We were delighted to purchase our second yearling of the season at the BBAG Premier Yearling Sale, securing Lot 127, a colt by Nathaniel out of the Dansili mare Taniyala, for €80,000.

He is a very athletic type and, with his pedigree, the dream that he could develop into a Classic horse is certainly not unrealistic.

Being by Nathaniel, out of a Dansili mare who is herself out of a High Chaparral mare, really lends hope that he should stay a mile and a half as a three-year-old. He is probably a little more forward-looking at this stage than Fantasy World, who we had a few years ago and who did very well for us, and it is nice to have a slightly different type of horse in our ranks again.

The mare has made a good start at stud and has already produced a very talented 100-rated horse, Tailwind, by the low-key sire Windstoss. So hopefully, with a very good sire in Nathaniel — the sire of Derby winner Desert Crown and, of course, Enable — she can do even better this time around.

He will be trained by Ralph Beckett, who we are delighted to welcome back to the Kennet Valley roster this year, and he loved the colt too. Ralph had success with a graduate from last year’s sale only a few days ago, with Rock In Japan winning on debut at Salisbury.

Luke Lillingston comments:

“Sam​ ​and​ ​I​ ​made​ ​our​ ​maiden​ ​KV​ ​voyage​ ​to​ ​Baden​ ​Baden​ ​and​ ​came​ ​away​ ​with​ ​a​ ​real​ ​gem.​ ​The​ ​German​ ​breeding​ ​industry​ ​is​ ​recognised​ ​globally​ ​as​ ​consistently​ ​producing​ ​high​ ​class​ ​classic​ ​/​ ​middle​ ​distance​ ​horses.​ ​This​ ​colt​ ​comes​ ​from​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​leading​ ​stud​ ​farms​ ​Gestut​ ​Rottgen.​ ​Over​ ​the​ ​past​ ​ten​ ​years​ ​the​ ​stud​ ​has​ ​produced​ ​25%​ ​black​ ​type​ ​performers​ ​to​ ​foals​ ​-​ ​an​ ​extraordinary​ ​statistic.​ ​

Nathaniel​ ​needs​ ​little​ ​introduction​ ​:​ ​he​ ​was​ ​champion​ ​middle​ ​distance​ ​3​ ​year​ ​old​ ​in​ ​Europe​ ​having​ ​won​ ​the​ ​“​ ​King​ ​George​ ​“​ ​at​ ​Ascot​ ​and​ ​champion​ ​older​ ​horse​ ​the​ ​following​ ​year​ ​having​ ​won​ ​the​ ​Eclipse​ ​at​ ​Sandown.​ ​He​ ​is​ ​the​ ​sire​ ​of​ ​such​ ​superstars​ ​as​ ​Derby​ ​winner​ ​Desert​ ​Crown​ ​and​ ​the​ ​extraordinary​ ​stayer​ ​Quickthorn​ ​​ ​;​ ​​ ​and​ ​fillies​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Channel​ ​,​ ​winner​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Prix​ ​de​ ​Diane​ ​/​ ​French​ ​Oaks​ ​(​ ​interestingly​ ​bred​ ​on​ ​the​ ​same​ ​cross​ ​ex​ ​a​ ​Dansili​ ​mare​ ​)​ ​,​ ​Lady​ ​Bowthorpe​ ​and​ ​the​ ​legendary​ ​Enable.​ ​Ralph​ ​Beckett​ ​was​ ​at​ ​the​ ​sale​ ​with​ ​us​ ​to​ ​approve​ ​the​ ​purchase​ ​enthusiastically​ ​and​ ​is​ ​the​ ​perfect​ ​trainer​ ​for​ ​this​ ​small​ ​but​ ​incredibly​ ​athletic​ ​colt.​”