Waterhouse/Bott purchase Royal Ascot contender

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott secured possible Royal Ascot contender Santa Bravado for £260,000 at the Goffs London Sale.

The three-year-old son of Iffraaj, a brother to multiple French stakeswinner Dibajj, was a recent winner over 2000 metres at Navan for Andrew Oliver.

Johnny McKeever was bidding on behalf of the Waterhouse/Bott combination, who have sourced the likes of stakes winners Military Mission and New Endeavour from the pre-Royal Ascot sale.

Santa Bravado holds an entry for the Golden Gates Stakes on Saturday at the famous meeting.

Topping the sale, which is held at Kensington Place Gardens, was Jersey Stakes-bound Green Sense.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained daughter of Starman was sold after he left the ring for £700,000, with Brittany Linton, chief executive of US outfit Boyd Racing, the purchaser.

“We’re very excited about her and looking forward to her running in the Jersey Stakes on Saturday. After that she’ll probably come back to the US and run in Saratoga and be a turf horse there. We have a trainer in mind but I’d better wait to tell him first,” Boyd Racing’s Randy Boyd said.

Eleven of the 19 horses offered were sold as turnover reached £2,970,000. That was significantly down on 2025 when the turnover was £8,070,000 for 20 lots sold. The average price was £270,000, compared to £403,500 last year and £559,667 in 2024.

“The 2026 London Sale was another enormous success in so many ways. Whilst the statistics are well behind last year, we don’t measure this sale in the same way,” Goffs chief Henry Beeby said.

“Normally, we obsess over percentage rises or falls but with the London Sale it is an entirely different approach. Success at the London Sale is judged by the reaction of both vendors and purchasers and, by that measurement, we’ve had a very positive evening.

“The top lot has been bought by a new entrant to European turf racing from the United States; the Queen of Australian racing Gai Waterhouse has got involved again as have Amo Racing, while Apollo were new entrants on the London buyer list.” 

“We’ve been delighted to see the enthusiasm of all buyers for their London purchases, and we wish them the very best of luck at Royal Ascot and beyond.”