Mount Logan booked for the Autumn Stakes

We have had several winners since our last update and are now well within reach of our new domestic target of 60 winners with more than a month of the Flat turf season still to go. Lawyer set the ball rolling at Wolverhampton when showing an extremely good turn of foot after twice running into trouble in the straight and he was value for a good deal more than his winning margin. Unfortunately the official handicappers thought so too, putting him up 9lb, but he has more improvement in him, not least over 7f at which trip he is running later this week and he will give a good account of himself then. Diamond Mine and Saigon City have been our other winners in a period in which, much like earlier in the season, we have been hitting the crossbar with frustrating regularity. Diamond Mine is a very promising middle-distance stayer for 2014 and he won his maiden a bit snugly at Kempton despite the drop back in trip, fighting back strongly once headed by the Godolphin runner. He might have another race this year if the handicapper doesn’t overreact but he should be one for the big handicaps next year. Saigon City also seems likely to be around next year. That might seem strange given his lowly rating and date at the Sales, but he’s a horse we have a soft spot for, something of a pet project of ours if you like, only ever doing what he wants to and then infrequently, but he got himself out of jail at Nottingham from a poor position and there’s a fair bit more potential there to unlock.

Markttag is another horse that is in the Sales but we may well end up keeping. He was just touched off at Warwick last time in a well-endowed race for the grade after travelling well but he’s just a bit weak right now to be stepping him up to a mile and a half which would suit him on breeding. He’s another with improvement in him next year and that will probably just persuade us to keep him. Greatwood won’t be here as we have said before but we couldn’t have been more pleased with his Ascot second in view of the early pace being too slow for him which resulted in him pulling too hard, but despite all that he finished off his race really well. Alisios was another second at Redcar, bumping into what looked quite a useful one potentially of David Simcock’s, and he is probably good enough to win a maiden at a mile even though he is now qualified for handicaps. If Redcar was frustrating on Saturday, Newmarket was trebly so with Postponed, Validus and Ajman Bridge all finishing second and Bonanza Creek, who we had diverted from a Listed race at Chantilly into a fillies’ handicap, unseating her rider. Postponed’s effort was a really pleasing one as he hadn’t had much of a race when winning his maiden and was a shade too inexperienced for a race like Saturday’s, the penny taking a while to drop over a trip a shade too short but then really picking up strongly close home. He’s crying out for a mile and is a nice prospect for next year. Validus did everything right and was only beaten by a horse that deserved to win a race after a long time without one and given he was an old favourite of ours here, Mabait, we can’t have any complaints. Ajman Bridge was beaten by a horse with a better turn of foot than he possesses but remains a project for 2014. The slow pace didn’t play to his strengths but he was gaining all the way to the line and he’ll develop into a useful performer maybe at Listed level next year when he looks as though we will have to start him off at a mile and a half. 

Our Melbourne Cup hope Mount Athos is in great form training well and bang on target for Flemington but before then we have targets closer to home this week. Rockalong will run at York so long as the ground doesn’t turn soft while we will also run Elhaame at the same fixture in preference to Semeen. Mount Logan is a very promising two-year-old and is booked for the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday when hopefully Aidan O’Brien will only run one (if that) of his numerous entries, while we also hope to get a run into our recent Irish import Seussical having had to pull him out of a recent engagement. 

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Tattersalls Yearling Sales

This is a very busy time of year in Newmarket for buying and selling Yearlings.  Tattersalls Yearling sales is one of Europe’s biggest and busiest sales.  Thousands of yearlings are brought to Newmarket to be sold over these next few weeks.

Last week saw the most intriguing Book 1 sale.  It was held over Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, seeing several lots sell in the millions, most notably a colt sold for 3.6 million and a filly for 5 million, both by  Galileo . . .

This week is Book 2, this sale started yesterday and will continue until Thursday from 10.30am each day . . . There are some wonderful individuals being sold throughout the week at some competitive prices.  Book 3 Yearlings selling on  Friday, 18th October.

We will then look forward to the very interesting Horses In Training sale at Tattersalls, this sale runs from 28th to 31st October . . . This gives owners a chance to sell there current stock and also for owners and trainers to purchase horses that have been in training with another trainer that look to have potential and will race on under new ownership and perhaps a new trainer.  Plenty of horses are revived when changed to a different training methods and a new scenery.  We have had plenty of success doing this, the most impressive being Prohibit, who was brought at this very sale in October 2009 and went on to win a Group 1 in The Kings Stakes Stakes at  Royal Ascot in 2011.

Tattersalls will then hold further Yearling sales in December, along with a Foal sale and Mares sale . . .

Robert Cowell is more than happy to discuss plans to purchase horses, be it at the Yearling sales, In Training sales, Mares or Foal sales.  We cater for all here at Bottisham Heath Stud.  Whether you are considering putting a yearling in to training or an older horse, we train all here.  We also offer boarding for Mares, Yearlings, Foals, Horses out of Training.  We have acres of private paddocks, as well as facilities to foal down mares and prepare for covering. . .For more information we are always available to discuss further . . .Robert – 07785512463 or Holly – 01638 570330 . . .

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