Wathnan Racing

Wathnan Racing struck the woodwork more than once during Tuesday's opening day of Royal Ascot and made a belated breakthrough in Wednesday's opener, the G2 Queen Mary Stakes, with £190,000 Goffs Breeze-Up acquisition and once-raced Nottingham maiden winner Leovanni (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}--Kassandra {Ire}, by Dandy Man {Ire}). The Karl Burke trainee broke smartly and raced to the fore in the smaller far-side group throughout the five-furlong dash. Shaken up to gain an overall advantage soon after passing the quarter-mile marker, the 22-1 chance refused to buckle once in front...

It was a day that had everything. From Rosallion landing the St James's Palace S. to yet another Australian sprinter showing the Euros how it's done, day one of the royal meeting did not disappoint. Here are some of the talking points.   Faux Pas For The French Anyone who backed the French raiders Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) and Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) in the Queen Anne knew pretty early that they were not going to get off to a winning start at the royal meeting....

Ten stayers will line up in Thursday's G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, with the 2022 title-holder Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) looking to regain his crown having missed out through injury 12 months ago. He will be Aidan O'Brien's sole runner, while John and Thady Gosden saddle a trio in Wathnan Racing's Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), Godolphin's Trawlerman (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) and Normandie Stud's Sweet William (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Willie Mullins has booked Colin Keane for the ride on the Riccis' Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), while...

Sunday saw the confirmations for 2024 Royal Ascot's opening day fixture, where the G1 St James's Palace S. is the rightful stage for the coming together of the 2,000 Guineas, Irish 2,000 Guineas and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroes Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Metropolitan (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}). The latter has been supplemented for the mile contest and is joined by fellow French raider Darlinghurst (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), while Ballydoyle rely on last year's G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. hero Henry Longfellow (Ire)...

Is there any stallion out there who is better represented in the juvenile division than Mehmas (Ire)? He seems to be banging in a winner every other day in Britain and Ireland but it's his statistics with two-year-olds that are really off the charts.  This year alone, with the season still in its infancy, Mehmas has sired 17 individual two-year-old winners in Europe and enjoyed 19 successes overall. For context, fellow Tally-Ho Stud resident Kodiac (GB) is on 12 individual juvenile winners while No Nay Never has eight, Soldier's Call...

Wathnan Racing's exciting team of horses for Royal Ascot has been bolstered further by the acquisition of the smart three-year-old prospect Space Legend (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) from Hong Kong-based owner Bon Ho. Blandford Bloodstock's Richard Brown, who has been charged with assembling some enticing prospects for the Emir of Qatar's burgeoning racing operation, confirmed the purchase on Wednesday.  He said, "Space Legend is a lovely, progressive type, typical of the best by his sire. We're really looking forward to seeing how he develops in the months and seasons...

Outside the racing world it was impossible not to be moved over the last week by the commemorative ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Plenty of people in the bloodstock business will be familiar with the lovely countryside around Deauville, best known to us as home to France's Thoroughbred breeding heartland. The serenity of rural Normandy makes it hard to comprehend the appalling ravages of war that were played out there on the beaches and in the bocage all those decades ago.  I would urge anyone who is a...

Debuting in Saturday's Two Year Old Trophy at Beverley, Wathnan Racing's €460,000 Arqana May Breeze Up purchase Shareholder (Not This Time) made the perfect start to point to Royal Ascot's juvenile features. Slowly away under James Doyle, the Karl Burke-trained 6-4 favourite quickly recovered to track his four rivals racing a touch freely without cover. Delivered to take a narrow lead approaching the furlong pole, he belied inexperience to hold the previous winner Moving Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and score by a short head. "He was a little tardily away...

Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), who flew in from the U.S. to defeat 25 European fillies in the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot last year, will be back in England to contest the five-furlong G1 King Charles III S. (formerly the Kings Stand S.) at Ascot June 19. She will be saddled by John and Thady Gosden and stay on at their Clarehaven Stables for a European campaign. The three-year-old daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist ran sixth, beaten just 2 1/2 lengths in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf...

It was only a year ago that Wathnan Racing first came to prominence during Royal Ascot following their high-profile purchases of subsequent Gold Cup and Queen's Vase winners Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}). It was revealed in TDN that the Emir of Qatar was behind the new name on the scene, and it is one of which we have heard plenty in the intervening 12 months. Since then, the operation's bloodstock agent Richard Brown has been busy both at public auctions and in...

Reigning Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will not defend his crown at Royal Ascot after suffering a setback. The five-year-old was bought privately by Wathnan Racing ahead of last year's meeting, having won each of his three previous starts for breeder Anthony Oppenheimer. Courage Mon Ami then provided one of the moments of the meeting as he took the stayers' crown in the hands of Frankie Dettori, before going on to disappoint in the Goodwood Cup and having to settle for second in the Lonsdale Cup...

TIMONIUM, MD - The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale opened with a steady session which gained steam throughout the day Monday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. "It was a very good start to the May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. "The results were basically identical to last year, from a statistical standpoint. We were very encouraged." A total of 142 horses sold Monday for a gross of $13,162,000. Monday's average was $92,690, and the median was $48,500. Monday's figures where on...