Dan Briden Two-Year-Old Guide: James Ferguson
James Ferguson is the latest trainer to talk Dan Briden through his two-year-old team.
BAY OF DREAMS (IRE)
22/2 b f New Bay - Praden (Munnings)
Owner: Hasmonean Racing & Partner Sales price: 25,000gns (JS Bloodstock/Hasmonean Racing)
Full sister to useful 9.5-12f winner Forceful Speed (97) and a half-sister to 5f 2yo winner Nazron (91). Dam an unraced half-sister to Listed-placed 7f 2yo winner Ahlaain (104).
“Owned by a great syndicate in Hasmonean Racing. This filly has a decent pedigree and is fit and ready to go. She shows some promise and will likely make her debut in a 6f fillies race in the middle of June.”
GUNSHIP (IRE)
22/3 br c Sea The Stars - Lucky Clio (Key of Luck)
Owner: Qatar BS, China Horse Club & D Howden Sales price: €175,000 (Qatar Racing/China Horse Club)
Half-brother to Irish 2000 Guineas winner Phoenix of Spain (122), Listed-placed prolific 5-6f winner Lucky Beggar (110), useful triple 10f winner Central Square (112) and useful 8-10f winner Kingsdesire (106). Dam a maiden (59) half-sister to French dual 1m Group 2 winner Special Kaldoun (124).
“A big, impressive-looking colt with a beautiful pedigree. He is an extremely likeable type but very much a backend/three-year-old prospect. One to look forward to for the future, most definitely.”
HERKEIOS
23/4 b c Zoustar - Worship (Havana Gold)
Owner: David Redvers & Partner Sales price: 20,000gns (Mark Enright)
Third foal of a useful 6f 2yo winner (98) who was a half-sister to Irish 6f 2yo Listed winner Beauty Crescent (108) out of a US 1m 3yo Grade 2/3 winner (111).
“A very straightforward customer who was prepared for the breeze up sales but didn’t go in the end. He moves well and should be running over 6f around late June/July time. A real two-year-old type.”
KARAKULA
2/2 ch f Sea The Moon - Mix And Mingle (Exceed And Excel)
Owner: S Fustok Sales price: n/a
Fourth foal of a 7f Group 3 winner (110) who was a full sister to 6/7f Group 3 winner Double Or Bubble (112) out of a 12f 3yo winning (80) half-sister to King Edward VII Stakes winner/St Leger runner-up High Accolade (122).
“A homebred of Salah Fustok’s whose dam was a good racemare. This is a nice filly who has started working in recent weeks and will potentially be on the track come late July or August. I imagine she will begin over 7f.”
KHUTULUN
23/3 gr f Mohaather - Jufoon (Dubawi)
Owner: T A Rahman & R Gray Sales price: 55,000gns (James Ferguson Racing/Kind Bloodstock)
Half-sister to fairly useful French 7f-1m 3yo winner Talabaat (91). Dam a Listed-placed French 7-9.5f winner (97) who was a half-sister to Italian 10f 3yo Listed winner La Gommeuse (104).
“A really nice filly who was very green on debut at Kempton and didn’t run anywhere near as well as I thought she might. She has taken a big step forward in her work since, and I think she will probably go for a 6f race at Windsor on June 10. I’d expect a big run there.”
LUMINOUS WARRIOR (IRE)
15/4 b c Kingman - Mambo Light (Kingmambo)
Owner: Michael Buckley Sales price: 80,000gns (M Buckley)
Three-parts brother to Listed-placed prolific 7-8.5f winner Via Serendipity (111; by Invincible Spirit) and a half-brother to Australian dual 10f Group 3 winner Le Juge (110) and French 1m 3yo Listed winner Frankel Light (102). Dam a German 1m 3yo Listed winner (105) who was a half-sister to dual 5f 3yo Group 3 winner Dietrich (115).
“Owned by Michael Buckley of Constitution Hill fame and who was one of my earliest supporters. This is a really nice colt with a fantastic temperament and a beautiful pedigree. He is a big boy who has already shown us a good level of quality, and the aim is to get him started over 7f in late June or July.”
