Blandford Bloodstock: winning at the highest level

The festive decorations had barely come down at the start of 2008 when Dancer’s Daughter provided further evidence of the success story that is Blandford Bloodstock.

At Kenilworth, South Africa, the four-year-old Act One filly became the latest Group 1 performer to have been purchased by the Newmarket-based company when she raced to glory in the Paddock Stakes.

It was the fifth victory in the career of Dancer’s Daughter, shrewdly bought by Blandford Bloodstock for 52,000gns at Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Part One.

She joined a rapidly increasing list of Stakes winners who agents Tom Goff or Richard Brown have signed for since the beginning of 2004. In four years, the individual winners of Pattern races knocked down to Goff and Brown numbered 30, including such stars as Dutch Art and Winker Watson.

Dutch Art proved exceptionally well bought after going under the hammer for just 16,000gns at Doncaster St Leger Yearling Sale in 2005. He was a brilliant juvenile, unbeaten in a glorious 2006 campaign that peaked with Group 1 wins in the Prix Morny and the Middle Park. As a three-year-old, he also ran with merit, finishing third in the 2000 Guineas and second in the July Cup.

In 2007, Blandford Bloodstock purchase Winker Watson emulated the Norfolk Stakes heroics achieved by stable-mate Dutch Art some 12 months earlier. The 56,000gns cheque that was signed for the son of Piccolo at the Doncaster St Leger Yearling Sale was swiftly repaid with interest thanks to his Royal Ascot triumph and a subsequent July Stakes victory. Listed stars Declaration Of War and Western Art further advertised the buying ability - and eye for a two-year-old - of Blandford Bloodstock in 2007.

Formal Decree has been another big hit - both at home and abroad. He cost 43,000euros at Baden-Baden Yearling Sale before winning a Cambridgeshire and also the Group 3 Dubai Al Rashidiya.

Also further a-field, Blandford Bloodstock has been able to draw satisfaction from the achievements of Zooming Zellie (a Group 3 winner at Kenilworth), Masseuse (a Grade 2 and Grade 3 scorer in America) and Moudez (a Listed victor at Keeneland) - all of whom were purchased by the astute Goff-Brown combination.

For details of further Blandford-linked successes such as Captain Hurricane, Abigail Pett and Hunter Street, please check out the adjoining links sub-links to the right-hand side of this page.

All have done their bit in the ongoing tale of Blandford Bloodstock’s feats. And the likelihood is there are many more chapters to be added in the months and years ahead.