A day to remember

Yearling selection, St Moritz won another Listed race, however Saturday 28th May was an even better day for me –
In the afternoon trainer Brian Meehan ran a Distorted Humor 2yo filly, Shumoos, who I had bought at Keeneland September Yearling sale for Owner Fawzi Nass, in a 5 furlong maiden at Haydock.  She won by 4½  lengths and 5 lengths in a good time for the day beating colts including a few with big reputations.  Timeform rate her 98+ and commented –‘… is presumably now all systems go for the Queen Mary, the one to beat in that over and above the fillies who’ve won bigger-name races, as Shumoos looked something special and achieved a first-time-out rating to match, even then barely looking to hit top gear.’  All being well, she goes to the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes for 2yo fillies over 5 furlongs on the Wednesday of Royal Ascot with a very decent chance.
In the evening trainer Gerard Butler ran Pachattack in the Grade 3 Matron Stakes at Arlington in USA.  She also won in fine style by 6 lengths earning her highest Timeform rating of 117 and leaving connections dreaming of even better races.  I bought her as a yearling for owner Michael Deegan.

My broodmare purchases were also producing success in May – One Clever Cat (out of Burn Baby Burn)followed up her April Listed win with 3rd in the Group 2 Prix Corrida as well as 4th in a Group 3; two-year-old filly Vocational (out of Carry On Katie) was second in the Listed Marygate Fillies Stakes; Laughing Lashes, half-sister to a First Samurai yearling filly I bought in Keeneland September in2010, was a running on third in the Group 1 Irish 1,000 Guineas Stakes; previous Listed winner, Ladies Are Forever (out of Forever Bond) was fourth in the Listed Sandy Lane Stakes.

My fingers are crossed for Royal Ascot success in mid-June with possible runners Black Spirit (Group 2, Hardwicke Stakes), Kite Wood (Group 1, Ascot Gold Cup), Shumoos (Group 2, Queen Mary Stakes), Snow Bay (Royal Hunt Cup), Swiss Cross (Wokingham Handicap) – good luck to all connections.

Of the remaining breeze-up sales, I only attended the Brightwells sale at Ascot where I bought two 2-year-olds for Bryan Smart – an Acclamation filly and an Excellent Art filly.

June is a quite month for Flat sales but I am eagerly awaiting the publication of the Tattersalls July Sale catalogue (Wednesday 6th to Friday 8th July).  This sale is normally a mixture of about 200 broodmares & fillies and then about 500 horse-in-training (in 2010: 476 horses sold for a median of 6,000 Guineas).  It is a sale that I have been lucky at buying for overseas clients.  I bought 2011 Bahrain Kings Cup winner Book Of Numbers from last year’s sale.

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