British-bred success around the world during November and December
November got off to a cracking start for British-breds with a double at the Breeders’ Cup meeting, this year staged at Santa Anita in California. Hitting the headlines and gaining a maiden top-level success was the six-year-old mare Belvoir Bay, who showed her rivals a clean pair of heels and took the 5f Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint without seeing another rival. Bred by the late Lenore ‘Lennie’ Peacock at her Manor House Stud, the daughter of Newsells Park-based Equiano was one of the horses to survive the horrendous fires at San Louis Rey Downs in 2017.
Completing the double was the five-year-old Uni, who followed up her last time out Grade 1 First Lady Stakes success at Keeneland the previous month, with a win in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Lanwades Stud-based German Derby winner Sea The Moon enjoyed a fruitful end to the Flat season. Having garnered a Champion Two-Year-Old son with his first crop in 2018 courtesy of Noble Moon, Wonderful Moon became his second son to claim that accolade with a sublime 12-length demolition in the Gr.3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen at Krefeld on November 10. Four days earlier and the stallion’s three-year-old son Enjoy The Moon took the Listed Grand Prix du Nord at Chantilly.
Europe’s final Group contest of the year, the Group 3 Prix Fille de l’Air, went to the improving three-year-old Ambition. A daughter of Dubawi and the Group 1 Oaks winner Talent, who was bred by Ashbrittle Stud and Mark Dixon, she won the Toulouse contest over 2100m by over a length for a first Stakes victory.
A third continent was conquered by British-breds in November - Australia. At Sandown in Victoria, the Lindsey Smith-trained Pacodali took victory for his former Highclere Stud-based sire Paco Boy in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes from British-bred Setting Sail (Dansili).
Over the course of the month Dansili gained a trio of Listed scorers. Kick starting it off was the victory for Juddmonte homebred Crossed Baton in the Churchill Stakes at Lingfield Park on November 16. Four days later and another Juddmonte homebred, Set Piece, took the Hyde Stakes at Kempton Park. Completing the trio was Glance in the Prix Petite Etoile on the all-weather at Deauville on November 26. The three-year-old, owned and bred by Julian Richmond-Watson, is out of a winning half-sister to his 2008 Group 1 Oaks heroine Look Here, who sadly passed away in October.
At Newmarket on November 2, the three-year-olds Lord North and Roseman both gained their first Stakes successes. The former, a son of Dubawi and winner of the Cambridgeshire Handicap in September, took the Listed Weatherbys TBA James Seymour Stakes, while Roseman, a son of Kingman, captured the Listed Ben Marshall Stakes impressively, by over four lengths.
Hunscote Stud homebred Milltown Star, from the final British crop by Roderic O’Connor, was rewarded for his consistency through the year when winning the Listed Prix Herod at Chantilly in the middle of the month, while another to score in Listed company on the continent was Showcasing’s son Say Good Buy in the Grosser Herbstpreis der Freiberger Brauerei at Dresden.
Although the Flat scene domestically was winding down, the jumps action was starting to fire. At Wetherby at the start of the month, Keith and Jayne Sivills homebred mare Lady Buttons landed back-to-back wins in the Listed bet365 Mares’ Hurdle. This was a 13th win for the remarkable mare, who was crowned leading chaser mare and leading hurdler mare at the TBA’s NH Breeders’ Celebration Dinner in May for her achievements in the 2018/19 season.
Another mare to have built up an enviable record is Atlanta Ablaze and the daughter of Kayf Tara, who was bred by E R Hanbury, won her third Listed chase at Market Rasen in the Bud Booth over 3m, with a gutsy staying performance.
Second in the Grade 1 RSA Chase on his final start last season, Richard and Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes’ homebred Santini, who was awarded the leading novice chaser award at the NH celebration dinner last May, made a winning return at Sandown Park in the Listed Virgin Bet Future Stars Intermediate Chase in the middle of the month.
The following weekend and at Cheltenham, on the first day of its truncated November fixture, a trio of British-breds landed Graded successes. The opening event of the day was the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, which went the way of the Philip Hobbs-trained Thyme Hill, who had taken the Grade 2 Persian War Novices’ Hurdle at Chepstow the previous month on his hurdling debut. Bred by Overbury Stallions Ltd, the five-year-old is a son of Overbury stalwart Kayf Tara and had been awarded the leading NH Flat trophy for last season in May.
The next contest on the card was the Grade 2 JCB Triumph Hurdle Juvenile Hurdle, which was won by Sea The Moon’s son Allmankind, who made all and was ultimately impressive. Owned by Bill and Tim Gredley, the three-year-old gelding was bred by their Stetchworth & Middle Park Studs Ltd.
Completing the treble was West Approach. Bred by Scarlett Knipe of Cobhall Court Stud and her late husband Robin, the nine-year-old was given an icy cool ride by Robbie Power to take the Grade 3 BetVictor Smartcards Handicap Chase over nearly three and a half miles.
Bred by Gleadhill House Stud Ltd, Trevor Hemmings enjoyed Grade 3 glory with his homebred Stoney Mountain in the Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at Haydock Park on Betfair Chase day. The six-year-old, who has a progressive profile, saw out the three mile plus strongly.
Already successful with Thyme Hill earlier in the month, Overbury Stallions Ltd were celebrating another big success on the final day of the month when Cornerstone Lad took the first Grade 1 over hurdles of the British season, the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle. Bred in partnership with Cranford Bloodstock, the five-year-old son of the late Delegator made all and fended off dual Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D’Air in a close finish.
Meanwhile at Newbury in the Grade 3 Ladbrokes Trophy Chase, the Karina Casini-bred De Rasher Counter landed a first win in Graded company, taking the first major handicap chase of the season in great style. A second season chaser, the seven-year-old was completing a fine weekend for trainer Emma Lavelle and provided his conditional jockey, Ben Jones, with a first major win.