Shouldvebeenaring wins another key juvenile race for Havana Grey

WHITSBURY MANOR STUD’s Ed Harper reported after selling (Lot 234) for £230,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Sale, a colt by the farm’s exciting young stallion Havana Grey and the sale’s second top lot, that there are certain key races that stallion masters with young sires want to win… he mentioned the Hilary Needler as one such race.

It is assumed that the Listed Ripon Champion Two Yrs Trophy is another such race… and it is another target juvenile race won this season by a son of Havana Grey.

The successful colt was Shouldvebeenaring, the Richard Hannon-trained Whitsbury Manor homebred building on his Goffs UK sales race win at York earlier this month.

Third placed was Star Of Lady M, also by Havana Grey, and the pair were split by Bolt Action, also a son of first-season sire – Tally-Ho Stud’s Kessaar.

Jockey Sean Levey reported today the winning colt did not really handle the undulating unique track at Ripon, and that his ability got him home.

“I didn’t really feel he handled the track when he ran here before and to be honest I don’t think he did today,” said Levey. “He is just so genuine and tries really hard and got away with it, last time and this. That is not necessarily a bad thing, you’d think on a better track he’d find a bit more.

“He is in a good position now, he is rated in the high 90s now after his win after York, on the back of that he will be in the low 100s, but potentially he could just slowly climb the grades rather than be thrown in at the deep end. He is laid back and it does feel as though he it is taking a couple of runs to get the hang of things.”

The Peter and Ross Doyle/MPR Goffs UK Premier Sale £40,000 purchase has now won over £151,000 in prize-money earnings from three wins from four starts.

At this year’s Goffs UK Sale the stallion averaged £54,789 (median £42,999) for 19 sold from 20 offered.

Shouldvebeenaring’s Showcasing half-brother is Lot 1384 in the Tattersalls October Book 3 Sale.