30 Jun

Debate in the lead up to Royal Ascot was the lack of international runners, but that didn’t stop the only Australian horse of the week Asfoora from making the locally trained sprinters all look distinctly average. What was more disconcerting for our sprinters, was that Asfoora hasn’t ever managed to win a Group 1 in Australia - she came down and put a length on, what is considered to be our best in division, is a mild wake up call regarding the depth of our sprinters. Asfoora was even described by record breaking trainer Chris Waller as  ‘Just a B grade filly in Australia’. It was a superb effort from Ballarat handler Henry Dwyer to get her primed for the big day after a long year in training in Oz, a fully deserved victory for one of the industry’s nice guys. Let’s hope that her...

31 May

May started with the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up Sale. Three purchases were made, all colts, by Australia, Mehmas and Kodi Bear. The Australia will head into training with George Scott, the Kodi Bear to Harry Eustace and the Mehmas who cost 160,000 Guineas for Opulence Thoroughbreds will head to Andrew Balding. From Tattersalls, the circus rolled on to Arqana for the last major Breeze Up Sale of the year - The top lot this year was a Justify colt of Norman Williamson’s that went the way of Godolphin for a steady €2,300,000. JS Bloodstock was responsible for four purchases, sadly nothing that broke the six-figure mark, let alone the seven-figure mark that Godolphin was spending. We bought four colts and a filly, the colts were by Galiway, Blue Point, Starspangledbanner and the filly, a Saxon Warrior. The Blue Point and the Starspangledbanner will go into training...

17 May

The progeny of Tally-Ho Stud’s Mehmas occupied two of the top three prices, with the biggest figure generated by a colt from Eddie Linehan’s Lackendarra Stables. After signing the 160,000gns docket, agent Billy Jackson-Stops said: “He’s for Andrew Balding and Opulence Thoroughbreds. He’s by the right sire, obviously, and out of a mare by the right broodmare sire. “He did a lovely breeze and is a really lovely type. I wanted to buy something that was going to be pretty active this year, so on that front he was everything we wanted. I loved his breeze, loved his attitude and I know the consignor well and he always does a good job.” The colt is out of the Pivotal mare Raincall, who in turn is out of the Australian Group 1 winner Lone Rock. Linehan pinhooked the colt for 55,000gns from the Highclere draft during last year’s...

30 Apr

April saw the return of the breeze up sales, starting at Tattersalls for the Craven Sale, biblical weather led the way to what should have been a straightforward start to the sale season and caused chaos for purchasers and vendors alike with the breeze having to temporarily be halted while a passing storm came through Newmarket. Billy made four purchases, three for long-term client Sheikh Abdullah Al Sabah. The first, a daughter of Kitten’s Joy out of a Night Of Thunder mare from the family of Twilight Jet and Go Angellica - she was purchased for 50,000GNS from Grangecoor Farm and will head straight to Saudi Arabia. Secondly a colt by No Nay Never out of a Mastercraftsman mare, from the family of Flanders and G Force. The easy moving colt was purchased for 115,000GNS from consigners Mocklershill. Thirdly a colt by Mehmas out of a...

31 Mar

March saw the racing world focusing its attention on the Middle East once again with the Dubai Carnival in full swing and the Bahrain season beginning to wind down. Billy was once again in Bahrain to witness Horses-In-Training purchase Isle Of Jura take part in the final leg of the Bahrain Triple Crown. Having already won the Crown Prince’s Cup and Al Khalifa Cup, Isle Of Jura was on course to do what no horse had ever achieved in Bahrain by winning the Kings Cup over 1 mile and 4 furlongs, which was an unknown trip for him. Having gone off 2nd favourite to Charlie Appleby’s Dhahabi, Isle Of Jura was briefly caught widest of all around the first bend but was eventually settled in behind the pace as usual by regular rider Callum Sheppard. He took a lot of rousing in the home straight...

29 Feb

February saw the start of a busy sales period once again with sales at Tattersalls, Goffs and Arqana where there was a last chance to buy breeding stock and short yearlings for various clients. On the racing front things were hotting up in the Middle East with international racing happening in Bahrain, Dubai and Qatar. Billy was in Saudi Arabia for the Saudi Cup trials night to meet various clients and spend time at track work with local trainer Lucas Gaiten. Originally from Argentina, Lucas, who is the son of champion Argentine trainer Nicolas Gaiten, was head hunted to become a private trainer in Saudi Arabia and he showed Billy the lay out and facilities of the King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh. Following on from Saudi and Billy went to Bahrain for the Crown Prince’s Cup meeting. Billy and trainer George Scott had purchased a...

01 Jan

December came and went in a flurry of sales with yet more triumph in the sales ring and on the track. During Tattersalls Yearlings Sale 6 lots were secured, 4 of which were for The Rogues Gallery; A Lope De Vega colt out of black type Motivator mare, Vue Fantastique from the same family as Calling Out, he was knocked down for 20,000gns. Bali Hai, an already named Too Darn Hot filly out of an Oasis Dream mare from the family of Kensington and Islington. The filly was consigned by Barton Stud and purchased for 50,000gns. A colt by Study Of Man out of a Galileo mare from the family of Mukhadram and Woodland Aria. The imposing colt was purchased for 78,000gns from WH Bloodstock. And lastly for The Rogues Gallery was the only Dubawi of the sale, a colt out of a group-winning mare and from the family...

30 Dec

Continuing the profiles of the favourite horses of TDN Europe's editorial team in 2023, Sean Cronin selects an unheralded sprinter who could hit the big time next year. Royal Ascot's 2023 edition produced its plethora of lip-quivering moments and there was scarcely a dry eye in this quarter when Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) halted a seven-race losing streak by annexing the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. for Tom Clover's Fordham Road yard. Purchased for 35,000gns as an unraced two-year-old out of the Shadwell draft at Tattersalls' 2021 December Sale, she became the Kremlin House incumbent's first Royal scorer and instigated joyous scenes among the multitude of Rogues Gallery syndicate members assembled in the hallowed winner's enclosure. Her best effort, in four subsequent outings, following that career high was a runner-up finish in Leopardstown's G1 Matron S. on Irish Champions weekend, but she made little impression and...

28 Dec

Rogue Millennium Dubawi - Hawaafez (Nayef) Bought by JS Bloodstock for 35,000gns Sold to David Lanigan and Ted Durcan, agents for Heider Family Stables, for 1,650,000gns Shadwell’s decision to reduce their numbers during the 2021 sales season was always going to present opportunities for others, but few have capitalised to quite the extent that Tom Clover and The Rogues Gallery syndicate have with Rogue Millennium. She was bought as an unraced two-year-old in training from the December Mares Sale, where she cost agent Billy Jackson Stops just 35,000gns. That price could have probably been identified as good value at the time considering she is by the great Dubawi and out of the Group 3-winning Hawaafez, which made her a sister to the seven-time scorer Khatm. But it wasn’t long before she looked a very shrewd signing indeed. Rogue Millennium was out by the April of her three-year-old year and landed a...