A busy month with lots of runners on the turf! Read on to find out more…

May's Runner Highlights

DARN HOT DAME (pictured above) delighted her owners and showed that patience really does pay off when galloping first past the post on 23rd May. The three year old daughter of Too Darn Hot was ridden by Kaiya Fraser over the extended 1m 3.5f.

The pair were in amongst the action, before narrowly leading with one other to gallop away from the field by 3 lengths to be first past the post by a shoulder. DARN HOT DAME is owned by The Racing Dames and was bred by Stanley House Stud. She is by Too Darn Hot, out of the Nayef mare, Quenelle.

It won’t be long before this talented stayer will be back in the winner’s enclosure! If you would like to spend your summer racing in the sunshine and sipping on premium rosé, Pink Diesel, the sponsor of the Racing Dames club, then get involved today!  Shares are still available in the filly for just £100 a month. This includes badges to go racing, regular updates on the progress of the filly as well as various events throughout the year such as a visit to Dalham Hall Stud to see Too Darn Hot, wreath making and of course, plenty of visits to see the filly in action on the gallops.

Ones To Watch

ABUNDANT ran a gallant fourth on 11 May on the turf for his seasonal debut at Windsor. A tough race, with 12 runners, the gelding was on Good to Firm ground for the first time. Abundant ran prominent throughout the race, and kept on in the final furlong to only be beaten by 2 lengths.

Keep an eye on the entries & declarations, this talented son of Lucky Vega will be back in the winner’s enclosure very soon!

MAGNATURA, who was also making his seasonal debut, placed fourth on 16 May at Newbury was only beaten 3 lengths in a Class 3 handicap. Another one to watch for the season, the son of Magna Grecia will be an exciting horse for his owners this season.

Spotlight: Starting Stalls 

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]

Some of our two year olds headed to the track for their first start this month after having had plenty of practice with the starting stalls at home. We let them have a positive first session with stalls expert, Craig Witheford, to learn the basics and address any issues straight away. The two year olds will then go back to the stalls the week before they run to remind them what it is all about.

The starting stalls weren’t actually introduced until 1965, and until then the start of the races were chaotic. For almost 150 years, the racing authorities had tried various methods to bring the start under control but finding a system for an increasing number of horses was difficult. Additionally, the importance of a good start became more significant as the distance of races got shorter.

In 1825, the traditional way to start a race was via a flag start. If there was a false start, a red flag would be raised and the jockeys would have to return to the start. However, there was still a number of false starts happening and further change was needed. In 1832, the Jockey Club introduced a new rule which gave the starter authority to order the jockeys to draw up in a line behind the starting post. If any jockey disobeyed the starter, a fine was issued. In 1877, a further rule was introduced and the horses were lined up in an order that was determined by lots drawn by the jockeys at the time of weighing out. This further complicated the starting of races by the starter.

Due to the many complications, the flag system had to be replaced and this was done in 1897 with the first trial of the ‘Gray Starting Gate’ (pictured above). These gates had worked successfully in Australia and India and they could be put up in a few minutes. The first trial in Newmarket of the gates was unsuccessful, with half the horses not ready as well as the jockeys not being familiar with the equipment. It took 2 more years before the starting gates were used for 2 year old races and by 1902, the gates were used for all ages, except in races where special permission had been given to start by flag. However, it was still not perfect, in the Wokingham Stakes at Ascot in 1902 only 12 of the 25 runners finished due to only half of the barrier going up. After this incident, the Jockey Club reintroduced the Recall Flag Man who could assist if the start was faulty.

Better methods of starting races were considered and as early as 1917, the McLachlan patent starting stall was used. This was first used in Australia with each runner having their own stall. This had its downside as there was only 15 stalls that could be accommodated and it would take 15 men to carry the stalls off the track. In 1929, the Bahr starting stalls, which were first used in America, were introduced and these stalls weighed less and were equipped with wheels so they could be moved more easily. A barrier, operated by ‘an electric button’ was in front of the stalls.

It wasn’t until 1965 that the first trial race using starting stalls was in Great Britain using the Steriline Gate, an Australian design and later modified to suit British conditions with front and back gates on each stall, much like what you see today at the races. The trials continued in 1966 and were very successful. With the financial support of the Levy Board, the Jockey Club went ahead with the wider use of the starting stalls in all races from 1968. Today, the stalls at the races have been modernised from the first model in 1965 but they have been very successful with very few errors occurring on the track.

Success at the Sales

Tom has been busy this month at the breeze up sales and he struck at the Arqana breeze up sale in Deauville when bidding on a filly by MINZAAL (pictured below).

Tom and Alex liked this filly as a yearling at the Tattersalls Book 2 yearling sales and they caught her eye again this time and decided that they couldn’t go home without her! She is a strong, classy filly who showed a fantastic attitude in her breeze and throughout her stay at the sales. An athletic mover who looks to have a strong constitution, she clocked the 22nd fastest time in the final gallop out; a good achievement in the smartest sale of the European breeze-up season.

Her pedigree backs up her physical appearance with her dam having already produced Stakes winner PANAMA RED, 101 rated POWER OF STATES who finished 4th in a Group 3, plus her three-parts brother KEY WITNESS, now rated 96 after winning his last 3 starts in Ireland and has Stakes races on the agenda for this summer.

The mare is a proven producer of talented durable horses, so combined with much-vaunted first season MINZAAL, this filly would seem to possess all the ingredients she needs to be successful on the racecourse. Additionally, she is entered for the lucrative €160,000 Arqana Race series.

This filly (above) is now sold but there are a couple of chances left to join in the action this summer! Tom will be attending the Goffs Classic Breeze Up sale on 27th June, as well as the premier midsummer sale at Tattersalls - the July sale on 7th - 9th July - where there will be a mixture of stock from fillies & mares as well as progressive horses in training.

Register your interest today and get in touch with the office for more information!

Glorious Goodwood Picnic Marquee

JOIN US at Glorious Goodwood in the picnic marquee for a day of thrilling racing, delicious food and champagne on Saturday 1st August.

Tickets can be purchased for a discounted price of £90 using the following link -

Richmond Enclosure tickets for Saturday 1st August

We can’t wait to see as many of you as possible! It is going to be a fabulous day at Glorious Goodwood.

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 stepping 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