Tamarisk

Tamarisk, a son of the sprint sire Green Desert, was bred at the Mount Coote Stud in County Limerick. Bought by John Warren for 78,000gns at Tattersalls October yearling sales in 1996, he was then sent to the historic Beckhampton training stables of Roger Charlton in Wiltshire. When he won the Group One Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup in October 1998 he established himself as one of the fastest horses of his generation.

His owners had a dream start with Tamarisk winning his first two races before bolting home in the £250,000 Tattersalls Houghton Sales Stakes. Prize money was followed by prestige when the colt then ran second in the Dewhurst Stakes, the championship event for two year olds. His earnings were already three times his purchase price and his value was soaring into seven figures.

The three year old career that followed was a model of how to handle a valuable but volatile four legged asset. Tamarisk started by blazing a trail but completely failing to stay the mile of the 2,000 Guineas. A confidence booster at Lingfield preceded a tilt and an honourable second in the Group One July Cup. He had shown the speed to win in the highest class over six furlongs. He was saved for Haydock where he did just that in the Group One Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup. John Magnier’s Coolmore Stud then made a £3.5 million offer. Herbert and Warren took the decision to sell. Tamarisk went to America and later returned to England but never won again. A time to buy and a time to sell.