Newmarket
Dave Youngman with the latest news from Headquarters
DaveYoungman with his latest news from HQ
HERE at Newmarket we are well into the yearling sales season at Tattersalls and what a blockbuster of a sale Book 1 was, setting a record turnover, with two lots making 3.4 and 3.5 million guineas.
The latter was a full brother to recent Dewhurst Stakes winner TOO DARN HOT. This yearling was purchased by David Redvers for Qatar Racing and it will be going into training here at HQ with John Gosden at Clarehaven on the Bury Road. From what I saw of it at the sales it has a lovely walk, well balanced and is very correct in every way.
TOO DARN HOT was a convincing winner of the Dewhurst Stakes on the Rowley Mile and now goes into winter quarters a hot favourite for next year’s 2,000 Guineas in May. He looks certain to stay a mile and a quarter next term but with so much speed a mile and a half may prove beyond him, only time will tell. His dam Dar Re Mi has a lovely filly foal that she had in April and is in foal again to Dubawi.
ANTHONY Stroud signed for £21m worth of yearlings at the recent sale on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed for Godolphin. Many will be going to Warren Place to be trained when they have completed their pre-training in the various Darley yards here at Newmarket. What quality there will be at Warren Place next year and I can’t wait to be there to see it all.
PART of the refurbishment of Warren Place has been the inclusion of a new access road that was needed to accommodate the large Godolphin horseboxes to get in and out. Access is now further up the Moulton Road. It will now be the main entrance to Warren Place stables. I fully expect some big winners to make the journey to the races from that entrance next season.
ENABLE returned from Paris in great form after her win in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. She blew hard after the race, more than usual, but she has enjoyed her work since and owner Prince Khalid Abdullah has decided to send her to the Breeders’ Cup mile Turf at Churchills Down.
YOUNG trainer Henry Spiller has recently bought Sackville House stables here at HQ and he looks set to do well.
Henry is now in his third season and is building up his training career very well. He was originally with John Oxx in Ireland before joining Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor.
As a child he loved horses and his parents Charles and Fiona encouraged him into racing and hopefully will see him do well in the game.
Henry always has his dog Dermot out on the gallops with him.
When I first arrived in Newmarket in the 1960s Sackville House was the lair of trainer Arthur Goodwill, affectionately known at that time as “Fiddler” because he brought his violin with him to Newmarket when he first arrived.