PENSELWOOD
SAXON WARRIOR X PACIFIC ANGEL
BAY GELDING APRIL 15TH 2024
For any racing fan, this is an opportunity that is simply not to be missed!!
We have been given the chance to have a horse in training with non other than Sir Mark Prescott – at his Heath House Stables in Newmarket.
It would not be an exaggeration to call Sir Mark a ‘Legend’ – and to have the opportunity to have him train for us in an unbelievable honour. Heath House Stables only has 50 boxes – and not the 150+ that is now common in the town – and as a result, the chance to have one of our horses in training there can be termed ‘Once in a lifetime’!
THE HORSE
Purchased from Book 2 of the annual Tattersalls Yearling Sales in Newmarket, this colt was, we believe, outstanding value! He stood out on initial inspections as just the type to suit the system at Heath House, and Sir Mark described him as ‘A lovely horse, a real athlete’
THE PEDIGREE
By Saxon Warrior, out of Pacific Angel, he has a lovely pedigree, one well suited to the successful system in place at Heath House. Resident Coolmoore stallion, Saxon Warrior (by Deep Impact) was the winner of the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at 2, a Classic winner at 3, winning the 2000 Guineas in Newmarket before finishing a neck second in both the Eclipse and the Irish Champion Stakes.
His Dam, Pacific Angel (by Dalakhani) was a very talented middle-distance filly. Trained and raced in France, she won the Listed Prix de la Pepiniere at Maisons-Laffitte achieving a Timeform rating of 110. She has been very successful at stud, four of her first five foals are winners, including Serene Seraph who has achieved a Timeform rating 99. All five of her foals of racing age have made it through training and onto the track – showing that she produces tough, sound and talented racehorses.
Dalakhani has established himself as a high class broodmare sire, with his daughters producing elite performers across multiple continents, with over 58 individual stakes winners world wide - his daughters progeny earning £2.7m in a single season in 2022. He is the broodmare sire of some noteable performers, headed by Champion Pinatubo.
Since we purchased Penselwood, the pedigree has had a significant update. Blarney (by Belardo) his 4yr old half brother has really hit his straps in 2026 - winning 5 of his last 7 starts - including a Listed race!!
This was the race report in the French press:
BLARNEY, A TRUE MARATHON RUNNER COPPAD'OROL – SAN SIRO, ITALY – 22 June 2026 Listed - 4 years and older - 3,000m [1m7f]- €48,400 Since the shortening of the Gran Premio di Milano, the great tradition of San Siro, is the meeting place for stamina horses. No filly had won the race in 53 editions. On Sunday, under the Milanese heatwave, Naisha (Sea The Stars) came very close to a historic victory, but she found in her path a talented young marathon runner, the French gelding Blarney (Belardo). The Jérôme Reynier trainee, third last time out in the Premio Carlo d’Alessio (L), where he was hampered by the heavy ground, found ideal conditions this time. Antonio Orani placed him in fifth position while Lady Yoshida (Yoshida) set a moderate pace, closely followed by Naisha. The latter launched her attack as soon as they entered the home straight, about 600m from the finish, and took the lead. But Blarney gradually found his stride before unleashing his effort in the final 200 meters. He came from behind to overtake his rival and win by a neck, with plenty of energy left. Lady Yoshida bravely held on to third place until the very end. A well-deserved first black-type victory, Blarney thus notches his fifth win in seven starts this year and secures a first black-type victory that is thoroughly deserved. The representative of Jeannette McCreery now seems capable of taking another step forward, as his trainer explained: “Blarney is a horse with great stamina who never gives up and is also capable of accelerating. Before deciding to make the trip to San Siro, we had also considered running him in the Queen Alexandra Stakes, the marathon over an extreme distance at Royal Ascot. We have taken a step forward here and I think the horse can still move up in class. He is entered in the Prix Maurice de Nieuil (Gr2) [1m6f] and we will see how he recovers from this race as well as the level of the opposition before deciding whether he will run on July 14 at Longchamp. I think he will give us some more good races.” Pedigree note: Blarney traces back to a great Wildenstein family. The third dam, Palmeraie (Lear Fan), also produced Pushkin (Caerleon), winner of the Prix Maurice de Nieuil (Gr2) and second in the Prix du Cadran (Gr1), and Place Rouge (Desert King), winner of the Lancashire Oaks (Gr3, 2,400m), as well as the unraced Plante Rare (Giant's Causeway), dam of Planteur (Danehill Dancer), winner of the Prix Ganay (Gr1).
In a further update - Crystal Pier, the 3yr old half sister to Penselwood, is now a winner!! Their dam - Pacific Angel, now has a 100% record - her first 5 foals have all made the track and are all winners - she produces, sound, reliable stock that all win!!
Crystal Pier won a 1m 1/2f handicap in Wolverhampton on May 11, needing every yard of the trip, and very much looking like a filly that will rise through the ranks as she is stepped up in trip on more galloping tracks.
THE PHYSICAL
This colt was outstanding value, purchased for 30,000 Guineas, on a strong trade that saw 12 yearlings by the sire average nearly 88,000 Guineas! He is very well made with good conformation, a straight mover with a very big athletic walk to him. He has size, scope and substance. One of the standout things about this horse was his temperament, we viewed him a few times, and his outlook never wavered – he always showed himself well and behaved impeccably.
