Girls aloud

By Cathy Grassick, chairman of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association

THE BLOODSTOCK AND RACING COMMUNITIES rolled into Newmarket for July week.

With a major, three-day sale overlapping with the three-day racing festival on the July course, there was much action and activity in Newmarket.

Every year racing and breeding people from around Europe, and even further afield, flock to Newmarket on a summer pilgrimage or rather a busman’s holiday.

Covid has definitely left its toll on the week with the many social events that once were annual fixtures now no more, but there was still plenty of action for those in attendance.

We were very lucky to be invited to the EBN clay pigeon shoot on the Monday evening, which was a fantastic evening of hospitality at Six Mile Bottom Shoot. Some of our party had never shot before, yet after expert tuition they were soon hitting the clays with ease. The afternoon was a great way to catch up with people and also blow off some steam after a long day looking at horses on the sale ground.

Tuesday heralded the start of the sale and it was my busiest day of the week with two gorgeous fillies purchased on behalf of Bert House Stud, adding to the farm’s growing broodmare band.

Bert House Stud is owned by Richard Young, of Ark Equine products, and his wife Ciara. Kirsty MacCann, equine nutritional manager for Ark Equine, is also stud director on the farm and it was great to have both Richard and Kirsty on hand in Newmarket.

I also tried hard to purchase for a number of other clients during the week but it was not to be and we hit the woodwork on a few occasions. We will move on to the sales later in the year.

Every morning during July week the gallops are full of visitors catching up with progress of horses they may have with Newmarket trainers, or out and about to see if they can spot a horse they may have sold or bred being put through its paces.

We were very lucky that trainer Kevin Phillipart de Foy allowed us to visit his new base in Induna Stables to view a yearling that he purchased from Newtown Stud at last year’s yearling sales.

The colt is a now a smashing two-year-old called Without Burlington, is by the exciting young Newsells Park sire Without Parole, and we are looking forward to seeing him on the track.

There was some exciting racing on show for the week with promising two-year-old Whistlejacket hitting the headlines on Thursday in the colours of Peter Brandt and trained by Aidan O’Brien, while the Marco Botti-trained Giavellotto put in a tough performance for owner-breeder Scuderia La Tesa in the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes (G2).

Simon and Ed Crisford bagged a double on Friday with Involvement and Arabian Dusk, but plaudits of the day went to star filly Porta Fortuna, who gave her young trainer Donnacha O’Brien, his seventh top-level victory as a trainer.

The highlight of the week’s racing for July is, of course, Saturday’s July Cup and this year it did not disappoint with Mill Stream putting in a very special performance to land the Group 1 for delighted trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam and owner Peter Harris, himself a Group 1-winning trainer.

It was lovely to see his famous colours grace the winners’ enclosure for this special race.

Sadly, this week was not all glamour and glory as it also featured the most tragic and terrible of incidents, and the cruel way in which the lives of Carol Hunt, Hannah Hunt and Louise Hunt were taken has hit everyone in the racing community.

The outpourings of sympathy for BBC commentator, husband nad father John Hunt and his surviving daughter Amy, came from every corner of the industry and the respect for one of racing’s true gentlemen brought many to tears at the loss of his family.

Nothing feels suitable or sufficient to say in the face of such violence and tragedy. Thoughts and prayers no longer feel adequate.

Women deserve to feel safe in their own homes and everyday lives.

Gofundme: www.gofundme.com/f/the-family-of-john-hunt