'There's always a buzz around the place' - MG Bloodstock set and ready for the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale

While MG Bloodstock will be a fresh name to the list of consignors at this year's sales – and at this week's Goffs Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale most imminently – the duo behind it are anything but new to the bloodstock game. 

Hannah and Tilly Marley are daughters of Roger, who operates under the highly successful Church Farm Stables banner, although the pair have gained plenty of experience in the racing and bloodstock industries outside their father's own company.

In a longstanding partnership with Irishman John Cullinan of Horse Park Stud, East Yorkshire-based Roger Marley has been involved in sourcing and breezing numerous success stories including Group 2 winner and now leading sire Mehmas and Prix Maurice de Gheest hero Brando.

His daughters are both talented event riders when pinhooking, prepping, selling youngstock don't get in the way. 

Hannah Marley said of their background: "It was natural progression as we both finished school, I went to the Royal Agricultural University and did three years of bloodstock and performance horse management. In that time I also went to Coolmore and did a placement there, while Tilly spent time at Ecurie des Monceaux.

"During my time at university I also rode out five days a week for Richard Hughes, so then when I graduated I came home and everything fell into place. I got more involved with the yearlings, the pre-training and the breezers at home."

MG Bloodstock came about after a decision was made to buy and pinhook foals under one banner. The team now heads to Doncaster with a three-strong draft of yearlings it has bought for resale or is offering for clients. 

She said: "Last year we were involved with four under a different name and we had a nice Ubettabelieveit filly who has won a couple of races so far. She's been a great pathfinder for us and then this year we decided to buy the foals under the name of MG Bloodstock and now resell them as yearlings under that name as well."

That filly is Sayidah Hard Spun who has won two of her five starts for Richard Hughes and Jaber Abdullah. 

The draft contains horses by three speedy and precocious sires in Minzaal, Sergei Prokofiev and Ubettabelieveit, the latter having a particular resonance to the team as another Church Farm and Horse Park Stud graduate.

On the youngsters, Marley said: "We're bringing horses to the sale who we think suit as types, early – precocious looking two-year-olds who should go on and be ready to run in those early two-year-old races. They're all very nice individuals, good walking and athletic animals and hopefully that's what the buyers are wanting."

"The Minzaal filly isn't pinhooked by us – alongside our own we're consigning for a few clients," Marley explained. "We have overseen her prep and she's a real improver, every time we've been to see her she's improving. She wouldn't be the biggest but she's a nice filly with an unbelievable temperament, which I think is great for a first-season sire. The update will really help her this week."

Mickley Stud resident Ubettabelieveit has been regularly among the winners with his first runners and a colt (330) from his second crop is also held in high regard by his consignors. He is the first foal out of the placed Mehmas mare Pensa Te, a half-sister to the Listed-placed All Star Cast from the family of Duke of York Stakes scorer and Group 1-placed Invincible Army. 

"He's a lovely stamp of a colt and he really fills the eye," Marley added. "I think he's not dissimilar to Tricky Tel, who is one of Ubettabelieveit's better horses from his first year and I think he'll really appeal to the sale's clientele."

The trio is completed by a Sergei Prokofiev filly (348), a daughter of multiple winning Lethal Force mare Queen Of Kalahari from the fine Juddmonte family of Sprint Cup heroine African Rose, as well as her Observatory sisters Helleborine (dam of Coventry scorer Calyx) and Needleleaf (dam of European champion juvenile and Irish 2,000 Guineas victor Native Trail). 

"She is a lovely individual with a great step to her and she stands up beautifully. She's a very attractive filly and has been pretty perfect to prep throughout," Marley said of the daughter of the Whitsbury Manor Stud resident.

The two-day sale has not strayed far from the headlines this year courtesy of July Cup heroine No Half Measures, King George Stakes victor JM Jungle and Sapphire Stakes winner Arizona Blaze, also a close-up second in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. 

Marley believes those sorts of results are proof of the thorough selection process and that this year's auction.

She added: "I think it's proven that Doncaster year after year is producing plenty of winners and good horses along the way. They seem to select the correct horses for the sale. Bar Arqana it's the first [yearling] sale of the year and there's always a buzz around the place and everyone wants to be here."

Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale

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