Cambridge Stud Spring News

Media Release - Friday October 25

Cambridge Stud are enjoying a winning roll through the spring with Ceolwulf upsetting the favourites in the $5million Group I King Charles Stakes, while Almanzor (Fr) continues to churn out stakes-winners.

Advertisement

Cambridge Stud bred and sold Ceolwulf is now a two time G1 winner - image Steve Hart

Tavistock’s son Ceolwulf went to another level when he completed a magical Group 1 double at Randwick.

Joseph Pride’s ever-improving four-year-old had romped home in the Epsom Handicap earlier this month and added the King Charles III Stakes in the best possible fashion.

Our homebred did it the hard way after a tardy start and getting well back in the running before rider Chad Schofield urged him forward across the top.

Once into the open, Ceolwulf really cut loose and quickly reeled in crack mare Pride Of Jenni to post a highly impressive victory and his fourth career win with his stake earnings closing in on A$5 million.

“I said to the guys, if it doesn't happen this year, it'll happen next year,” Pride said.

“I've been confident he's on that path toward being one of the best horses around, I think he's already a star.

“We gelded him and I'll probably have some of the owners say, why did you geld him but I think he's a better horse now. The world's his oyster.”

Schofield said Ceolwulf didn’t break cleanly from the barrier and from that point was happy to let the horse find his rhythm.
“He didn’t step that well with me and then he travelled so well on the inside of Fangirl.

“He had so much work to do, but again he just gave me that devastating turn of foot and it’s probably a changing of the guard. He’s the new one, he’s a machine.”

Ceolwulf was sold on our behalf by Sam and Hana Beatson’s Riversley Park at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale where he was secured by Pride for $170,000.

He is a son of the unraced Shamardal mare Las Brisas, whose Almanzor filly sold to agent John Foote for A$240,000 at this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

The mare recently produced a colt by Sword Of State and has been served by our highly-credentialled newcomer Chaldean.

Las Brisas’ half-sister Nantyglo was a Listed winner and from the family of four-time Hong Kong elite level winner Wellington, G1 Irish Oaks heroine Moonstone and the G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Cerulean Sky.

Athabascan (FR) is headed to Melbourne - image Steve Hart

Athabascan confirmed he was on target for a crack at the G1 Melbourne Cup when he produced a superior staying performance to return to winning form at Randwick.

The John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained son of Almanzor was trimmed to $26 for the Flemington feature following his victory in the G3 St Leger Stakes over 2600 metres.

“That (the Cup) has been on our agenda all season, we just needed a positive run to get him back in the game,” O’Shea said.

“I think he drops five or six kilos into the Cup and he’ll run a very good race because he’s a good two-miler. We look forward to the first Tuesday in November.”

The French-bred six-year-old lobbed along in fourth spot away from the fence before improving wide across the top and he held a sustained gallop to score.

Athabascan began his career in France with champion trainer Andre Fabre and was a maiden winner over 2000 metres before placing at stakes level and was subsequently purchased by OTI Racing.

He is a half-brother to the G1 Tancred Stakes winner Arapaho with their dam the Dansili mare Alzubra, whose five victories featured the Listed Prix Dahlia.

Athabascan has now won on four occasions with previous successes including the G3 Colin Stephen Handicap and the Listed Tattersalls Club Cup and was runner-up in last season’s G1 Sydney Cup.

Gezora has displayed an admirable mix of talent and versatility during her brief career, which has now been significantly complimented by a stakes-winning strike.

Bred and raced by our friends at Haras d’Etreham, the daughter of Almanzor finished fourth on debut before breaking her maiden next time out over 1800 metres for trainer Nicolas Le Roch.

The filly then finished runner-up on top of the ground in the G3 Prix de Conde over the same trip at Chantilly before going one better over a mile on heavy going in the G3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville.

"The major question mark was how she would handle very soft ground because she only works on sand tracks at home, and she only ever gets on the grass when she goes to the races," Le Roch said.

"She has shown herself to be a very good filly on good going and ground with a little ease in it, so it's great that she handled this so well.

“She just has a lot of quality, and she thoroughly deserves a break now."

Gezora is a daughter of the American-bred Silver Hawk mare Germance, whose record features a victory in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary and was second in the G1 French Oaks.

News from Cambridge Stud 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Melbourne Cup Dreaming for Kiwi Stayer
Peter and Shaun McKay are dreaming of a Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) tilt with their quality stayer Wolfgang, and he will start his journey towards the iconic feature at Wanganui on Saturday.
Breeding to Win - 2025 G1 Memsie Stakes
The big guns step out and spring is on in earnest when the Memsie (1400m WFA) rolls around and what a cracking field we have in 2025 for the first G1 of the Southern spring with 11 runners and 10 are G1 winners!
Sires With Winners - Thursday August 28
Here is the full list of 33 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday August 27
Here is the full list of 42 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Stars on Show at Caulfield Spring Opener
The 2025 Victorian Spring Racing Carnival officially bursts out of the gates this Saturday with the Stow Storage Caulfield Spring Opener, headlined by the first Group 1 of the season, the $750,000 Stow Storage Memsie Stakes.
Up and Coming Well Named - So Who Are These Guys?
The $250,000 Group III ATC Up and Coming Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday is a race well named with a field of eight colts and geldings set to line up and while none are stakes-winners yet, one of them will be after the weekend.
Via Sistina Honoured at NSW Horse of the Year
One of the greatest seasons of all time has secured Via Sistina the TAB NSW Champion Horse of the Year award. The Chris Waller-trained mare was recognised at Racing’s Night of Champions for her outstanding performance in 2024/2025 which included equalling Winx’s record of seven Group 1s in a single season.
One to Watch – Gosford
He’s big and beautiful and it looks like the patient approach might be about to pay off for this talented I Am Invincible four year-old who won on debut at Gosford on Friday.
Promising Winner and a Star on the Rise
One of the bargain priced sires on the Newgate Farm roster, Cosmic Force has never lacked for company covering 100 plus books of mares in each of his five seasons at stud so far totalling nearly 700 mares.
Tara Talks Racing – Stallion Parades, Old Legends and a Weekend Tip
We’re back in podcast land as the spring unfolds with plenty to talk about following our recent run of visits to the stallion parades, so what stallions did we like?