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A Welsh horse produced a bizarre result at the prestigious Glorious Goodwood festival last week by dead-heating with his stablemate in one of the highlights at the meeting.
Saqqara Sands, who was bred and is owned by Chepstow-based John Deer, could not be separated with Tabiti as the Group 3 Oak Tree Stakes was shared between the two horses.
It is not the first time Welsh racing has been involved in a strange dead-heat after brothers James and Sean Bowen shared the spoils in a race at Cheltenham last season, but it was a Welsh first at Goodwood.
Saqqara Sands looks the latest prospect for Deer, one of Wales's most successful owners on the Flat. His Oakgrove Stud has produced a host of top performers, headed by four-time Group 1 winner Al Kazeem.
No immediate plans were made for Saqqara Sands, but she has never finished outside of the top two and looked incredibly tough under top jockey Rossa Ryan.
Probert lands big prize ahead of Hong Kong move
We flagged Coppull as a horse to watch last week and he delivered at 5-1 to give Bargoed jockey David Probert a big Glorious Goodwood winner.
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He landed the Richmond Stakes, one of the highlight two-year-old races of the week. Coppull had finished third at 66-1 at Royal Ascot on his previous start but proved it was no fluke with a stylish two-length win.
He is trained over the border in Lambourn by Clive Cox, and while he looks an exciting force going forwards, his jockey may not be around to ride him. He is set to depart to Hong Kong at the end of August.
Probert said after the victory: “I am getting on some nice horses right now, so it is a bit of a shame that I’m off to Hong Kong next month, but I’ve been lucky enough to ride some very nice horses throughout my career.
"Clive has been giving me a chance this season and it is a great yard to be a part of. I can’t thank him and Andrew [Balding] enough. I fly on August 28, so I have another four weeks and I will be here for York.”
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Rising star
Probert may be leaving but Wales has a new top jockey in its ranks in Mason Paetel, who advertised his talents with a first winner at Newmarket.
The young apprentice rider from Bridgend has taken a traditional route into the sport, having ridden ponies before making the step up.
He had his first ride last October and a winner just a month later. Since then, he has gone from strength to strength, recording 23 winners this year and being among one of the country's top apprentices in his first full season.
Paetel is still chasing a first winner at a Welsh racecourse, having taken just two rides at Chepstow.
