For avid followers or horse racing, the name Gstaad will now be a pretty popular topic in most conversations, as trainer Aidan O’Brien is enjoying a lovely time with the new favourite – in the hands of rider Ryan Moore, O’Brien picked up his 12th victory in the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh, and Gstaad took that prize having finished second at Newmarket.
With the comfortable victory achieved last month – to add to the three year old’s Breeders Cup and Coventry Stakes trophies – Kelly Thomas can also be quite proud of herself. Maywood Stud, a small Welsh village outfit in Carmarthenshire, has now seen its breeding operation in Pencader come up with a Classic winner in the form of Gstaad, and recognition of the horses’ success and progress so far, adorns the walls in Thomas’ home.
Later this week there will be a buzz on sports betting sites in the horse racing sections as there will be a mouth watering rematch with 2000 Guineas winner Bow Echo in the upcoming St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot (Tuesday, June 16). With the growing reputation now proceeding events, Thomas has enjoyed a little bit of reminiscing about the foal’s early days and she is convinced that ‘character’ and ‘profile’ was always on display since the moment he drew breath, and she knew odds on his was likely to be a valuable four legged friend in the future with the right training and care.
It may be an unlikely story as Dam, Mosa Mine, was born at Maywood Stud but went winless throughout her own career, however, that did not stop Thomas from parting with £800 to bring her home and whatever you may want to call that, hindsight shows that luck followed. She went on to sell Gstaad for £475,000 to powerful Coolmore and Ballydoyle operation, M V Magnier, and she knew he was in good hands as she felt it was the perfect team for her little foal to thrive and reach its potential under.
The master behind Ballydoyle, O’Brien, is one of racing’s most decorated trainers and he has not let her little prophecy down. Whilst she admits that it sounds like a lot of money, ‘it costs a lot of money to do it’ and in her business, it simply gets reinvested never quite knowing if you find a foal that can demand that sort of fee ever again.
Thomas, however, has a bit of a record on this front. Although Gstaad is the first Classic winner she had produced and reared, it is not her first big success on the track and Mosa Mine was involved as well. Vandeek, son of Havana Grey out of Mosa Mine – and half brother to Gstaad – was an unbeaten runner as a juvenile for trainers Simon and Ed Crisford. Back in 2023 he secured a Group 1 double with wins in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes, making himself the highest rated British trained two year old of the year.
With Vandeek now a stallion at Cheverley Park Stud and all eyes on how Gstaad performs in the Bow Echo rematch, Thomas will undoubtedly be smiling on as she attends the race and wondering if it will be third time lucky at any point in the near future.
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