Watership Down Stud Sales Race finish 2007

TBA/Watership Down Stud Sales Race - 25th September 2009

The TBA/Watership Down Stud Sales Race is now firmly established in the Annual Flat Race Programme, and trainers are very much aware of the prize money and prestige to be gained. The race is designed to give a boost to the market in Britain for yearling fillies. Consignors at British sales are able to nominate their fillies for the race before they go through the ring.

2009 Race

The Class 2 race for two-year-old fillies', the Watership Down Stud Sales Race, was held at Ascot racecourse on Friday 25th September. This was the ninth running of the race which is co-sponsored by Watership Down Stud, the TBA and Ascot racecourse.

With 27 runners, it was favourite Shamandar (Exceed And Excel - Sensational Mover), who won by half a length from Dubawi Heights. Shamandar was a bargain buy for owners and TBA members Mr and Mrs Robert Scott at the Tattersalls December Yearling sale for only 3,500 guineas.

Once again TBA Members took up the kind offer from Ascot of complimentary badges and enjoyed the facilities provided in the main grandstand, over-looking the course.

Unfortunately, this was the last running of the race in its current format, but the TBA and Ascot are looking into various possibilities for the future of a race, to be run along similar lines.

2008 Race – Penny’s Gift just makes it home in front

The eighth running of this race was as popular as ever with 28 runners and 12 having to be balloted out. Of these, 14 were British Bred, and all bar one bred by TBA members. Penny’s Gift (Tobougg / Happy Lady) bred by long-standing TBA member Capt. Smith Maxwell, won by a neck, after starting favourite for trainer Richard Hannon, for whom this was his third win in the race.

2007 Race – Lady Rangali (IRE) takes first place after a tight finish.

The Watership Down Stud Sales Race (Fillies) Class 2, took place at Ascot Racecourse on Friday 28th September. It was a close finish between the winner Lady Rangali (IRE), Izzibizzi (second) and Sophie’s Girl (third), just a neck and a short head respectively. There were 22 runners in total, 15 of these were British Bred. Both Izzibizzi and Sophie’s Girl are eligible for Breeders’ Prizes from the TBA for being British Bred and the breeders members of the TBA. Broughton Bloodstock will receive �2000 and Jeremy Green & Sons �1000.

2006 – Indian Ink wins impressively

The 2006 race returned to the newly re-built Ascot Racecourse and took place on Friday 22 ^nd September.

28 fillies were declared to run, and of these 15 were British Bred. The winner, Indian Ink, bred by Kileen Castle stud travelled well and cruised clear to win impressively.

Previous winners:
Year	Horse	SP	Trainer	Jockey	Purchase Price
2009	Shamandar	8-11F	W J Haggas	Michael Hills	3,500 gns
2008	Penny's Gift	15-8F	R Hannon	Richard Hughes	10,000 gns
2007	Lady Rangali	8-1	Mrs A Duffield	Royston Ffrench	11,000 gns
2006	Indian Ink	9-4F	R Hannon	Richard Hughes	25,000 gns
2005	Expensive	14-1	Chris Wall	Eddie Ahern	40,000 gns
2004	Salamanca	5-1f	Silvester Kirk	Frankie Dettori	28,000 gns
2003	Nyramba	4-1f	John Gosden	Frankie Dettori	30,000 gns
2002	Sharplaw Venture	12-1	William Haggas	Richard Hills	46,000 gns
2001	Madame Boulangere	16-1	Richard Hannon	Dane O'Neill	29,000 gns