance of Charlie enjoying a productive debut season as a full-fledged trainer and the need to get numbers through the door, was there a temptation to change tack and deviate from a criteria that has served the Johnstons so well for so long given the strength of the trade in 2022? Not in the slightest.
As Charlie reveals in the latest two-year-old tour below, the team added 67 yearlings to the team last autumn, the majority of which were bought for less than a hundred grand and hail from black-type winners or producers of black-type winners.
Johnston commented, “I found this quite an enjoyable exercise, pulling this list of two-year-olds together, because it reminded me of the good pedigrees that we have to work with. We have siblings to some top-class racehorses and the bulk of our two-year-olds have been bought at a hundred grand or less. There are some pretty sexy pedigrees in there for what we paid for them-it looks a strong bunch but the proof will be in the eating.”
He added, “In its simplest form, we look for progeny out of mares who have achieved black-type themselves or from mares who have produced black-type horses. But we have moved away from black-type a little bit in recent years and concentrate more on the ratings of these horses because there will be some very good horses who don't get black-type and some pretty moderate ones who do. The official ratings can often be a more accurate reflection of ability and a rating of 90 is seen as a cut-off point for us.
“There are more nuances to it, for example how frequently the mare is producing good horses and winners, and what sort of stallions the previous horses are by versus what stallion the yearling we are looking at is by, and of course we always have a tendency to go for the horse who is by the middle-distance stallion. I think a mare with a slightly lower pedigree might get away with it if she's by Teofilo (Ire) or something like that rather than being by a sharp and precocious stallion. But in its simplest form, we like to see a horse rated 90 or more in that first dam.”
Johnston has already made a productive start to the year and has sent out 17 winners from 117 runners which equates to a 15 per cent strike-rate. But Saturday marks the beginning of the new season proper and he is approaching the campaign with predictable fire in his belly.
He said, “There is certainly a little bit more accountability and the results are going to be recorded in my name and my name only now. The production of the horses and the team behind that remains the same as it has been for the past few years but, ultimately, the book will stop with me when it comes to the results. There is a little bit more pressure in that sense but, at the same time, it's something I'm relishing rather than worrying about, that's for sure.”
Johnston prepared for his breakout season by shopping in one of toughest yearling markets for some time but explained that, by staying true to the criteria and philosophies that served his father and the rest of the Kingsley Park team well, he was able to fill his orders without reverting from the plan.
He said, “We are different from most other outfits in that we buy the vast majority of horses ourselves on spec. Because I was taking over the licence this year, we couldn't take a backwards step this year and, to ensure that, we had to make sure we had the numbers. We were always going to be pretty aggressive at the yearling sales and set out with a target of buying 70.
“We ended up buying 67 so got pretty close to what we were aiming for. We always say in these situations, we're not always buying the horses we want, but the ones we can afford. But, flicking through these pedigrees, it shows that you can still get value on horses with great pages.”

Charlie and Mark Johnston | Racingfotos.com

Name: Unnamed
Pedigree: Sea The Stars (Ire) colt out of Kitcara (GB) (Shamardal)
Bought for 100,000gns from Castlebridge at Tattersalls Book 1
Owner: Tony Farmer
He's a brother to Al Aasy (Ire) and is a huge, big horse-absolutely ginormous. I wonder if that is what put other people off him at Book 1. It certainly didn't put us off. He's one for his three-year-old year but will make up into a lovely horse in time. He is quite a late foal and I would be surprised if we saw him before September or October this year. He will need a mile as a minimum, even this year, and is going to be one for next year over a-mile-and-a-half. That's when he is going to come into his own. He has the frame to fill into an absolutely gorgeous horse. Obviously Al Aasy was a very talented horse, was second in a Coronation Cup, and all his form was over middle-distances. There will be no real rush with this lad.

Arch Legend
Camelot (GB) colt out of Nakuti (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire})
Cost 82,000gns from Newsells Park Stud at Tattersalls Book 2
Barbara and Alick Richmond
He is owned by Barbara and Alick Richmond, who have had a huge amount of success with another Camelot (GB), Living Legend (Ire). He has been a great horse for us over the years and this horse is in a similar mould–a very big and quite a heavy colt. I think he will need some time and his half-sister Heredia (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) did well last year so it's a strong page. He will need a minimum of seven furlongs this year and was bought as a replacement for Living Legend. They are big shoes to fill but he is a lovely individual.

