George Boughey Stable Tour: SBK ambassador prioritises quality over quantity in 2023

George Boughey transitioned from an up-and-coming trainer to one of the sport’s elites in 2022 when he tallied 136 winners in just his third full season with a licence. 

That career-best total saw him finish fifth behind Charlie and Mark Johnston, William Haggas, Charlie Appleby and Roger Varian in the statistical table. But Boughey has high aspirations and is eyeing up the big summer festivals for his high-powered string of horses this season.

Last season’s QIPCO 1,000 Guineas heroine Cachet and exciting three-year-old sprinter Al Dasim, who was seen to great effect in Dubai earlier this year, will head his strong-looking team. 

However, the team will not feature Royal Ascot winner Missed The Cut, who has left the yard to continue his racing career in America with Flightline’s trainer John Sadler after a disappointing run in the Neom Cup in Saudi Arabia in February.

“Spring is very exciting,” said Boughey. “Each year puts a different spin on it, but we’ve got some nice horses this year, our three-year-olds in particular.  

“We’re always trying to evolve and change the type and quality of horse that we train. We’ve got a lot more horses who we are trying to lay out for the bigger meetings, and I think that’s where everyone wants to be. We had winners at Newmarket, Goodwood and Ascot in 2022 and we want to try and do that again this year, but it takes a bit of planning! 

“We have had a slightly slower start this year, but that’s been intentional. We’ve been to Dubai, which was a success, and we’ve had fewer all-weather runners. However, there are more horses coming through the ranks and others who have won a maiden and been put away. There are also a couple of horses for the Classic trials, so that’s very exciting!”

OLDER HORSES

All The King’s Men

Form figures: 3157-13
Owner: Ms Fiona Carmichael

All The King’s Men slightly fluffed his lines at Kempton earlier this month. He was drawn wide, so we had to sit at the back, and he was eventually beaten by a very good horse trained by Clive Cox. The Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot has been his plan since he won at Lingfield in January as I think a straight track will allow him to get into the race a bit easier. He’s got a way to go but he reminds me of Inver Park last year - a horse who could get there late.

Baradar

Form figures: 00081-3
Owner: Amo Racing Limited

Baradar is doing great. He’s quite like Totally Charming as they were entered in the Irish and English Lincoln, but they are both weak stayers over a mile in testing conditions. He does want soft ground and we will go down in trip for the Victoria Cup, although the Buckingham Palace has to be his main target.

Cachet

Form figures: 34/1125-
Owner: Highclere Thoroughbred Racing

Cachet missed quite a lot of work towards the backend of last year - she had a very busy time going from the Nell Gwyn to two Guineas and then Royal Ascot. She was on fumes at the end of the 1,000 Guineas after making all the running, so I look forward to seeing her back down in trip. With a filly of this quality, they deserve time and it’s great for Highclere to have a Classic winner going on as a four-year-old this year.

Her target has been the Chartwell Stakes at Lingfield for some time, so we will try and get her there. The fillies' races really start in earnest after Royal Ascot so we’re in no immediate rush with her, but we would love to get her to Lingfield. We’re hoping to get better ground in the near future, but she’s been training well and there is plenty to look forward to with her.

Cadillac

Form figures: 612234-
Owner: Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah

Cadillac has been gelded since the winter, and there is a chance that he could start in the Suffolk Stakes at the Guineas meeting at Newmarket next month. He was a very good second behind an impressive winner of Saeed bin Suroor’s (Dubai Future) in the Wolferton Stakes last year. That is his target once again as he has shown a liking for Ascot. We would be mad not to programme him around that sort of race.

Raadobarg

Form figures: 44558-3
Owner: Amo Racing Limited

Raadobarg is a nice addition to the yard. We gelded him when he arrived and he will probably improve for his run at Newmarket on Tuesday. He’s a very big horse and looks a bit lighter now having been gelded. He was beaten five-and-a-half lengths in the QEII at Ascot last year and he enjoys soft ground.

Simply Sondheim

Form figures: 11110-1
Owner: Mrs Susan Roy

Simply Sondheim took me a bit by surprise as I didn’t expect him to improve as much as he did. He’s not a flashy work horse - his work is considerably below his current mark - but he probably saves himself for the track. I hoped he would run well on his return, which he certainly did and he won cosily in the end. The Duke Of Edinburgh has been a lofty plan for him for quite a while, but his mark is getting there. He could run at Chelmsford on Thursday and he may be put away for Ascot if he wins.

