‘He could still make the stallion shed’ – London Sale calling as high-class talents come under the hammer on the eve of Royal Ascot

High-class talent Ghostwriter looks set to be the star attraction at this year’s Goffs London Sale, which takes place in Kensington Palace Gardens on Monday evening. 

Owned by Jeff Smith and trained by Clive Cox, the four-year-old son of Invincible Spirit breezed through an unbeaten juvenile campaign that culminated with victory in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes. 

He has been unable to add to his tally at three and four, but has shown consistently high-level form to reach the frame in the 2,000 Guineas, Prix du Jockey Club, Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International. Connections explained selling had not initially been of Ghostwriter’s 2025 programme, but that their heads had been turned after a flurry of inquiries. 

“We’ve had a huge amount of interest in him since his last run [sixth in the Tattersalls Gold Cup],” said David Bowe, manager of Smith’s Littleton Stud. “There wasn’t a conscious decision to sell him this season, it was just the fact we’ve had so much interest. The London Sale is the ideal place for him; it’s right before Royal Ascot and he has a Royal Ascot entry. It all made sense.” 

Ghostwriter (Lot 10) is one of 18 London Sale lots with a Royal Ascot entry, with Saturday’s Hardwicke Stakes his intended next port of call. Bowe said much of the interest in Ghostwriter had come from overseas, with his international potential underlined by a close fourth to Soul Rush in this year’s Dubai Turf. 

“We all agreed there are probably more suitable races for him abroad where he could win a lot of prize-money and put more of a shine on his career,” said Bowe. “He’s not finished by a long shot and I think he’d suit foreign climes better than Britain. 

“Jeff really enjoys his racing in Britain – we occasionally go as far as the Curragh, or maybe the odd jolly to France – but for Ghostwriter to realise his full potential he probably will be better off abroad.”

Not only does Ghostwriter boast an official rating of 118, he is backed up by a blue-chip pedigree. He is by Invincible Spirit and out of the Listed-placed Moorside, who in turn is out of a sister to Zafonic and Zamindar. This combination of credentials means a future stallion career remains a distinct possibility. 

“He’s conformationally sound, he’s very impressive to look at, and he’s got a very nice pedigree,” said Bowe. “He could still make the stallion shed if he picked up the right race or two. He’s got an awful lot of strings to his bow and he’d be a standout horse in any yard. Any trainer, here or internationally, would be happy to have him as part of their string.”

Ghostwriter lands the Royal Lodge Stakes at NewmarketCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Monday will see Smith’s team make their London Sale debut, although the concept has already received a firm thumbs up. 

“It’s a very exciting event but we’re owner-breeders primarily, so we’ve never even attended the sale before,” said Bowe. “The location, the idea, I think it’s genius. To think you can buy a horse the evening before Royal Ascot and then have a runner that week, it’s quite extraordinary. It’s a clever concept and if I were a person with deep pockets and was into my racing, I’d have to attend.” 

Although they are understandably looking forward to the sale, Bowe stressed that the team were “taking nothing for granted” ahead of Monday. Win, lose or draw in the sales ring, Bowe said he is confident Ghostwriter has an exciting future ahead. 

“If, God forbid, the horse doesn’t sell then there are lots of options for him,” he said. “There’s the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, the Coral-Eclipse, the King George. Who knows? The Arc could end up being an option. There’s a huge amount of fun to be had with him wherever he is.” 

Another set of connections looking to take their chance at the London Sale are the Pompey Ventures syndicate, owners of Bone Marra (17). 

The Ollie Sangster-trained two-year-old registered a striking last-to-first victory on debut over five furlongs at Wolverhampton, and will now test his mettle in one of Royal Ascot’s juvenile contests. The Coventry Stakes was suggested as his primary target, although he also holds an entry in the Windsor Castle. 

The son of Starman has already been subject to a host of private offers, but Owen Haly, a founding partner of the syndicate, said the group ultimately decided to test the open market instead. 

“The way he did it on debut was so impressive,” said Haly. “We thought we’d put him in the sale and if he makes big money he makes big money and we’ll move him on. If he doesn’t, we’re more than happy to keep him. All the big racing powerhouses will be there. Hopefully he’s caught their eye and some of them are interested in him.

“We’ve had a couple of private offers but we ultimately thought we’d put him in the sale instead and see what he fetches. We’ve had people putting money on the table but we thought we’d try and go for the big time.” 

Although there is plenty of high-grade juvenile form in the pedigree, not least with his dam being a granddaughter of champion two-year-old filly Pass The Peace, Haly said Royal Ascot is far from the be-all and end-all. 

The £60,000 Doncaster Premier graduate has the lucrative Harry’s Half Million sales race on his agenda later in the season, while his pedigree also points to a step up in trip potentially unlocking further improvement. 

“We know he’s better than he showed on debut, and even that was impressive enough,” he said. “When he goes up in trip to six or seven furlongs, that’ll be his ideal. He’s out of a Zoffany mare so the step up in distance is going to suit him. 

“He’s a big fella too, he’s 520 kilos, so he’s only going to develop into that frame. Royal Ascot isn’t the be all and end all for him, he was always going to be more of an end-of-season, three-year-old type.” 

While the London Sale could potentially yield a tidy payday, selling can be a double-edged sword, particularly for syndicate-owned runners. Haly said the aim will be to enjoy the experience whatever the outcome.  

“When we said we were going to put the horse in the sale, most of the people involved were thinking they just wanted a runner at Ascot, which I completely understand,” he said. “When you’re buying a two-year-old, that’s the dream. 

“Obviously we’re not investment managers but at the end of the day, we’re responsible for looking after these peoples’ money in their thoroughbred investment. You’ve got to do what’s right by the horse and the owners. We’re always trying to trade and identify the right times to buy and sell.” 

He added: “If we were going to put him in a sale, this is the best one. I’m very much looking forward to going, and hoping Goffs can accommodate a few of our owners. I’m not expecting everyone to rock up but hopefully we can get a few of the lads in and they can enjoy it as well.”

Goffs London Sale

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