It’s been another fantastic season at Oliver St Lawrence Bloodstock, with victories ranging from Classics, to a treble at Royal Ascot, to 2yo’s showing huge potential in the Autumn including one of Europe’s highest rated in Sakheer, as well as many purchases heading to Middle East with very high aspirations over the winter.
The winner early in the season was Mitbaahy (purchased by OSL for just £50,000 at the Goffs Orby at Doncaster) winning the Listed Scurry Stakes at Sandown in great style proving himself as a stakes horse, which had been long suspected by the Varian team, and giving an omen for things to come at Royal Ascot.
What a Royal Ascot it turned out to be with three individual winners, including one for Victorious Racing and one for KHK Racing with both owners in attendance. Bradsell, purchased privately by OSL, kicked off the meeting in the best possible way by winning the Group 2 Coventry Stakes by 2 lengths in a display full of potential. He even had Royal Scotsman (2nd Dewhurst & 1st Richmond Stakes), Persian Force (1st July Stakes, 2nd Prix Morny) & Blackbeard (1st Middle Park & Prix Mory and European Champion 2yo) behind him. Sadly, his season was ended prematurely by injury while running in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes, but he’ll be back in 2023 with many Group 1’s on his agenda. The next morning Eldar Eldarov, purchased by OSL at the Arqana Breeze up, won the Group 2 Queen’s Vase by a nostril! It was a fantastic performance leaving the team excited for his future, and he came to deliver on it in the Autumn. Rohaan, purchased by OSL at the Goffs Uk Premier Sale for just £36,000, then doubled up in the Wokingham Stakes following up his win in the 2021 edition of the race. To round off the near-unbelievable week, Pearling Path, purchased by OSL at Goffs Premier,so nearly produced a shock by coming 2nd in the Chesham Stakes at 80-1 in the colours of long-time supporter of Oliver, Fawzi Nass. It was also trainer John O’donoghue’s first runner at Royal Ascot.
Rocket Rodney, purchased privately by OSL, then came out at the Eclipse meeting at Sandown to win the Listed Dragon Stakes before coming 2nd in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. After that came a fantastic Autumn, highlighted by Eldar Eldarov winning the Group 1 St. Leger at Doncaster, a first classic for Oliver, David Egan & most importantly for Shaikh Khalid of KHK Racing, who has invested huge amounts into the sport and richly deserved such a fantastic reward. Not two weeks later Sakheer, purchased by OSL at the Arqana breeze up, announced himself to the world as one of it’s best 2YO’s by winning the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes by 4 lenghts, with Group 2 winner Charyn back in 3rd. Sakheer was then the favourite for the Group 1 Dewhurst before a poor scope the day before the race sadly ruled him out, but he goes into 2023 as a major player in Classic Races and will be aimed at the 2000 Guineas. On the same day as Sakheer at Newbury, Mitbaahy won the Group 3 World Trophy stakes, he’ll undoubtably come back in 2023 as a major force in all the top sprint races.
Besides Sakheer, there were many 2yo’s who ran this year that will be extremely exciting in 2023, two standouts were Irregular Warfare, Purchased by OSL, who came second to Group 3 winner Knight on his debut before bolting up at Wolverhampton next time out, and Sisyphus Strength, Purcahsed by OSL, whowon a Nottingham maiden very nicely before coming 4th in the listed Montrose Stakes after getting trapped in a pocket and has a nice future. Also, Oliver was a great investor in the family of Group 2 May Hill Stakes winner Polly Pott,who Oliver purchased the dam and sister of before Polly’s heroics.
Finally, Arthur Dobell had an excellent year in his first full year as an agent, headlined by the twice victorious 104 Rated Bolt Action, purchased by Arthur from the Goffs UK Breeze up, who ran with great credit at all 4 UK Major Racing festival and placing at three of them, as well as coming second in the Listed Roseberry & the Listed Champion 2yo Stakes. Arthur also purchased Herakles who won a maiden at Newcastle in the colours of Fawzi Nass and goes into 2023 full of promise, as well as Runaholic who was desperately unlucky being runner up 3 times as well as running a fantastic race at Glorious Goodwood when trapped against the rail. He heads to Dubai for the winter with great aspirations.
All in all a fantastic year, and all at Oliver St. Lawrence Bloodstock can’t wait for the 2023 season.