OUI MONTANA
29/4 ch f Lope de Vega - Make Merry (Teofilo)
Owner: T A Rahman & R Gray Sales price: 62,000gns (Avenue Bloodstock for James Ferguson Racing)
Half-sister to 12f 3yo winner Meritorious (90). Dam a French 11f 3yo winner (86) who was a half-sister to French 15.5f Group 1 winner Montare (116; later dam of 12f Group 1 winner Journey (124), Park Hill Stakes winner Mimikyu (114) and May Hill Stakes winner Indigo Girl (111)).
“A stoutly-bred filly who will need plenty of time and is actually just on a break at present. She is a very likeable individual but most certainly one for the backend and next year.”
PHRYGIA
21/4 b f Sergei Prokofiev - O’Connor’s Girl (Roderic O’Connor)
Owner: Ben Perry & Partner Sales price: 50,000gns (James Ferguson Racing)
Half-sister to Italian 6f 2yo Listed winner Calajunco (96). Dam a maiden (70) half-sister to 9.5f 3yo winner/Cheshire Oaks runner-up Higher Love (99) out of a Listed-placed 1m 2yo winner (103).
“I hope I have managed to get a bit of bargain with this filly as she was Lot 1 of Tattersalls Book 1, and obviously Sergei Prokofiev has hit the ground running with his first crop. This is a sizeable filly who I hold in pretty high regard given what I’ve seen from her, and she should be on the track around July time. She will begin over 6f.”
QUICK TO DECIDE
28/4 ch f Bated Breath - Za Za Zoom (Le Vie Dei Colori)
Owner: Lesley Bishop and Partners Sales price: 27,000gns (James Ferguson Racing)
Half-sister to 5f 2yo Listed winner Eirene (105) and Listed-placed UK/Irish 12f-2m winner Tyson Fury (107). Dam a Listed-placed 6f 2yo winner (99) who was a full sister to Listed-placed prolific 5f-1m winner Highland Colori (121) and a half-sister to 6f Group 3/Listed winner Genki (120).
“This filly will need a bit more time just to strengthen up and come together physically. She is probably more one for the backend of the season and could even need 1m to start with.”
RIPPLE EFFECT
21/1 b f Kameko - Ripples Maid (Dansili)
Owner: Qatar Racing & Club 26 Sales price: n/a
Half-sister to several winners including Japanese 1m Grade 2 winner Mikki Charm (116). Dam a dual 6f Listed winner (109) who was a half-sister to 7f 2yo Group 3 winner Peak To Creek (118) and Listed-placed dual 5f winner See You Later (98) out of a 5f 3yo Listed winner (104).
“She’s owned by Qatar in partnership with a fantastic group called Club 26, who promote horse racing to the under 26 year olds. This is a very nice filly who ran well first time out at Newmarket in a race that looks particularly strong. She was green that day but hit the line hard and will appreciate the extra distance at Doncaster on Saturday evening (June 1). I am annoyed I wasn’t able to supply Kameko with his first winner as a sire - he’s had two in two days! I would be disappointed if this filly wasn’t up to going close tomorrow before developing into a nice horse.”
SHABU SHABU (IRE)
22/3 ch c Australia - Saturday Girl (Peintre Celebre)
Owner: Middleham Park Racing XXIII Sales price: 42,000gns (Middleham Park Racing)
Half-brother to Group 3-placed 6-7f winner Room Key (103), very useful 8-14f winner Sam Cooke (109) and useful dual 14.5f winner Diocletian (104). Dam an unraced half-sister to 10f 3yo Listed winners Cosmodrome (108) and Splashdown (105).
“This is a nice horse, but he’s by Australia and there is plenty of stamina on the female side of the pedigree. Very much one for the backend and more so next season.”
STENMARK (IRE)
27/4 b c Kingman - Sivoliere (Sea The Stars)
Owner: NAS Syndicate Sales price: 200,000gns (James Ferguson Racing/Chris Waller)
Half-brother to Listed-placed French 7.5-9f winner Doctor Carl (106). Dam a French 6f 2yo Listed winner (104) who was a half-sister to French 1m 1f 3yo Group 3 winner Suphala (108) out of a French 1m 3yo Listed winner (111).
“This is a nice Kingman colt who has a really good mind and is ready to rock and roll. He will start off over 7f within the next fortnight or so. He goes along nicely.”
