Saachi

Saachi spent the first two years of his career with Harry Eustace in Newmarket after being purchased at the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up sale at Newmarket in April 2023. By Advertise, out of a nice Shamardal mare, Beautiful Gesture who, herself, cost over 100,000 Guineas as a yearling and was trained by Karl Burke though unfortunately, after being placed at Newmarket on debut, she suffered an injury and was eventually retired to stud. She is from a prolific family and a sister to no less than SEVEN winners including black type performers, Pleasure Gains and Sarinda who, herself, was the dam Listed placed, Zain Sarinda.

Saachi was placed a couple of times for Harry but, in truth, he never stopped growing and now, in a slight departure from our most recent routine we have taken the opportunity to re-route Saachi to pursue a dual purpose career with one of our oldest friends in racing but, also, as he has proven on numerous occasions, a proven trainer at the very highest level.

Ian Williams

Ian Williams, whose experience ranges back as far as when preparing The Fellow, to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup when assistant to Francois Doumen but, once setting up on his own, Ian has subsequently managed a feat unmatched by any current trainer in that he has trained a winner at every racecourse in Great Britain though, more to the point, Ian is regularly to be seen with multiple entries at all the big festivals. Indeed, most recently he has been seen winning races at Ascot in the Shergar Cup, is a regular winner of valuable races in the Racing League but, equally, at our very own festival here at Newmarket, the July Festival, he saddled, Oneforthegutter to win one of the £100,000 heritage handicaps (also saddling the third home, Real Dream) and almost caused one of the shocks of the meeting when last year’s winner of the Bunbury Cup, was beaten a nose by many shrewd judge’s bet of the meeting, More Thunder of William Haggas’ with 40-1 job Aalto. It was a weekend which saw Ian have winners at Ascot, Chester and, of course, here at Newmarket. He is definitely no stranger to the winners enclosure and has won most of the country’s top handicaps on the flat while also saddling a Cheltenham Festival winner with Ballyalton.

Ian and ourselves go back a way and our current strike rate together is perfect. We have sent Ian three horses, over the years, who started life in Newmarket and needed a change of scenery and in each of those cases, Ian found the key and won with them. They included Joey Tribbiani, a four time chase winner with Ian, including at Aintree, Monica Geller who won a valuable handicap at Windsor, on their feature Winter Hill card, and Lemon Bridge, who won a valuable handicap hurdle at Stratford before a couple of staying races on the flat, including at the Dante meeting at York.

Joey Tribbiani winning at Aintree

Ian’s Dominion Racing Stables, though not Newmarket based, is located in beautiful countryside in the midlands and is very conveniently, and centrally, located for any number of racecourses under both codes. The yard itself boasts outstanding facilities including private gallops, an equine pool, and a huge indoor school and we felt this change of scenery and routine will do our 4yo a world of good!

Ian has now been entrusted with the future career of Saachi, a majestic looking animal whose immaturity and size impeded his flat career. However, he showed the promise for this new venture on his last race at Leicester in late June (see below), when a very close third showing both plenty of promise and the ability to stay a mile and a half. It’s a race, from which the second and fourth have already won too! We will seek to lose his maiden tag on the flat in the immediate future, before Ian schools him towards, ultimately, a chasing career but it wont be a surprise to see Ian pick up a flat race or two along the way. As a result, our Winter wont be quite so quiet this year!

Saachi finishes a close third at Leicester

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