Unnamed
Lope De Vega (Ire) filly out of Ceisteach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire})
Bought from Newsells Park Stud at Book 2 for 55,000gns
Ballylinch Stud
Nice filly. One thing we've learned over the years with Lope De Vega is that giving them time as two-year-olds is pretty crucial. We won't be seeing this filly until the seven furlong races start in the middle of the year but she is very nice. It's another good owner and stallion to have in the yard, that's for sure. The dam started off with Jim Bolger and ended up going to America where she did well in stakes races. She was a winner over ten furlongs and upwards and is by New Approach so there's plenty of stamina in the pedigree on that side.

Unnamed
Too Darn Hot (GB) colt out of Reckoning (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire})
A 110,000gns purchase off Mascalls Stud from New England Stud at Tattersalls Book 1
Dr Jim Walker
This pedigree has gone in a slightly different direction with Too Darn Hot. Obviously it's a family we know very well and it's one that is very special to us given the mare has produced Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Sir Ron Priestley (GB) (Australia {GB}). Subjectivist obviously ran really well at Meydan last Saturday and it was great to see him back near his best. I think we have had five out of the last six foals out of this mare but we don't have the three-year-old by Roaring Lion out of her. The four-year-old, World Without Love (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}), is still in training with us as well, but obviously the two that were most successful were by Teofilo and Australia, who are out and out middle-distance stallions. This is a different avenue for the mare with Too Darn Hot but he is a lovely individual who has already done one slightly faster piece of work where he went very nicely. The rest of the family got dramatically better at three and again at four but we are hoping that we might see a little more from this guy at two. He is owned by Dr Jim Walker who has been a big supporter of this family since Subjectivist came along. Physically, he is quite similar to Subjectivist and Sir Ron in that he is quite a tall and lengthy horse. He is built in the mould of a middle-distance horse and, to be fair, Subjectivist ran the seven-furlong maiden at Haydock in the beginning of June that we usually target with our Chesham horses, so he was obviously showing us a good bit at two as well. As is often the case, no matter what stamina they have in the pedigree and even if they are going to need a trip in time, the ones who are top class will still show you that ability quite early in their careers. Hopefully this colt will be in that bracket.

Unnamed
Footstepsinthesand (GB) filly out of Crystal Valkyrie (Ire) (Danehill)
Cost €36,000 from Castledillon Stud At Tattersalls Ireland
GPS Bloodstock
Crystal Valkyrie is a very old mare, is 24 now, but I couldn't help myself going in once more to buy this Footstepsinthesand filly because the family has been very good to us. This filly's half-sister Freyja (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) was black-type for us and her brother State Of Bliss (Ire) was another frequent winner. Out of their sibling, Sent From Heaven (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand), we've a nice three-year-old for this year called Benacre–he could be quite a useful colt. It's a family we know well and the combination of that and Footstepsinthesand, who is a stallion we have done very well with, it was enough of a draw for me to forgive the fact that the mare is quite old. I'd say she will want seven furlongs this year and she is a little hot, as they often can be by this stallion, but she is a nice filly.

Love Safari
Galileo (Ire) colt out of Just Pretending (Giant's Causeway)
Cost 57,000gns from Baroda Stud at Tattersalls Book 2
Crone Stud Farms Ltd
There will be a little bit of a theme here because I have put forward three Galileos, all of which were bought relatively cheaply. We expected people to be clamouring over them but we found it easier to buy his offspring last year than at any other time, really. This was the cheapest of the three and he has a very strong pedigree with the dam placing in an Irish Guineas and an Irish Oaks. There are two full siblings who got black-type as well. He is a pretty backward colt and I think he will need a lot of time–he'll be one for the autumn. It's an unbelievably-strong pedigree for the money and hopefully he'll be a nice colt in time. Just looking at my notes from when we bought him as a yearling, the main things that people may have cribbed him for was that he was weak, narrow and light of bone. He is just a backward colt who needs time and we are more than prepared to give it to him.

Madame Sans Gene
Study Of Man (Ire) filly out of Lady Jane Digby (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB})
Homebred
Kirsten Rausing
Miss Rausing has sent us two homebreds, both of which are by Study Of Man and this one is out of Lady Jane Digby, who we trained to win a Group 1. I think this is the eighth foal we've had out of the mare and all seven before her have won. They've all been like their Mum, in that they improved at three and when stepped up to middle-distances. I would expect this filly to follow a similar theme. She's from a lovely family and we trained Gateman (GB) (Owington {GB}) out of the second dam as well. It's a family we know inside out.

