NURSECLAIRE

This filly was a 35,000 Euros purchase bought privately. She had failed the vets on x-rays and so I asked Rob Dallas to look at the x-rays and the sesamoids, which is a tiny bone behind the fetlock and can be an area where you can have problems, weren’t good and showed fractures as a foal. The fractures had since healed, and the suspensory branch weren’t damaged at all and were away from where the fractures had occurred. (The suspensory branch is where you can have issues as it’s the nerve that runs over the back of the bone, just by the ankle). He had initially thought it was medium risk and then after he had scanned it, he thought it was low to medium risk. Therefore, at price I thought it was a chance worth taking.

She is a different model to what we have bought so far this sales season, in that she is a bit more scopey and one for the second part of the season. She is out of a listed winner who was second in the German 1,000 Guineas, who herself was out of a Champion two-year-old in Germany and so it’s a monster pedigree. She would have considerable residual value and is probably worth half of what we have paid for her even if she never runs, but would be worth considerably more than that if we were to do well with her on the track.

She is the second foal out of the mare. The first foal made 180,000 Euros and is in training in France. A Soldier Hollow mare would be an influence for stamina rather than speed. She is by Ribchester, who Richard Fahey trained to great success. He is a stallion that we think is going to do great things this year. She walks well and was in the top 25% physically of all the horses that Nick inspected at the sales. She is a nice model, although not a powerhouse like some of the other yearlings we have bought. She is a good moving filly who will take a bit of time.

I sent Richard Fahey the videos of the filly and he liked the horse. I also discussed the veterinary issue with Richard, and he was happy to take the chance and has taken a share himself.