TOWERLANDS (IRE)
20/1 b c Earthlight - Andry Brusselles (Hurricane Run)
Owner: The Gredley Family Sales price: 55,000gns (Stetchworth And Middle Park Studs)
Half-brother to Group 2/3-placed 7f-1m winner Lady Hayes (103). Dam a French 14f Listed winner (99) who was a half-sister to Australian 1m 1f Group 3 winner Pacodali (115) and 1m Listed winner Mitchum Swagger (117).
“Although a very straightforward colt, he is just going to require some time as he’s still quite immature. I don’t see him running until the autumn as things stand.”
UNNAMED
10/3 b c Too Darn Hot - Frankel Light (Frankel)
Owner: NAS Syndicate Sales price: 140,000gns (James Ferguson/Chris Waller)
Half-brother to fairly useful UK/Hong Kong 6-7f winner Endeared (87). Dam a French 1m 3yo Listed winner (102) who was a half-sister to Australian dual 10f Group 3 winner Le Juge (110) and Listed-placed prolific 7-8.5f winner Via Serendipity (111) out of a German 1m 3yo Listed winner (105).
“A lovely Too Darn Hot colt who showed us a lot of ability early but we just backed off him slightly as he doesn’t need to be running tomorrow. He should be ready to get going over 7f sometime in July and is a particularly nice horse.”
UNNAMED
9/3 b c Too Darn Hot - Secret Soul (Shamardal)
Owner: NAS Syndicate Sales price: 45,000gns (James Ferguson/Chris Waller)
Half-brother to 12f 3yo winner Sassi Neri (76). Dam a maiden (70) half-sister to Juddmonte International winner/Derby third Japan (126), dual 12f Group 1 winner Mogul (125), 10.5f Group 2 winner/Oaks runner-up Secret Gesture (117) and 10f Group 3/Listed winner Sir Isaac Newton (121).
“He is in a similar mould to the one by Too Darn Hot out of Frankel Light, in that he showed plenty early before we just eased back a bit with him. Again, he will start off over 7f sometime in July.”
UNNAMED (USA)
17/5 b f Honest Mischief - See Ya Signe (Sea The Stars)
Owner: Southern Equine Stable LLC Sales price: n/a
Half-sister to 2023 US 1m 3yo winner Mo Shiro (88). Dam a maiden half-sister to Grade 3/Listed-placed Japanese dual 1m 1f 2yo winner Regalo (104) out of US 8.5f Grade 1 winner Santa Teresita (116).
“This is a very big filly who, once I’ve got her education sorted, I will turn out to the paddock. She is very much one for next year.”
UNNAMED (USA)
24/1 b c War Front - Special Thanks (Broken Vow)
Owner: Southern Equine Stable LLC Sales price: $300,000gns (Not Sold)
Three-parts brother to Grade 3-placed US 6-9f 3yo winner Eve of War (99; by Declaration of War) and a half-brother to 2023 US 6f 3yo winner Spun Special. Dam an unraced daughter of a US 9/9.5f Grade 3 winner (110).
“I saw this colt at the Keeneland sales and was absolutely delighted to have been asked to train him. He is a well-bred individual who has plenty of size and quality about him. I see him more as a three-year-old type, but he should be running before the end of the summer over 7f. A classy colt.”
UNNAMED
25/3 b c Night of Thunder - Wadaa (Dynaformer)
Owner: NAS Syndicate Sales price: 120,000gns (James Ferguson Racing/Chris Waller)
Full brother to useful 2023 7f-1m 3yo winner Royal Dress (97) and a half-brother to Group 2/3-placed dual 7f winner Wedding Dance (104). Dam an 11f 3yo winner (97) who was a half-sister to 10f Listed winner Queen’s Best (110; dam of Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Queen’s Trust (120)) and 13f Listed winner Urban Castle (103; dam of US triple 9/10f Grade 1 winner Domestic Spending (124)).
“A good-moving type who has a beautiful pedigree and plenty of quality about him. He is very much going to be one for next season, but I will aim to get a run or two into him at the end of the year.”
More trainer interviews
- Tom Clover
- Karl Burke
- Jessica Harrington
- Michael Bell
- Ed Bethell
- Harry Eustace
- James & Tom Fanshawe
- James Horton
- Daniel Kubler
- George Scott
- Jack Jones
- Charlie Fellowes
- Jamie Insole
- George Boughey
- Ollie Sangster
- Richard Hughes