Put all these things together and this colt is the perfect horse for the system that Sir Mark Prescott and William Butler have in place at Heath House.
Penselwood has now been gelded as planned.
HEATH HOUSE
One of the most beautiful and historic yards in Newmarket, Heath House has been the home of Sir Mark Prescott since 1970, since when a steady stream of winners has passed through his hands at all levels, including recent Group 1 winners Alpanista and Consent. To find out more about Heath House Stables click the link.
https://www.heathhousestables.com/
THE SYNDICATE
This colt will run in the name of The Sharnbrook Partnership, and carry our well known colours of Black, Red Sash, White Sleeves and Cap.
The Syndicate will be made up of 10 equal 10% shares.
COSTS
Each 10% share is priced at £4,500 which includes all sales costs including commissions
In addition - there will be no monthly fees to pay until May 2026
Just 2 of the 10 shares remain
As the monthly costs incurred in the keep and training of the horse over the period of the term of the syndicate will vary considerably, and I believe in providing an equitable service for all members, monthly fees will be charged at cost. Each month shareholders will be sent a statement of all invoices received in respect of the training and keep of the horse and be expected to settle their share of the account by return. (Estimated average monthly costs expected to be between £350-£380/month)
The syndicate will be managed by Olney Bloodstock Ltd
Award winning racecourse photographer Debbie Burt will provide additional photos and videos.
Debbie, a former Bloodstock correspondent for the Horse and Hound has taken a more detailed look at this colts pedigree and history behind the stud farm where he was raised.
Though consigned by Selwood Bloodstock, our colt was bred by Stowell Hill who came to prominence by
breeding the 1972 2000 Guineas winner High Top (dam sire of Kayf Tara). Further graduates include French
and Irish Derby winner, Old Vic (sire of Kicking King, Our Vic, Comply Or Die and Don’t Push It) and more
recently the 2018 1000 Guineas winner, Billesdon Brook.
Based in Somerset, about 20 years ago I spent a brief period there preparing yearlings for owners, Bob and
Jeanette McCreery. Bob had been a champion amateur jockey, whose wins included the 1953 Welsh
National and the 1957 Cotswold Chase, which is now the Arkle. So successful was he that the stewards of
the time decided to limit amateur’s rides to 50 per season, for fear that rides were being taken from the
professionals! On retirement he was also a great supporter of both breeding and jockeys, helping to
establish the European Breeders Fund, and JETS, the Jockeys Employment and Training Scheme, as well as
being a trustee of the Injury Jockeys Fund. After his death in 2016, Jeanette has continued to breed, (racing
some of the fillies) and it was lovely to shake her hand outside the sale ring at Tattersalls.
However our colt doesn’t trace to their foundation mare Camenae, but descends from one of the most
significant European bloodlines, the Wildenstein’s ‘P’ family, bought outright by another leading French
racing family the Wertheimer’s. This includes Arc winner Peintre Celebre, 2019 French 2000 Guineas
winner and Arc third, Persian King. Raced by Godolphin, Persian King is currently in the top five European
first crop sires (winners to runners), whose top-rated runner, the Group 3 winner Cankoura, is out of a
Dalakhani mare, as is the Listed placed Allure.
Policy Maker (a full brother to the second dam Perstrovka) is the sire of Chacun Pour Soi, and Spindleberry,
winner of a Grade 1 chase at Fairyhouse in April - also for Willie Mullins. Another to feature in the current
NH stallion ranks is Planteur, sire of the late lamented Trueshan and Lousia Carberry’s dual Grade 1
winning chaser, Gran Diose, whose earnings over fences exceed £1 million.
Pacific Angel is the best of her dam’s twelve progeny to race, winning twice (including a Listed race at
Maison Lafitte over 1m2f) and placing three times from 10 starts for Mikel Delzangles in the Wildenstein’s
Ballymore Thoroughbreds colours. By the time she had won her Listed race in 2016, her sire Dalakhani had
retired, so there was no chance to return to the well!
By Japanese champion Deep Impact, the Racing Post Trophy and 2000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior (nb
NOT Ghaiyyath Nick!) was the result of a return visit to the stallion by the unbeaten juvenile Maybe. After
the Guineas, he was for a time, considered a Triple Crown prospect by Aidan O’Brien, however his Derby
fourth to Masar ended that dream, finding his nemesis in Roaring Lion who beat him a neck in both the
Eclipse and the Irish Champion Stakes. Starting off at €30,000 in his first season, our colt was conceived off
Saxon Warrior’s highest fee of €35,000, with his sales average for colts, currently standing at 61,329
guineas.
Through Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf winner Victoria Road, Saxon Warrior gained a Group 1 victory in his
first crop and highlights this year include Royal Ascot Ribblesdale winner, Garden Of Eden. However, from
obviously very limited NH runners, he has already had Punchestown Festival success with Pigeon House,
winner of a handicap hurdle for Jessie Harrington. Goblet Of Fire has been mixing it up under both codes
this season for Nicky Henderson, winning over hurdles at Hereford in April and placing over 1m6f at
Goodwood in August. Only five, he’s already won nine races for two different trainers.
