By Brian Sheerin
Barry Walters, the breeder of impressive Newbury winner Gather Ye Rosebuds (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}), has described what it means to see the filly advertise her claims for Classic glory after spending over 30 years nurturing her family.
The Welshman sold Gather Ye Rosebuds through Charlie Vigors's Hillwood Stud at Book 2 at Tattersalls to Mick Channon on behalf of Linda Shanahan and Emily Magnier in 2020.
Seeing the filly win by almost 10 lengths on debut for Jack Channon on Friday–and earn a TDN Rising Star nod in the process–makes pouring over the family and nurturing the pedigree for over three decades worthwhile, according to the 72-year-old.
He said, “She looks a bit special after that. It has been a good old family to me and for very little money. I bought her great granddam [Brigadiers Bird (Ire) (Mujadil)] for 5,400 punts. Her first horse was a Group winner called Lady Lahar (GB) (Fraam {GB}) who bred the dam [Chelsey Jayne (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})] of Gather Ye Rosebuds.
“The dam is also the first foal born by Galileo. I looked at Galileo as a three-year-old and he looked a very special horse. I can remember my late wife Margaret Anne saying that, if I can't breed winners out of him, I may give the job up. I've been breeding for over 30 years and my wife's family were all blacksmiths, which is how we came into horses.”
Walters revealed that Chelsey Jayne is not in foal after visiting Ten Sovereigns (Ire) in the spring. The 20-year-old broodmare has nothing else coming through, with Gather Ye Rosebuds the last foal she has produced.
However, all is not lost for Walters, who has a half a dozen mares at home on his farm in Wales who are related to the Oaks prospect.
“Chelsey Jane would only ever breed every other year,” he explained. “When you left her empty, she'd go back in foal the following year. She was a funny mare that way.
“It's nice to see the person we sold the horse to having a lot of luck. Everyone you sell to, you like to see them having luck.”
He added, “She's a mare who has made a lot of people money. We sold a lot of her stock and they went on to make quite a bit of money for other people down the road, which is good to see. I sold her brother [The Statesman (GB)] to Coolmore for £60,000 in 2015 and then they sold him out of training for 90,000gns.
“The year after that, he was then sold again for 310,000gns at the horses-in-training sales to go to Australia. You need luck in life. She always produced good-looking horses and I'd say that came from Galileo.”
Walters has just 10 mares breeding on his farm in Wales and has already enjoyed notable success with Chelsey Jane given she is the producer of Channon's seven-time winner Certain Lad (GB) (Clodovil {Ire}).
On what the future holds for his breeding operation, he added, “Chelsey Jane is in Coolmore and has been covered but is not in foal. That news came over the weekend. She went to Ten Sovereigns but unfortunately it didn't work. Some mares will breed on but she shows her age a little bit. It would have been nice to have had one last shot with her but it looks like it's not going to happen yet. Gather Ye Rosebuds is the last out of the mare but we still have a lot of the family at home.”
“There's half a dozen mares at home from the family, I'd say. We've only got 10 mares all together and went to Ten Sovereigns (Ire), Calyx (GB), Harry Angel (Ire) and a few other stallions this year. Charlie Vigors preps all of our horses and his mother did it before him. It would be nice to see a horse that you've bred win a big race. Sometimes there's not a lot of money in breeding them but, when you get a horse like Gather Ye Rosebuds, it's been well worth it.”
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