November was the month to celebrate the success of our star sprinter BRADSELL, who retired from racing to take up stallion duties at the National Stud in Newmarket.
It wasn’t to be for the triple Group 1 winner at the Breeders’ Cup in California on his final racecourse appearance at the start of the month but he left us all at Saxon Gate with many wonderful memories.
Winner of the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at two and the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at three, he was skilfully guided back to full fitness by Archie and the team this year following a career threatening injury and added the Nunthorpe Stakes and the Flying Five to his impressive CV.
This season’s achievements were recognised with the accolade of Champion Sprinter at the coveted 34th Cartier Awards in London, which celebrates racing’s greatest achievers each year. Victorious Racing’s star also took the honours in Timeform’s own awards and the ROA Awards and is now standing at the National Stud for just £10,000.
Back on the track, Sheikh Hamed Dalmook Al Maktoum’s talented sprinter Kylian rediscovered the winning habit at Newcastle when he landed a Class 2 five-furlong dash under Luke Morris on 22nd November. It was his first win since taking a Listed race at Sandown last year and took his record on the All-Weather to a perfect two from two.
A day earlier Jason Hart guided Riyadh Gem to a nose victory in a mile nursery at Southwell. Stepping up in trip, our 150,000 euros breeze-up purchase powered home to score on his handicap debut off a rating of 67.
Southwell was also the scene of Sir Joseph Swan’s win in a 2m handicap for Laura Coughlan. Owned by Saain, the consistent six-year-old book-ended that success with two placed efforts at the Nottinghamshire track.
Earlier in the month Port Light made a winning debut at Southwell, taking a mile maiden for our former apprentice Pierre-Louis Jamin in the familiar colours of Hambleton Racing. Purchased by Tom Biggs of Blandford Bloodstock for 41,000 euros in Ireland, he finished strongly to beat the hot favourite by a neck.
Meanwhile, our globetrotting star Brave Emperor returned to Italy to attempt to win the Group 2 Premio Vittorio di Capua for the second time on 10th November but could finish only eighth. Nevertheless, with a valuable win in Doha in February and a Group 3 success in Italy in October, it’s been another fantastic year for Middleham Park Racing’s remarkable four-year-old.
By Simon Mapletoft
