Category: Other News

Indeed, the Brittain team’s sharp eye for a cheap cast-off, one who can be improved and withstand plenty of racing, is worth bringing to the attention of racing purists who don’t follow the action on the all-weather over the winter.

Mondammej, Northgate Lodge Stables’ highest earner in recent years having won seven races on artificial surfaces and three on turf including the ultra-competitive Be Friendly Handicap at Haydock, was bought as an unraced three-year-old from the Shadwell draft at a Tattersalls horses-in-training sale in August 2020, as the world was opening up again after Covid, for the princely sum of 4,000gns.

Mondammej was a brave purchase. He was undeniably well-bred, being a Lope De Vega half-brother to that year’s Weatherbys Super Sprint third Soldierpoy and from the family of Dream Ahead and Fairyland, and he cost 325,000gns as a yearling, so must have been a looker: but it might have been assumed that there was a good reason he hadn’t made a start for Roger Varian, and the stark words ‘makes a noise’ stamped on his page were a disconcerting clue as to why.

Never mind, as Mondammej bolted up in a Newcastle novice stakes at odds of 33-1 on his debut less than three months later. He hasn’t won since January but has been knocking on the door on his last two starts, although he can be a rogue, such as when he refused to leave the parade ring at Newcastle last Thursday. His time should come again soon.

Another who was ‘heard to make a noise’ according to the catalogue, he was bought by David McGreavy for Northgate Lodge Stables for a mere 10,000gns.

Brittain seems to target Shadwell drafts. His other stalwarts who were bought for a song from the operation were Abnaa, a son of Dark Angel who cost 8,000gns and won seven races for the stable; Daafr, a son of Invincible Spirit who cost 20,000gns and won eight races; Eldeyaar, a son of Slade Power who cost 10,000gns and has won six races; Mutabaahy, a son of Oasis Dream who cost 7,000gns and won ten races; Qaaraat, a son of Acclamation who cost 28,000gns and won six races; and Yaahobby, a son of Kodiac who cost 17,000gns and has won five races.

Northgate Lodge Stables does cast its net wider too, though. Spartan Fighter, a son of Dutch Art who has won nine races for the outfit and takes on Asadjumeirah at Newcastle tonight, was bought for 12,000gns from Clipper Logistics, for whom he was a smart two-year-old; Bellagio Man, a son of Dandy Man who has won six times, was purchased for 20,000gns from Ger Lyons, for whom he won a Gowran Park maiden; and Dark Kestrel, a son of Dark Angel who has won three races and also appears at Newcastle this evening, was sourced for 22,000gns from John and Thady Gosden, for whom he took a Doncaster novice stakes at three.

Without Compromise is another Brittain special. A Frankel full-brother to St James’s Palace Stakes hero and Group 1 sire Without Parole, no less, he was originally bought by Godolphin for 1,300,000gns but didn’t have an outing carrying the royal blue silks, and was bought by Northgate Lodge Stables for just 22,000gns at the Tattersalls July Sale last year. He has finally got the hang of things and has won two of his last three starts at Newcastle off a lowly mark.