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.
Pedigree
Tamarisk
Green Desert (USA)
Danzig
Foreign Courier
Sine Labe (USA)
Vaguely Noble
Trevilla
Race record
Date | Racecourse | Race name | ||
Distance | Jockey | Position | Racing Post race result (opens in a new window) |
|
15/06/2002 | Churchill Downs (USA) | Allowance Race | ||
5f | Rodney A Prescott | 3rd | Link to race result | |
19/10/2001 | Newmarket Rowley Mile | The Travis Perkins Bentinck Stakes | ||
6f | Steve Drowne | Unplaced | Link to race result | |
04/08/2001 | Doncaster | The Stanley Racing Conditions Stakes | ||
6f | John Reid | 2nd | Link to race result | |
08/07/2001 | Deauville (FR) | The Prix de Ris-Orangis | ||
6f | John Reid | Unplaced | Link to race result | |
19/06/2001 | Ascot | The King's Stand Stakes (Gr 2) | ||
5f | John Reid | Unplaced | Link to race result | |
02/06/2001 | Windsor | The Tote Scoop6 Leisure Stakes (Listed) | ||
6f | John Reid | 2nd | Link to race result | |
22/05/2001 | Goodwood | The M-Real Conditions Stakes | ||
6f | John Reid | 4th | Link to race result | |
15/10/2000 | Keeneland (USA) | The Nureyev Stakes | ||
5.5f | L Melancon | 4th | Link to race result | |
05/09/1998 | Haydock | The Sprint Cup (Gr 1) | ||
6f | T Sprake | 1st | Link to race result | |
09/07/1998 | Newmarket July Course | The July Cup (Gr 1) | ||
6f | T Sprake | 2nd | Link to race result | |
30/05/1998 | Lingfield Park | The Nicholson Graham & Jones Leisure Stakes (Listed) | ||
6f | T Sprake | 1st | Link to race result | |
02/05/1998 | Newmarket Rowley Mile | The 2000 Guineas (Gr 1) | ||
1m | John Reid | Unplaced | Link to race result | |
18/10/1997 | Newmarket Rowley Mile | The Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1) | ||
7f | T Sprake | 2nd | Link to race result | |
30/09/1997 | Newmarket Rowley Mile | The Tattersalls Houghton Sales Conditions Stakes | ||
7f | T Sprake | 1st | Link to race result | |
10/09/1997 | Kempton Park | The Chertsey Lock Conditions Stakes | ||
7f | T Sprake | 1st | Link to race result | |
02/08/1997 | Goodwood | The European Breeders Fund Richard Berlin Maiden Stakes | ||
6f | T Sprake | 1st | Link to race result |
Link to Racing Post race record (opens in a new window)
Our Champions
Harbinger
In 2010 Highclere climbed the highest peak. After his win in Ascot’s King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes that July, Harbinger was the best horse on the planet. In the annual World Thoroughbred Rankings he was allotted 135, six pounds ahead of the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame, and anyone who saw his final racecourse…
Memory
Purchased at the Tattersalls yearling sale (Book 1) this filly by Danehill Dancer always looked to be a precocious filly in the making. Having been broken at Highclere Stud Memory was then moved to Richard Hannon’s yard where she could be seen bucking and kicking each morning on her way out to exercise. This was…
Motivator
Motivator, if not exactly a Highclere horse, was a colt bought by John Warren and managed, in this case on behalf of The Royal Ascot Racing Club, by Harry Herbert. And he won the Derby.Bred at the Deerfield Stud in Newmarket, Motivator was knocked down to John Warren for 75,000gns at the Tattersalls Sales in…
Petrushka
In the year 2000, Petrushka won the Irish Oaks, the Yorkshire Oaks and one of France’s top fillies’ event the Prix de L’Opera. At the time Sir Michael Stoute called her “the best middle distance filly I have ever trained.” Her victory in the Irish Oaks was not just the first classic success for Highclere, it…
Delilah
Delilah was an enormous but beautiful daughter of Bluebird who was bought by John at the Tattersalls Houghton sale for 72,000 guineas. Despite her size, she was a filly with real presence who moved like a panther. I remember seeing her in the spring of her two year old year and commented to Sir Michael…
Lake Coniston
Lake Coniston was bred in Ireland by the legendary JP McManus, trained at Epsom by Geoff Lewis and ridden almost entirely by either Pat Eddery or his brother Paul. In 1994 and 1995 he was one of the star sprinters in Europe. His ten race, four victory season as a three year old climaxed with…