Olly Tait

In its fledgling years, Wathnan Racing may have made a major splash at Royal Ascot in particular, and added a 66/1 winner of the Dubai World Cup to its list of achievements in 2025, but the team now has another major prize in its sights the on the other side of the Atlantic. Commandment (Into Mischief) won last weekend's Florida Derby to take his string of victories for Brad Cox to four and put himself firmly in the reckoning for the Kentucky Derby on May 2. Billed as 'the greatest...

Multiple Group-winning mare Olentia was the star of the Magic Millions Virtual Sale on Tuesday when going the way of Olly Tait's Twin Hills Stud for A$2.6 million. Tait later confirmed that the daughter of Zoustar was bought on behalf of Wathnan Racing as a broodmare prospect. Offered by Glenesk Thoroughbreds on behalf of Star Thoroughbreds, the six-year-old half-sister to Group 3 winner Wandabaa (Wandjina) and dual Listed winner Malkovich (Choisir) accrued just shy of A$1 million in prize-money over a 23-start career under the steerage of Chris Waller, with...

What's rare is wonderful. Royal Ascot winners coming on the market is certainly a rare thing and Quai De Bethune (Persian King), successful in the Golden Gates Stakes at the Royal meeting, was most certainly wonderful when selling to Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown for a record-high price of 775,000gns at the Tattersalls July Sale.  That sum eclipsed the previous best that was achieved just over 24 hours earlier for Calyx's sister that went the way of Badgers Bloodstock at 550,000gns. But Quai De Bethune was billed as the star attraction...

Leading flat jockey James Doyle is set to become the first retained rider for Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani's Wathnan Racing beginning in January, the organisation announced on Monday. The 35-year-old had been riding as second jockey for Godolphin since January 2015 and will join Wathnan when his contract expires at the end of this year. "It is a tremendous honour for me to sign for Wathnan," Doyle said. "It's an amazing opportunity for me going forward with His Highness Sheikh Tamim's Wathnan Racing and I'm greatly looking forward...

ASCOT, UK--Even before the action was underway on Gold Cup day, there appeared to be entertainment aplenty for the King and Queen. Sir Mark Prescott had managed to book the royal version of speedy boarding and was positioned in the first carriage with their majesties for the royal procession. This may well have been a strategic move from them in the middle of a week which requires plenty of stamina, with two processions still to come. It's a long ride by horse-drawn carriage from Windsor Great Park to Ascot Racecourse...

   Few people left an imprint at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale quite like Olly Tait. Under the banner of the newly-formed and Qatari-backed Wathnan Racing, Tait signed for nine horses to the tune of 1.75 million gns, headed by 450,000gns purchase Persian Royal (GB) (Al Kazeem {GB}).    Fitting that Tait has been tasked with growing Wathnan Racing into a formidable ownership vehicle in Qatar as it was the Australian native who was entrusted by Godolphin to get their Darley operation off the ground down under back...

Courtesy TDN AusNZ Juddmonte will offer a trio of mares, two in foal to Frankel (GB) and the other in foal to Kingman (GB), at the Inglis Chairman's Sale on May 6. Consigned by Olly Tait's Twin Hills Stud, the Invincible Spirit (Ire) mare Escapement (GB), a half-sister to Group 1 winners Timepiece (GB) (Zamindar) and Passage Of Time (GB) (Dansili {GB}), the latter the dam of breakout stallion Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), is carrying to Frankel, as is Lucid Dreamer (GB) (Dansili {GB}). Lucid Dreamer is closely related...

Lanwades stallion Bobby's Kitten (Kitten's Joy), whose daughter Sandrine (GB) added last week's G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. to her victory in the G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot, was represented by his first winner from his lone Southern Hemisphere-sired crop when the debuting Cecil Street Lad (Aus) ran out a 3/4-length winner Wednesday at Sandown in Victoria. Bred and raised by Olly Tait's Twin Hills Farm in New South Wales, the gelded son of Just A Girl (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) was the $4.40 (17-5) second favorite...

The first of four races on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, the 1600-meter Cattleya S. (allowance), took place Saturday on the eve of the G1 Japan Cup at Toyko Racecourse, with US-bred Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) running his record to two wins from as many starts with a convincing victory. The 7-5 second choice, a debut winner in a 1300-meter newcomers' event at Tokyo Nov. 7, broke without incident and was ridden positively from gate one by Keita Tosaki to sit in the wake of pacesetting Takeru...