Gstaad, who was born at a small stud farm in West Wales, landed a massive payday when powering to a brilliant victory at the lucrative Breeders’ Cup meeting in California over the weekend.
Earlier this summer the two-year-old had displayed his star potential when romping to a dazzling victory in the prestigious Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in front of the watching King and Queen.
He had been beaten in three subsequent outings, but bounced back in scintillating style in the early hours of Saturday morning when showing an impressive turn of speed under jockey Christophe Soumillon to win the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at the Del Mar racetrack.
While he is now owned by the powerful global Coolmore operation and trained by Irish maestro Aidan O’Brien, he was actually bred in Carmarthenshire.
He hails from Maywood Stud – around 20 miles from the racecourse at Ffos Las – and the operation of small breeder Kelly Thomas, who made the long trip from Carmarthenshire to California to watch Gstaad’s bid for glory.
Meanwhile, Ben Jones took his place in the Ascot spotlight on another good weekend for the Welsh.
Jones rode a Saturday double at the Berkshire track, including picking up the televised £100,000 three-mile handicap chase on Henry’s Friend.
The horse clearly loves the course – he won the prestigious Reynoldstown Chase there in February 2024 – and he battled on well after the final fence to hold off the persistent challenge of The Changing Man.
This was the second winner of the day for Jones and trainer Ben Pauling, who had earlier teamed up to win a novices’ handicap chase with the promising No Questions Asked.
Sean Bowen, meanwhile, was also picking up a valuable pot as the high-class Strong Leader got his campaign off to a winning start in the Grade 2 West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby.
Bowen had to be at his strongest on Strong Leader, who raced lazily for much of the three-mile contest. But Bowen conjured up one final effort from the eight-year-old on the run-in as the pair overhauled Take No Chances to win by a neck.
But there was disappointment for another Welsh jockey elsewhere on the Wetherby card, as Lorcan Williams finished well beaten in a two-runner race on Champion Hurdle heroine Golden Ace.
She was later found to be under the weather by trainer Jeremy Scott and will be back after Christmas.
Bowen and Jones went head-to-head the following day at Carlisle, as high-class second-season chasers Handstands and Resplendent Grey launched their campaigns.
Jones and Handstands looked set for victory for most of the contest, but in the end Bowen – as he so often does – produced one final change of gear out of Resplendent Grey as they pegged back their main market rival on the run-in.
Resplendent Grey is now favourite for the hugely valuable Coral Gold Cup at Newbury at the end of the month.
