Baroda Stud

The Johnston barn had not annexed Newmarket's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes since Marie De Medicis won in 2010 and bridged a 16-year gap with an impressive front-running performance by Russell Trew and Townbraccan's Jennifer Jane (New Bay) in the 10-furlong Oaks trial at HQ. "I wasn't certain the step up in trip would work, but you have to be adaptable and think on your feet," said Charlie Johnston. "The plan at that point was to start in the [Listed] Michael Seely [Memorial] at York in a couple of weeks, but...

The Tom Dascombe-trained debutant Crown Of Ivy (Naval Crown) belied his inexperience and surged clear of five rivals at the end of a six-furlong novices' heat at Doncaster on Saturday evening and, in so doing, became the first winner for his Kildangan Stud-based freshman sire. Racing on the front end throughout, the heavily-supported 9-4 favourite was shaken up when threatened with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining and found additional gears in the closing stages to easily overpower the  more experienced Rocket Boots (Too Darn Hot) by an impressive 2 1/2 lengths....

Amo Racing's Force Noir (Persian Force) was named a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, after a visually impressive display at Naas on Monday. The Robson Aguiar-trained colt had previously shown a battling attitude when beaten a head after attempting to make all on heavy ground in the season's opening juvenile contest at the Curragh last month. Benefiting from much drier conditions in Monday's Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden, he made no mistake the second time around. In doing so, he became the second winner and first TDN Rising...

Baroda Stud Consigning has announced the appointment of Sarah Kelly as bloodstock and marketing executive ahead of the upcoming sales season. A graduate of the University of Limerick with a degree in Equine Science, Kelly holds a Certificate in Thoroughbred Breeding Management from the Irish National Stud, where she was awarded both the Veterinary Award and a Certificate of Distinction. Her skillset includes a Diploma in PR and Marketing Communications, further strengthening her knowledge across both bloodstock and communications. Kelly joins the County Kildare-based operation following her participation in the...

by Sue Finley and Katie Petrunyak  For European consignors, the sales season is less a sprint than a marathon, beginning in the August heat at Arqana and running nearly straight through to a frenzied finale of breeding stock sales just as the winter chill signals the season's end. While many Irish and British teams pack up their supplies for the year once their last mare has stepped out of the ring at Tattersalls, plenty see the value in making one final trek across the Channel. It's the last stop in...

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin NEWMARKET, UK -- As the sun went down, the ring filled up and, after the odd false start, the sale-watchers got what they came for: Porta Fortuna, followed by Tamfana, Barnavara, Saqqara Sands and then some as an array of equine jewels combined to bring the highest gross ever recorded in a single day in European auction history. If many had predicted that Porta Fortuna (Caravaggio) would top the sale then they were almost right, and for about an hour she held the record...

Alpha Racing's Barnavara (Calyx) became the new sale topper at Tattersalls December's Sceptre Sessions at 4.8 million gns. She was bought online by Sugar Whiskey Trading, believed to be an associate of Ace Stud. Henry Lascelles, on the phone, was a determined underbidder on the Baroda Stud-consigned filly. Sold as lot 1753, the three-year-old daughter of Calyx captured the G1 Prix de l'Opera this autumn, after taking the G2 Blandford stakes in September for trainer Jessica Harrington. The daughter of Alfea (Kentucky Dynamite) was bred by Andriy Milovonov and V....

Siblings to the top-class performers Emily Upjohn, Sea Of Class and Dreamloper (Lope De Vega) feature among the potential highlights in the catalogue for the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale, which takes place on Monday, November 24. Lot 75, a Sea The Stars full-brother to the G1 British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes and G1 Coronation Cup heroine Emily Upjohn, and lot 76, a Sea The Stars full-brother to the G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks scorer Sea Of Class, both feature in the 24-strong draft from The Castlebridge Consignment....

TATTERSALLS, ENGLAND - The young pinhookers behind the 450,000gns Minzaal filly that lit up Book 2 will face an interesting proposition when they return to school on Tuesday given the teenagers each walked out of Tattersalls on Monday with more money than their teachers will earn in a year.  Fionn White (16) and brothers Jack (17) and Max Galway (13), whose father Richie is racing manager at Punchestown and son-in-law of Jessica Harrington, will do well to ignore sales catalogues for school books from this day on given the three...

Amo Racing's Tattersalls October Book 1 millionaire Ancient Egypt (Frankel) registered a half-length debut win tackling an extended seven furlongs at Beverley last month and delivered a TDN Rising Star performance, racing under a seven-pound penalty, upped to one mile in Sunday's British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at Goodwood. "It was a messy, stop-start race, but the benefit was that he had something to aim at," said Charlie Johnston. "He was still a little bit gawky when he did hit the front and it looked to me that there...

Amo Racing's Ancient Egypt (Frankel) had already caused a stir when knocked down for 1,100,000gns at last year's Tattersalls October Book 1 sale and he made a winning debut for the Charlie Johnston stable in Tuesday's EBF Novice Stakes at Beverley. "Nothing but winning would have done today and we'd have been disappointed with second," admitted Mark Johnston. "He got a bit warm and was coltish beforehand, so I was a little bit concerned. The race didn't pan out exactly as planned and it took a little while for the...

Two high-class mares have been published to GoffsGo, including the Listed-placed Hibiscus, a full-sister to both the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Line Of Duty and the G1 Prix de l'Opera second Jackie Oh. The 12-year-old Hibiscus, a daughter of Galileo and the 1,000 Guineas runner-up Jacqueline Quest, will be offered by Baroda Stud with a Too Darn Hot colt foal at foot. Already the dam of the G3 Ballysax Stakes and G3 Derby Trial Stakes runner-up Up And Under (Lope De Vega), she was recently represented by her...