Sun King

Form figures: 2/2163-5
Owner: Opulence Thoroughbreds

We bought Sun King during the summer last year, and his owners want to turn up at the big meetings. He’s still got a bit of leg work to do in order to get into the Duke Of Edinburgh, but he’s been training well. He ran well at Kempton last time and we haven’t had the right race for him since. He’s a lovely horse by Galileo who is fit and ready to go and will likely stay a mile-and-a-half.

Totally Charming

Form figures: 11901-7
Owner: Adrian McAlpine

I’m really looking forward to this horse in big handicaps this year. He’s a Victoria Cup or Buckingham Palace type, so his next target is the Victoria Cup. He was a good winner at Doncaster at the backend of last season and he didn’t quite see out the stiff mile at the Curragh after possibly hitting the front too soon. He will be fun over seven furlongs.

Via Sistina

Form figures: 010/421-
Owner: Mrs R G Hillen

Via Sistina is a nice filly who won her last start for us in France at the backend of last year, and she’s come back bigger and stronger as a five-year-old. Her work has been good, and she has stepped forward again. She could go to the Dahlia Stakes on Guineas weekend, which I’d favour, but she’s also entered in the Middleton Stakes at York. She is exciting. 

THREE-YEAR-OLDS

Al Dasim

Form figures: 11-1117
Owner: Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah

Al Dasim has already exceeded our expectations. When the list of horses came out for the pool that he was going to be running against in Dubai, we were hopeful he would show up well, but he travelled out there well and showed a liking for fast ground and the straight track. I didn’t think he would get to where he did and, while it was a little disappointing for him to lose his streak last time, he hadn’t even turned three and he was only beaten a couple of lengths in the Al Quoz Sprint. He has had a nice break and the main target has to be the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. He could also go to the Sandy Lane on May 21, but he could easily go straight to Ascot if it’s soft at Haydock. 

Believing

Form figures: 452273-
Owner: Highclere Thoroughbred Racing

Believing was possibly a little immature after the Breeze-Ups last year, but she won her maiden well after badly missing the kick. She just seems more mentally mature now and she’s had a wind operation over the winter, which I hope might allow her to relax a little bit more during her races. She’s by Mehmas and out of a Kodiac mare so she may well return to sprinting, but she holds an entry in the 1,000 Guineas and we’ve got to try her in either the Nell Gwyn or Fred Darling. 

Beautifulasalways

Form figures: 3
Owner: Highview Bloodstock Ltd

Beautifulasalways is a nice filly by Kingman who hasn’t done much serious work yet. She has a very good pedigree and I expect she might get a little further than a mile, but she has a super nature and we like her at home.

Conquistador

Form figures: 63321-1
Owner: The Inver Park Partnership

Conquistador was a Hurworth Bloodstock purchase at the backend of last year and he’s been a revelation since being gelded and dropped back in trip. He’s going to be laid out for the five-furlong handicap for three-year-olds at Royal Ascot. On recent evidence, he should get in and I think the stiff track is just what he needs. He’s an exciting horse in the same ownership as Inver Park, who was a winner at the meeting last year. The excitement is building.

Marmara Star

Form figures: 700-812
Owner: Mrs Hugo Lascelles

Marmara Star was possibly a bit short of work the other day. It will be a long year and we are aiming her at the Racing League. I think we need to get her on turf. She was a bit numb around Wolverhampton and she ended up in front. She’s a progressive filly who I think we’ll see back in the winner’s enclosure soon.

Naxos

Form figures: 12-1
Owner: Al Asayl Bloodstock Ltd

Naxos was impressive at Newcastle the other day and he has the pedigree to improve as he goes up to ten furlongs. Being by Saxon Warrior, you would imagine that we’ll see him come into his own this season. He’s done very little wrong at the moment and we could work back from the Golden Gates Handicap at Royal Ascot.

