More pictures have come in, so without further delay;
So who are these beasts?
First in line, this magnificent vision in white is Nemo Spirit, a 5yo gelding that Michael and I bought in the October HIT for 100k guineas. He stays forever and we will target the top staying handicaps with him. He’s nicely formed in front but weak behind.
Next up, with a face only a mother could love comes Marine Boy, now a 4yo. Big and strong with lots of bone, he’ll be running over sprint distances.
Third in line, Thing A Thong was unraced as a 2yo. Now 3 she’s starting to look the part – tall and elegant with enough substance to marshall her large frame. I paid 90k Euro for her – her full sister recently hacked up in a maiden hurdle at Auteuil.
Princess Aurora, another unraced 3yo comes next. I paid $500k for this Mr Greeley filly – she was diagnosed with EPM a few months after she arrived in the UK and has been on treatment ever since. The treatment is only successful some of the time, so we have our fingers crossed. I love the solid ball of muscle that makes up her chest and shoulder – is she has a decent action she should have some speed.
Quaker Parrot, next, ran 12 times as a 2yo. She was a cheap (£20k) purchase – she ran in the colours of the Timeform Betfair Racing Club syndicate. I bought her at the end of the season. She’s quite small and light, but she has a good attitude and takes her racing well. I’ve leased her out for the season – I intend to breed from her in years to come.
Ankh is the first of three 2yos in the list. A daughter of Cape Cross out of Everlasting Love she cost 64k Euro at Arquana. It’s a good strong family and her mother was very decent – we think she was a bit of a bargain. She won’t come to hand until the second half of the season.
The next filly is Diktat/Bolsena, an inexpensive (20k guineas) purchase for me and Michael. This May foal is a lovely physical specimen and again I think she may have been a bargain. She won’t be out quickly.
Finally the 2yo Deep Impact/Muncie, and there’s plenty to like about her physically. She’s forward and although she won’t be in among the first 2yo runners from the yard she shouldn’t be too far behind. She wasn’t cheap – I bought her in Japan for around £330k.