Highclere Thoroughbred Racing

Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who finished last of eight after being struck into in the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy S. at Doncaster on Saturday, will not race again this season and will return for a 3-year-old campaign. The Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-owned colt won the G3 Acomb S. at York in August and added the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. at Newmarket on Sept. 25. Harry Herbert, managing director for owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, said, "Unfortunately he was struck into and returned with a nasty gash just above his...

Two-time group winner Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) will take part in the Oct. 23 G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster. The Mark Johnston trainee won the G3 Acomb S. two starts back on Aug. 18 and defeated subsequent G3 Autumn S. victor Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G2 Royal Lodge S. at Newmarket on Sept. 25. "We're heading to the Vertem Futurity," said Harry Herbert, racing manager for owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing. "Mark and Charlie [Johnston] are very happy with him--I've seen them at the sales--and the...

Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's 62,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 graduate Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) shed maiden status in style when routing his rivals by five lengths and more in a July 29 Epsom novices' event and the Mark Johnston trainee defied odds of 25-1 when value for his 2 1/4-length score in York's Aug. 18 G3 Acomb S. when last seen. The April-foaled bay had previously encountered Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) when second to that subsequent G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. hero in a June 11 Sandown...

Andre Fabre has long considered Newmarket to be a happy hunting ground and it is significant that the master of Chantilly is at the old "Headquarters" on Thursday for the G3 Tattersalls S. Thirty years ago, Tertian (Danzig) came for this specific race and duly landed the odds and this time it is Trident (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who is lined up for the seven-furlong prize representing Messrs Smith, Magnier, Tabor and Westerberg. Runner-up in the G1 Prix Morny at Deauville Aug. 22, the bay can only improve over this...

Trading as the largely unconsidered 25-1 outsider-of-five for Wednesday's G3 Tattersalls Acomb S. at York, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) turned that logic on its head with a command performance from the front. Coming off an impressive five-length success over this seven-furlong trip in an Epsom novice July 29, the bay was on his mettle at the break and a sharp getaway yielded immediate control. Unflustered on the lead down the centre of the track in the straight, he bore all the hallmarks of a typical...

Progeny of The National Stud's freshman sire Aclaim (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) had yet to post a breakthrough score, but that statistic was cast aside as Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's Cachet (Ire) powered to a taking debut success over six furlongs in Saturday's Betway British EBF Fillies' Novice S. at Newmarket. Breaking sharply to occupy a forward slot in second through the initial fractions, the 4-1 chance cruised to the front hard on the steel approaching the final quarter mile and powered ever clear, under minimal urging, up the hill to easily...

Last month's G2 Dante S. winner Thunderous (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) will sit out the rest of his 3-year-old campaign after picking up an injury while training. Trained by Mark Johnston for Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, Thunderous has won four of his five starts and bettered the highly regarded Highest Ground (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) by a neck in the Dante. Thunderous was preparing for a run in the Sept. 13 G1 Grand Prix de Paris. "Sadly Thunderous has met with an injury in training and it is something we are...

Tattersalls's second online sale came to a close on Friday after two days of bidding, with the Donnacha O'Brien-trained 4-year-old colt Great House (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 12) topping trade of the Tattersalls August Online Sale with a bid of £175,000 from Highclere Thoroughbred Racing. Previously campaigned by the Coolmore partners, Great House made a belated debut when second in a Gowran Park maiden on June 17 and he got off the mark going a mile and a half at Limerick 12 days later. He looks likely to continue his...