Pastiche

Form figures: 71-
Owner: Highclere Thoroughbred Racing

Pastiche is quite far forward in her preparation now and the plan is to go to Lingfield on April 24 for a fillies’ novice. She’s wintered well and I think Zoustar is starting to warm up as a stallion now - he had a Group 1 winner at the backend of last year and was a late maturer himself. Pastiche is a very good-looking filly who has strengthened up over the winter and we will see where we go, but the Sandringham has been the plan for a while. She’s on a mark that would nearly get her in, and her work has been pleasing.

Queen Olly

Form figures: 143682-
Owner: Amo Racing Ltd

Queen Olly is a new addition to the yard and she has been training well through the Spring. She’s nearly there in her coat and we’re looking forward to stepping her back up to seven furlongs. She was second at Newmarket at the backend of last year, so the move up in trip may just allow her to travel that bit better. Her work has been pleasing and we’re looking forward to seeing her.

Proverb

Form figures: 23111-7
Owner: Highclere Thoroughbred Racing

Proverb was a little disappointing at Chantilly at the start of the year. He slightly caught his trainer by surprise! He looked fitter than he was and just blew up coming to the furlong pole. They went a decent gallop and a lack of fitness showed on the day. He’s a horse who we have always held in high regard and he may spend most of his time travelling abroad. He was very good at Longchamp, and I think there are races out there to be won with him. 

Perdika

Form figures: 942715
Owner: Mrs S Nicholls

Perdika was a little disappointing on All-Weather Finals Day at Newcastle, but in all honesty she probably ran closer to her mark she was on before she went to Chantilly. It’s fantastic for Sally Nicholls to have bred a Listed winner and she will return to her at the end of this year. She’s going to be busy and she’s in the Lansdown at Bath on Friday. She showed a liking for soft ground in Dubai and here, so we’re very pleased with her. 

Thunder Moor: a new recruit to George Boughey's stable this year

Thunder Moor

Form figures: 618-578
Owner: Bronte Collection 1

Thunder Moor was busy as a two-year-old for Kevin Ryan but showed some very good form. He has been gelded since we bought him and appears to be a nice horse. The target is the Palace Of Holyrood House at the Royal meeting in June, and he is a very easy-going horse who takes his work well and is a useful addition to the stable.

TWO-YEAR-OLDS

Military Medal 

Form figures: unraced
Owner: Qatar Racing

Military Medal is a nice colt by Siyouni who is showing up well at home. He’s a big strong horse who has just come back from a bit of a break and he’s thrived since. I imagine we’ll see him in seven-furlong races when they start, but he’s a very imposing individual and his work looks pretty good.

Quantum Force

Form figures: unraced
Owner: Highclere Thoroughbred Racing

Quantum Force is a nice two-year-old by Land Force. He’s a first-season sire who people seem to be talking about a little bit. He did his first bit of work the other day and is strengthening up well - we’re delighted with how he’s going. I thought he may go a touch weak, but he certainly hasn’t and is one to look forward to in June and July.

Novation

Form figures: unraced
Owner: Simon Munir and Isaac Souede

Novation is a nice two-year-old by Havana Grey and he’s a brother to Navello. He is a big, strong horse who has been showing up well. He will probably take a little more time than his brother, but he’s owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede and it will be nice to have a good one for them.

Soprano

Form figures: unraced
Owner: Highclere Thoroughbred Racing

Soprano has been doing super. She’s a big, rangy filly who I didn’t expect to be working in the early Spring. She’s by Starspangledbanner and is showing plenty at home now. She’s owned by Highclere and could be one to look forward to. There is a plan in place to go to the fillies’ race on 1,000 Guineas day at Newmarket. She seems to handle the dip well and it would be great for them to have another filly to go to war with.

When pushed for one older horse, one three-year-old and one two-year-old to follow, Boughey didn’t hesitate.

Older horse to follow

Cachet aside, Via Sistina would be the older horse who we don’t really know everything about just yet. She’s done very well physically and she will have all the right entries. Hopefully, we can win a big one with her.

Three-year-old to follow

Al Dasim has to be the star of the show after what we saw in Dubai. He’s tailormade for five furlongs and fast ground this summer and facing his own age group is going to be the key. It was only his third birthday last week, so he wasn’t a fully mature horse taking on those older horses last time.

Two-year-old to follow

The two-year-old to follow at the moment would be Soprano. She’s a striking filly and she’s still on the weak side, but to be working as she is right now is very pleasing. We look forward to seeing her on the track very soon.