Winners, sales and more winners as Yorton head towards the end of 2025!

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From the sales ring to the winners enclosure, it’s certainly been a frantic couple of months for Yorton in the leadup to the festive period. Selling stock, buying stock, plus a new stallion to ready for the 2026 covering season, the team are racking up just as many miles as Santa Claus himself!!

At the end of November, VIVRE LE REVE (3yo G) produced a lovely debut effort over in France by winning a 3yo hurdle at Lyon-Parilly for Hugo Merienne in the Yorton Racing colours. A Yorton Sale graduate & homebred son of Pether’s Moon, that performance earned him a place in the Goffs Coral Gold Cup Sale held after racing at Newbury on 29 November. His name translates into ‘live the dream’ & having realised £100,000 when sold to Jerry McGrath & Ben Pauling, we will all be hoping that he lives up to that name !

Another Pether’s Moon gelding continues to keep his own connections in dreamland with the now four time winner TITAN DISCOVERY (7yo G) winning at Cheltenham on 12 December for his breeders & owners, Kevin & Anne Glastonbury. It is great to see them enjoying the game so much with well earned success plus supporting young Welsh trainer Robbie Llewellyn.

Pether’s Moon was at it again the previous weekend with two James & Jean Potter homebreds winning consecutive races at Aintree on 6 December for Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies. GUARD THE MOON (7yo G) was first up making his seasonal re-appearance & first crack at chase fences. Having settled well, he cruised to the front up the home straight with a blunder at the last unable to deny him an ultimately impressive victory. A little over 20 minutes later, UNCLE BERT (8yo G), also making his first outing of the season, bounded clear to score by over 9 lengths much to his breeders delight who were in attendance. Out of good racemare Azza, who herself is a sister to tough chaser & dual Becher Chase winner, Vieux Lion Rouge, Uncle Bert is now being aimed at the Welsh Grand National on 27 December with jumping & stamina looking his key attributes. Not to be out done, his 4yo younger brother AZLAD (4yo G) by Linda’s Lad won his Maiden Point-to-Point for Gina Ellis up at Alnwick on 13 December & looks another smart performer.

Connections with Uncle Bert at Aintree - pic Sian Cadwallader-Hinkins

Other recent winners by the late Pether’s Moon include Tigers Moon for Tom Ellis, Fresh Speculation for Henry Daly plus 20 length 4yo Auteuil winner, Moonraker Chic for the Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm axis over the channel in France.

New sire CRACKSMAN arrived a short time ago & has attracted huge interest from breeders throughout the UK & Ireland ahead of his debut season in Welshpool. It is therefore no surprise that his progeny continue to grace the winners enclosure headed by OPEN SECRET (4yo G) who was a wide margin winner over hurdles for Gordon Elliot at Naas on 15 December. CLOAKS OF GOLD (3yo F) was equally as impressive when winning on her debut run over hurdles at Warwick for Max Comley a few days earlier.

Open Secret after success at Naas - pic Naas Racecourse

Racing Post Bloodstock Article - interview with Dave (17 December) - Link HERE

Robert Waley-Cohen has long been a supporter of Yorton over the years & his homebred filly STROKE PLAY (3yo F) made a hugely impressive debut at Ludlow on 17 December. Sent off the odds-on favourite for the NH Junior hurdle under James Bowen, the daughter of Masterstroke sprinted clear from the last to win eased down by 10 lengths. QUEEN’S THEATRE (4yo F) was purchased as a foal by Yorton from Robert’s Upton Viva Stud & re-sold through the farm’s sale as a 2yo before going into training with Anthony Honeyball. The Gentlewave filly was another to win on her hurdles debut at Fontwell on 8 December following up on her Bumper win earlier in the Spring & looks a very nice prospect for connections going forward.

Some fresh faces have also arrived at the stud with the team busy talent spotting at various sales in the UK, Germany, France & Ireland. Alongside a couple new broodmares, the team managed to secure a number of youngsters which will enter the Yorton system headed by a gorgeous Doctor Dino foal from Goffs December Sale in Ireland. Bred by Sarah & Nigel Faulks’ Yeo Barton Bloodstock, the April born colt boasts a great black type pedigree as well as being a sibling to the exciting pair Wonderful Everyday & Just A Rose. He was picked up for €90,000 & will be retained to race or make an appearance in the annual Yorton Sale held in September. Other purchases included foals by Seahenge, Blue Bresil, Cracksman, Jigme & Postponed alongside smashing yearlings by Bathyrhon & Zaskar.