Marhaba Million
Galileo colt out of Kheleyf's Silver (Ire) (Kheleyf)
Bought at Goffs Orby from Castlehyde Stud for €82,000
Ahmad Al Shaikh
As I said about the previous Galileos, he's got such such a strong pedigree that you'd have thought he'd have cost a lot more. Again, he's quite a late foal, he's an April 3 foal, and was quite backward at the sales. That is still the case now but he has done really well physically–he's a much stronger horse than when he first arrived. I think he'll continue to improve as the year goes on and, while I don't think he'll show the speed of his sister Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), I see him more of a seven-furlong two-year-old for June onwards.

Bamburgh
Zoffany (Ire) colt out of Many Colours (GB) (Green Desert)
Bought at Goffs Orby for €80,000 from Whitehall Stud
Susan and John Waterworth and Partner
This is a brother to Mother Earth (Ire) and was not sold in the ring at Goffs Orby. We bought him outside the ring and it's another huge pedigree. There is a bit of a theme here but he was quite a weak and backwards-looking yearling who will need a bit of time. Since he has been with us, he has had one piece of faster work where he did it nicely, but we won't push too hard with him just yet. I wouldn't rule out starting him over six furlongs.

Unnamed
Frankel (GB) colt out of Nyaleti (Ire) (Arch)
Homebred
3 Batterhams and a Reay
He is a first foal and the one thing he doesn't look like is a typical first foal as he is absolutely huge. He is close to being our biggest and he's certainly our heaviest two-year-old at the moment. The dam won the week before Royal Ascot at Salisbury and then went on to finish second in the Chesham. I know that Chris Batterham is dreaming of aiming this horse back at the Chesham and we will see what the next month or two brings. Looking at him now, you would expect that he will need more time than that but the mare was such a fantastic performer, it's nice to have one of her sons in training with us. Chris has got a Dubawi (Ire) coming along and I'm pretty sure the mare went to Baaeed (GB) this year as well so there's lots of excitement to come with her, hopefully.

Paladin
Justify colt out of Golconda (FR) (Planteur {Ire})
Bought for €70,000 at Goffs Orby from Castlebridge
John Brown and Megan Dennis
He is the first and only Justify who we have had. He is a very strong horse and you can see the American strain in him-he is a tall, powerful, muscular horse with a really big, heavy shoulder on him. He's actually quite a lovely-mover despite him being quite heavy. He hasn't done any fast work yet but looks a seven-furlong type of two-year-old for the summer. We are happy with him.

Quintus Maximus
Kitten's Joy colt out of Indian Blessing (GB) (Sepoy {Aus})
Homebred
Newsells Park Stud and Waldmark Syndicate
This is a Newsells Park Stud homebred and is out of a very good mare who got black-type in Germany, France and then the UK and America. She was a very consistent racehorse from a two-year-old right through to her five-year-old career and he is the first foal out of her. He is not very big but is nicely put together and did his first piece of faster work last week where he went nicely. Most of the dam's form is from seven furlongs and up and she is by Sepoy herself. He's by Kitten's Joy so I would have thought he'd want to start at seven and move up from there but he's showing some early speed as well and looks an exciting prospect.

Blue Point: Johnston is a fan of the first-season sire | Darley

Unnamed
Kodiac (GB) colt out of Querulous (Raven's Pass)
Bought at Tattersalls Book 1 from Tally-Ho Stud for 52,000gns
Peter Savill
I hope I wasn't being too bold at the time but, when I bought this horse at Book 1, I joked to some of the people at Tattersalls that they could pay us out on the Book 1 bonus right there. Obviously Book 1 bonuses are something that we target a lot and, most of what we buy at Book 1, we buy them for less than a hundred grand. Being able to win a large chunk of that back in one hit through the bonus is a major incentive for us and is something we've had a lot of success with in the past. This lad is a full brother to Kessaar (Ire) and is a January 15 foal so we were expecting him to be really early but sadly he had a slight setback. He won't be one of our first horses into battle but he will run this year and is a lovely big colt who came from Tally-Ho Stud. There's plenty to work with there and he has a fair bit of speed. I'm hoping that he will cash in on the bonus at some point in the year.

Rakki
Sea The Stars (Ire) colt out of Waldmark (Ger) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire})
Bought for 100,000gns at Book 1 from Newsells
Mrs M C Sweeney
A pretty old mare, again, which is what I am guessing put a lot of people off at the sales. He was pretty backward at the time but what a page to be able to buy in to. He's average-sized and looks like a horse who will improve with more time. The vast majority of what the family achieved, it was all at three, and you'd expect him to be similar. He'll be one for the back end of this year.

