Periodical
JUNE
2025
MERCHANT
winning AT ROYAL ASCOT
19.06.25
Harry’s Introduction…
We came into Royal Ascot with high hopes despite only having four runners, but what joy as we came away with a winner and a second! Merchant was amazing in the King George V Handicap Stakes on Ladies Day beating what turned out to be the Irish Derby second Serious Contender by a length. There were scenes of unbridled joy which only a Royal Ascot winner can provide - honestly this place really is the theatre of dreams!
The two year olds have also got off to a great start and Awaken’s fine effort in the Albany (Gr 3) to finish second sealed a terrific week at Ascot. Away from Ascot and it was Nifty who kept the champagne flowing with a gutsy win in the valuable £40,000 restricted novice stakes at Salisbury. Then last week Radiance won like a very good filly on her debut at Yarmouth by four lengths under Ryan Moore. Bought by Jake at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Ups she has the makings of something out of the top drawer especially when she races over further as she matures. Concert finished second at Newbury on her debut and she also looks to be a sure fire winner next time! There are a good number yet to run who are limbering up and I still believe that this will be the best bunch we have had for a year or two which is saying something!
We have now launched our new syndicates to race in 2026 so if you haven’t already done so do take a close look and maybe put your name down for one or more that you like the look of. There is £2,700 off the second share if you decide to take two so book early! We also have a couple of shares left in our new breeze up filly by Ardad that we bought at the new Goffs Classic Breeze Up sale. She is gorgeous and comes from a wonderful Oppenheimer family so she has excellent resale value down the road. Ed Walker will train her and at only £6,500 for a share I think she represents great value.
Ascot’s King George meeting followed by Glorious Goodwood and then on to York!! Plenty of thrills to come and as always here’s wishing you all possible luck with your runners in the summer months ahead.
With my best wishes,
Harry Herbert
Chairman
01
Horse in focus
ARDAD x Tempest FUGIT (b f 2023)
We thought we had filled our books for the 2025 intake but when this beautiful daughter of Ardad was brought to Harry’s attention, in his words he quite simply “couldn’t resist”. Out of the 50 that actually breezed she was the 8th fastest, her pedigree is the perfect mix of both speed and stamina and so this is a great reflection on her ability. Please click here for the details. As you will see for yourselves, she really has an eye-catching action and a great head position, you can see why she was a standout at the sale.
Emily Scott
ROYAL ASCOT REVIEW
The month of June always revolves around Royal Ascot and for good reason. It is the highlight of the calendar for horseman and racegoers from across the globe. The pomp and splendour are a sight to behold, and the racing is spectacular. Champions are crowned and this year the Group 1 prizes were spread more widely amongst outfits large and small. The raw emotion shown by owners, jockeys, trainers and stable lads gets even the hardest nosed to shed a tear. Winning a race at this meeting is the hardest thing to do in racing and for that reason, it’s on everyone’s wish list. This year Highclere sent four horses to compete and so to come out with a winner and a second was beyond our expectations. One is always filled with hope, but to expect results is usually unwise, since many bubbles have been burst on this hallowed turf!
02
03
Emily Scott
ON THE TRACK
Away from Ascot there has been lots of excitement with four further winners and three notable seconds to report this month. At Highclere we are particularly well known for buying later developing middle distance types and these horses usually come into their own at this stage of their three-year-old season. One such horse, who broke his maiden last week at the third time of asking, is Antipodes, a colt by Starspangledbanner. Please see the diary entry to read more. Another three-year-old who really got the hang of things on his third start is Respond, a son of Ghaiyyath trained by Andrew Balding.
04
Alex Smith
RADIANCE DAZZLES ON DEBUT
Diary entry
I set off for Yarmouth with a fair degree of anticipation. I had been on the gallops that morning and more than one trainer (including William Haggas) who had the second favourite telling me that Radiance was the likely winner! Having heard this kind of banter on the gallops in the past I have learnt to take much of it with a pinch of salt, but there was no doubting George Boughey's enthusiasm!
05
frances de Haan
CONCERT STRIKES A CHORD
DIARY ENTRY
This month as a team we have been keeping close tabs on the two year olds who have been progressing brilliantly. On occasion you can feel like a school master and this is certainly one of those times as we caught up on the progress of our youngsters over the last few of weeks. There is nervous anticipation when awaiting their first ‘school reports’ … a rather familiar feeling for us all at one point in time I imagine!
06
frances de haan
Antipodes gets off the mark in style
diary entry
The weather wasn’t the only thing blistering hot at Windsor during a recent Monday evening’s racing — our Starspangledbanner colt got off the mark in red-hot style, storming to victory in the EBF Maiden Stakes for 3yo+ over 1m at the end of June.
Antipodes has always been a horse that caught my eye — he has such presence and a very athletic way of going. Roger Varian, who trains him, has done a phenomenal job. The colt needed time as a two-year-old to fill out and strengthen into his impressive frame, and he has certainly been worth the wait.
07
KAREn REEVES
OWNER EXPERIENCE
Royal ascot
My mother and I first became involved with Highclere Racing after attending a yearling parade. We were so impressed with the quality of the horses on show, the professionalism of the Highclere team, and the buzz from the owners that a syndicate was duly joined. I became my mother’s plus one, and our racing journey started. That was over ten years ago, and the experiences that have subsequently followed have been beyond our wildest dreams.
08
MARK’S CLUB
Highclere Founder, Harry Herbert was invited to speak at the prestigious members club Mark’s in Mayfair on June 11th as guests sipped cocktails on the terrace. In the build up to Royal Ascot, Harry shared his own stories from the special week, Highclere’s successes and what to look out for in the coming days.
10
MARK KERSHAW
coolmore stud
owners visit
There was quite a rush to the bar for the first pint of Guinness, and some went very seamlessly into a jolly Taittinger champagne reception. This was followed by a very good dinner, with excellent service. Then back to the bar for more Guinness and music singing and occasional dancing.
14
alex smith
En primeur 2021 sequel
alex’s tipple
So how did it turn out? My article back in April alluded to the demise of Bordeaux in general and the concern ahead of the latest en primeur campaign.
The concern was based on the recent decline in particular for claret and the poor returns on recent en primeur vintages.
13
rolf johnson
A Weight off your mind – should handicapping be left to the ‘experts’?
rolf’s ramblings
Two of my best, late, official handicappers, were personal friends universally acknowledged as masters of their profession. The ‘daddy of them all’ Admiral Rous, back in 1850s, only had fields of handfuls to rate and even he said, “Every great handicap is a premium to fraud.”
09
FRANCES DE HAAN
tAITTINGER MOMENT
When Pianoforte won impressively at Bath on the 14th June it was the second time owners Tony and Rosalie Leftwich had been at the track, the first time was 1986 when they had a horse called Just David who won on debut by eight lengths! He then went on to win the Chester cup in 1987 and in doing so set a new course record for weight and time which he held for twelve years.
05
12
11
frances de haan
truthful
where are they now?
Truthful is a filly by Sea The Stars and she was trained by William Haggas. She retired after a decent two seasons with Highclere in 2024. She won both her first two starts the second win by an impressive 2 3/4l in a Class 2 fillies novice at Haydock.
She is now at Elwick Stud and is in foal to Modern Games!