Denis Coakley's latest news...

• Exciting new acquisition for Chris van Hoorn

  16 October 2019

  Denis and Chris were up at the Newmarket Tattersalls Sales yesterday and made a successful bid for a bay filly sired by The Gurkha from Book Two of the auction. She is the fourth foal of her dam Burke's Rock, who was a winner of four races including the listed Conqueror Stakes at Goodwood. Her sire was a great success as a three year old for Aidan O'Brien, The Gurkha regarded as a speedy and courageous son of Galileo, winning the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas) and going on to win the Sussex Stakes after near misses in the St.James' Palace and Eclipse Stakes. A first season stallion, his progeny are proving very much sought after in this year's sales and Chris van Hoorn is delighted to have acquired the filly to come to West Ilsley.

• Sheila's Showcase makes the frame

  13 October 2019

  Sheila's Showcase ran a very good race indeed at Wolverhampton last evening, seemingly liking the flat track and the tapeta surface, which he was encountering for the first time. From a fairly wide draw, jockey Charlie Bishop knew he had to be very smartly away at the break and even then he would have to take a wide course around the early bend. Sheila's Showcase moved very well to race prominently throughout, and found a little extra off the last turn despite having had to make a lot of the pace. Just going into the lead briefly inside the final furlong, he was then in a blanket finish of horses at the line, holding on for third place in a photograph with two short heads and a head separating the four contenders. With soft and heavy ground all around, he will certainly be aimed at another race on the all weather now.

• Miss Marjurie yearling colt goes for over a million !

  

  

  10 October 2019

  Denis and Chris van Hoorn were up at the Yearling Sales today and it was a very proud moment for them to see the sale of today's Lot 446 from the Tattersall's Newmarket Book 1  - a beautiful yearling colt out of one of the big stable stars of the recent past, Miss Marjurie. The Dubawi colt was her first foal and was sold to Godolphin for £1,100,000 : Miss Marjurie's first foal proving one of the top sellers on day two of this prestigious sale. Miss Marjurie also has had a colt foal by Frankel this year and is now in foal to Kingman, so there will be some very tempting progeny from her in the future sales rings too.

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