Rosenzoo
Zoffany colt out of Rosenreihe (Ire) (Catcher In The Rye {Ire})
Private purchase
Kingsley Park 37 – Gold
This horse is in one of our Kingsley Park Syndicates and was bought outside the ring at Book 2 when he didn't make his reserve. It's a colt I really like and he was a backward and not a particularly impressive yearling but has just improved out of all recognition since he's joined us. I'm glad that Dad went and bartered with Philipp Stauffenberg the morning after he failed to sell. Dad would tell the full story better but they were leading the horse away to go back home to Germany so he really didn't have another minute. We got the horse in the end, which is all that matters.

Unnamed
Highland Reel (Ire) colt out of Recambe (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire})
Bought for 40,000gns from Baroda Stud at Tattersalls Book 2
Kingsley Park 37 – Gold
This is a half-brother to Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and, from memory, he could even be the first foal that the mare has had since, so they must have had quite a bit of difficulty with the dam along the way. We picked him up at Book 2 and he was quite backward as an April 27 foal but he has done nothing but improve with us. He's another in the Kingsley Park Syndicate and could be a fun horse for everyone in the second half of this year and then into next year.

Kenny Alexander: Honeysuckle's owner is new to the stable | Racingfotos.com

Saint Matthew
Caravaggio colt out of Lamya (Ger) (Choisir {Aus})
Homebred
Hussain Alabbas Lootah
We had Lamation (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) out of the mare last year and he showed a bit of speed but this fellow put his hand up right from the word go to be one of our earlier runners. He's not done a huge amount of work because the weather has held us up. He's only actually been on grass once but, what he has done at home, he has done it very well. He is forward and is built for this job–he's a strong and compact horse who looks the right type to be running at this time of year.

Sennockian
No Nay Never colt out of Lady Gorgeous (GB) (Compton Place {GB})
Bought for €120,000 from Glenvale Stud at Goffs Orby
The Burke Family
He's a half-brother to Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), the champion two-year-old filly from a few years ago, and is not overly big but is well put together. He did his first piece of work on Wednesday morning and went quite nicely. He's a May 10 foal and we tend to try not to run them before their official second birthday. It will be another six weeks before we see him out but, physically, he's the right type to be running pretty early.

Specific Times
Blue Point (Ire) filly out of Daily Times (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire})
Homebred
Times Of Wigan
Plenty of owners and breeders ask around this time of year what are first-season sires that we like and my go-to response has been Blue Point. We have a few of them and we like them all. This filly in particular looks sharp and she could be our first filly to run. She has had three faster pieces of work and has done everything easily up until now. Kempton stages the first two-year-old fillies' race in the second week of April and, all being well, she could go there.

Unnamed
Blue Point colt out of Bergamask (Kingmambo)
Homebred
Godolphin
He's a half to Buratino (Ire) so it's another family we know well. He didn't come to us until recently so hasn't done any faster work but he looks the right type to be precocious and early. He's quite a boy and is fairly full of himself, as Buratino was himself, but he's another Blue Point that we like and he looks as though he'll be pretty early.

Unnamed
Kingman (GB) filly out of Seventh Heaven (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})
Bought for 70,000gns at Tattersalls Book 1 from Voute Sales Ltd
Kenny Alexander
It's a massive pedigree for the money she cost and is owned by Kenny Alexander who has a couple of fillies with us this year. It's great to have him on board in this sphere now and this is a nice filly. Her dam was a top-class filly and, while you would expect to see some speed from Kingman, I see her more as a 10-furlong type for next year. If she can win, she has a lot of residual value going forward. Kenny approached us with the aim of following a similar approach to his ownership over jumps with those high-class fillies. We bought a couple of yearlings with nice pages for him and, while the bar has been set pretty high from what he has been achieving over jumps, hopefully we can have some success for him.

Unnamed
Kingman filly out of You're Back (Street Cry)
Cost 75,000gns at Book 1 from Highclere Stud
Jaber Abdullah
This is quite a big, masculine filly and is taking more from the Kingman side of her pedigree. She's had two gallops already and has gone well. I could see her being out at some point in April if not early-May. She's showing a bit of speed and will be one of the earlier fillies.

Unnamed
Galileo colt out of Tiggy Wiggy
Cost 115,000gns from Voute Sales Ltd at Book 2
Sheikh Hamed Dalmook Al Maktoum
This lad is a June 9 foal, so he is a very late foal, and I'm not sure what role that played in his price at the sales. Because of his date of birth, we haven't done anything strong with him but he's a lovely colt and I wouldn't rule him out being ready for mid-summer.

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