The turf season is well underway with runner this month, and even our first winner! Read on to find out more... 

April's Runner Highlights

SHADY BAY (pictured above) was first past the post on her first run for the season on Sunday 26th April at Nottingham. She was also our first turf winner for 2026!  Sean Levey was on board for the 1m 2f handicap. Drawn in stall 4, the pair sat in second and turning in for home, Shady Bay kicked on and went clear to win by almost 3 lengths. The 5 year old mare is by New Bay, out of the Rahy mare, Soft Lips. She is owned by P Afia, E Hobson, A Pegley, C & R Russell.

One To Watch

GOT THE BOOTY rallied hard to finish second on her season debut at Southwell on 9th April over six furlongs. She jumped out the stalls, racing in second to take the lead and was frustratingly beaten by a neck. It won’t be long until she is back out and in the winners enclosure!

SPOTLIGHT: Jockey Silks

Our new mini series will be looking at various different topics over the next few months and focusing on a wide range of industry news as well as interesting racehorse-specific subjects. If you have any suggestions for the series or if there is something that you would like to know more about, then please do let us know by emailing [email protected]

If you’re heading to the races it is hard to miss the huge variety of colour. The silks (or colours as they’re known) are worn by the jockeys and they are unique to each owner with their own individual pattern and can be easily recognised on the racetrack.

There is some debate around when colours were first worn by horse riders. In Ancient Rome, the chariots had bright colours and the riders had headbands for identification and in later years, knights carried banners that bore their coat of arms and wore colours on their armoury.

The history of the jockey silks have roots dating back to the 1700s, when horse racing became a popular sport amongst the British elites. They are thought to be rooted in the traditions of wearing uniform to show who was fighting in battle. The early races in the 1700s only involved two horses and the owners personalised silk jackets and caps to distinguish their horse more easily. Once the field sizes started to increase and the popularity of racing horses meant that there needed to be a system in which the spectators knew whose horse belonged to which owner and what the colour of the jacket they were wearing.

In the 18th century England, and with the introduction of the Jockey Club, racing silks were established and standardised. This meant that no two owners could have the same silks and many would choose their own designs that featured family crests, colours & designs. Many of these colours are still famous to this day. Originally made from silk, today they are often now made from satin or lycra which is a cheaper material but it also provides to greater mobility. In the UK, there are over 26,000 colour combinations that can be registered.

The ownership of racing silks can be a valuable commodity and they are often the first milestone in horse racing ownership. Bespoke designs can cost owners upwards of £5,000 and vintage sets carrying the weight of history can fetch five figures at Auction. For example, Godolphin’s famous royal blue silks were originally in the ownership of trainer/owner Alan Bailey but he sold them to Sheikh Mohammed for £26,000.

In 2016, the BHA held an auction for six sets of new patterns for the colours. This comprised of an anchor, rainbow stripes, multicoloured spots, checked shades of red, a horseshoe and some flames. They hoped this would encourage some new ownership and it led to 9 owners registering bespoke designs. One such pattern was created by Tom Joule of the clothing store Joules, which joined patterns including a chinese dragon, lucky clovers, a dog silhouette and some bees. This auction upset some of racing’s traditionalists but in 2017, 3 more sets of colours were sold by the BHA, with some ‘dartboard’ silks selling for £8,500.

There are plenty of famous racing silks that are easily spotted on the racecourse due to being carried by some great racehorses in the past. Some of these include:

• Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: Purple, scarlet with gold braiding
• JP McManus: Green with gold hoops
• Prince Khalid Abdullah (Juddmonte): Green and white, pink sash
• Ricci Family: Baby pink with bright green spots
• Godolphin: Royal blue
• Coolmore (Magnier): Dark blue
• Shadwell Racing: Blue with white epaulettes
• Gigginstown House Stud: Burgundy with white star and stripes

The British model, originally created by The Jockey Club, set the standard for registering silks and has helped to maintain continuity at the heart of international competition. Every set of silks represents a fusion of personal ambition and the centuries-old tradition that gives horse racing its pageantry and prestige.

Breezin' On Up

The start of the flat season means it’s also the time again for the Breeze Ups. The sales showcase the raw, natural talent of two-year-olds with a short gallop over 2 furlongs before heading into the sales ring.

Tom Ward Racing has had a lot of success with horses purchased from the breeze up sales. TRANSPARENT (pictured below) is one example. The colt was purchased for 54,000gns at the 2024 Tattersalls Guineas breeze ups. He was a lot of fun for his owners; racing 11 times, winning twice and placing six times to earn over £27,000 in prize money. He was then sold at the horses-in-training sale in October 2025 for 80,000gns to race in Bahrain.

The more recent breeze up purchase, ABUNDANT, has already given his owners a thrilling two-year-old season with a win and 2 placings in only three starts! Abundant was purchased from the Tattersalls Ireland breeze ups for 42,000 euros. He is sure to give his owners another exciting season this year.

If you would like a thrilling summer on the track, then get in contact today to discuss your requirements. Tom will be going to all the major sales in the UK, France and Ireland. The remaining dates for these are:

• Arqana Breeze Ups, Deauville 7 - 9 May
• Tattersalls Ireland Breeze Up 21 - 22 May
• Goffs Ireland Classic Breeze Up 27 June.

Horses For Sale

At Whitehouse Stables we have a selection of different ownership options to suit everyone’s budget. This could be the purchase of a horse outright, or maybe even a smaller share. Please see below a selection of horses on offer at the moment - head to our website or email [email protected] for more information!

2024 BAAEED ex KINGDOM GIRL Filly

The Scout Syndicate has a new recruit! This athletic filly has a sire who needs no introduction. She is by BAAEED, the highest rated horse since Frankel whose flawless career saw 6 Group 1 wins and over £2.3 million in prize money. The filly’s dam, KINGDOM GIRL, by Kingman, was a winner herself and a half sister to Group 2 & 3 winners in HATTA FORT and BLUE BAYOU. This filly is registered for the lucrative GBB scheme, and can earn up to an extra £100,000. The buy-in is for the 2026 AND 2027 season & includes all pre-training, training, keep and UK racing costs. 

£3,000 for both the 2026 & 2027 season

PEABERRY 

ONLY 7.5% LEFT! This strong, precocious 2-year-old is by exciting first-season sire CATURRA and he was purchased at the Tattersalls Ireland yearling sale privately for 13,000 euros. He is out of the Vale of New York mare, Vetlana. Her progeny includes 3 winners from 3 runners in 3 different continents – UK, AUS, and USA. This same cross has produced the multiple Gr. 1 & Gr. 2 placed sprinter, Acklam Express. This colt is taking his work well at Whitehouse Stables. He has grown plenty and is ready to step up in his work. He looks to be making a debut on the racecourse mid-summer.

7.5% share = £4,320 inc VAT for all pre-training, training, keep, transport and racing costs until October 2026