Our two lovely yearlings Study The Stars (shown here) and Eaux De Vie had to bravely face gale-force winds and torrential rain when loading to leave home for the first time and make the 200 mile journey to renowned horse whisperer Gary Witheford’s stables near Marlborough in Wiltshire. Gary, who helped Eaux De Vie’s dam Delagoa Bay overcome her aversion to starting stalls enabling her to go on to win 5 races, and his son Craig are already working with our youngsters to get them ready to go into training with Sylvester Kirk in Lambourn around Christmas time. Some shares still available – to make a wonderful Christmas present!

After her last run Lafontaine now has a handicap mark from which we can expect her to give us a lot of fun in the coming months. She’s enjoyed a short break after 3 quick runs and trainer Sylvester Kirk says she’s continuing to grow and fill out and is looking absolutely fantastic. She’s shown plenty of promise and speed in her initial races and her riders have all said that she just needs to strengthen up to be able to carry through with her effort – she’s also been unlucky to encounter soft ground on her last couple of outings which  has made it tricky for her to see out the last of the 6 furlongs. We should have news of entries for her next run around the middle of next month.

This is our Swiss Spirit filly out of our multiple winning mare Delagoa Bay who’s growing well and really looking the part. She’ll be backed and ridden away this autumn when shares will become available for her first season in training with Sylvester Kirk in Lambourn. Swiss Spirit was a top class sprinter who we hope has added more speed to Delagoa Bay’s proven toughness and staying ability.

First season stallion Due Diligence, sire of our outstanding yearling colt Study The Stars (shown here) out of our multiple winning mare Celestial Bay, has got off to a flying start with a clutch of early winners including his first stakes winner Good Vibes propelling him to top of the table of Europe’s freshman sires. This bodes very well for his future as Due Diligence, trained by Aidan O’Brien, was a classy performer himself and rated above his own very successful sire War Front who is setting up something of a dynasty of high class performers across the USA and Europe. Due Diligence was a champion sprinter but Ed Harper, owner of Whitsbury Stud where he stands, suggests that he might well have proven to stay a mile had injury not cut his racing career so short. Goldmine, the pedigree research tool, rate the mating between Due Diligence and Celestial Bay as an ‘exceptional 20/20 match’ and believe that Study The Stars should be a 6 furlong performer at 2 and stay 10 furlongs as a 3-y-o and beyond. Our yearling will be backed and ridden away this autumn when shares will become available – you can register interest by emailing us at enquiries@homebredracing.co.uk

Our Canford Cliffs filly Lafontaine is due to make her racecourse debut at Lingfield on Thursday 30th May over 6 furlongs. Although she’s been going well at home she’s sure to need the experience – especially drawn high 13 of 14 runners. Stable apprentice Gary Mahon, who rides her every day at home, will be in the saddle. Whilst we’re not expecting fireworks on her first outing, we’ll hope to see her finishing her race well and giving us encouragement for the future as she’s bred to stay further n due course. Lafontaine will be the yard’s first juvenile runner this season

Lafontaine, our French-bred juvenile and named after France’s first ballerina, is well into training with Sylvester Kirk at Lambourn and already showing great promise. Lafontaine is by 5 times Group 1 winner Canford Cliffs out of a speedy mare who won over 7 furlongs for John Gosden. Sylvester says: “She’s a real smasher. What I really like about her is that she does everything effortlessly. She’s entered for the £150,000 Tattersalls October Stakes which should suit her nicely, but we’ll probably start her off at a local course like Salisbury or Newbury”.

Lafontaine is an exceptionally attractive filly who’s clearly becoming a bit of a yard favourite!

This is ‘Rocky’ with his multiple winning dam Celestial Bay. Rocky is by first season stallion Due Diligence, son of the all-conquering War Front, who was a spectacular winner on debut in the USA before being scooped up by Coolmore for whom he became champion sprinter trained by Aiden O’Brien. Aiden says “Due Diligence was sure to be a Group 1 winner but for being injured at Royal Ascot where he still managed to finish second”. We’re hopeful that the line breeding to the legendary Seattle Slew, who features close up in Celestial Bay’s pedigree as well as Due Dilgence’s, may create something special. Rocky certainly has the looks and scope to be a very nice colt

Multiple winner Delagoa Bay’s foal was so named because of her charges around the paddock coming to an abrupt stop before careering off again! She’s a lovely and very correct filly by the UK’s leading first season stallion and Group winning sprinter Swiss Spirit. We’re hoping that her dam’s proven stamina will be enhanced by her sire’s great speed. Pitstop, just like her dam, always looks a gleaming picture of heath and now growing well shows all the signs of making a speedy two-year-old. The plan will be to start her off this autumn being ridden around the local lanes before going into full training early in 2020.