The 2024 season has kicked off to a flying start, and we still have some exciting kit to release. In the first two months of this year the Bedford House team had 7 winners from just 26 runners, 20 of those 26 runners finished in the first 4. In February the team had a runners to winners strike rate of 30%, and there was only one trainer in Britain with a higher percentage than that (minimum of 20 runners). The turf season has been highlighted by The Wizard Of Eye (Galileo Gold) winning The Victoria Cup in fine style, on stable debut. Once rated 109 the talented gelding’s form had regressed, and he was moved to Charlie for the opportunity to get him back to his former self. He showed a huge amount of speed in his previous runs, and that theory was certified in his homework at Bedford House Stables. A drop back in trip and a switch in tactics saw him to great effect in the Heritage Handicap. His next task was the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot where he ran a terrific race but found the 6 furlongs too sharp. Vadream (Brazen Beau) has been knocking on the door all season whilst putting in some great performances, she looks sure to pick up another big one when she gets her conditions. Gorak (Goken) must be one of the most consistent horses in the yard. Once again, he was drawn on the wrong side of the track where there was very little pace in The Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. He is running off a lower mark this year and will head to The Bunbury Cup next where he looks to have a very good chance, at a course he loves.

The Bedford House team have a lovely bunch of two-year-olds coming through the ranks. The first winner in this division came from Luther (Frankel), who won impressively at Salisbury in June. He was purchased by Charlie and Gordon Watson Bloodstock at the Tattersalls Book 1 Sale, and he looks an extremely exciting prospect. Haazeez (Mehmas) is another notable two-year-old who without winning has racked up some impressive form. He was second to the subsequent Coventry Stakes runner up at Royal Ascot. He too looks to have a bright future.

Charlie and his team recorded their best ever year in 2023 when tallying up £718,989 in domestic prize-money, the most he has ever achieved in a season. The top earners in 2023 were Cumulonimbus (Night Of Thunder) and Atrium (Holy Roman Emperor) who both secured some valuable pots. Atrium (Holy Roman Emperor) was a star for the yard and concluded his season by winning the £180,000 Howden Challenge Cup. Cumulonimbus (Night Of Thunder) was third in the £150,000 Old Newton Cup and won three races that season including the £100,000 Racing League feature at Yarmouth, which was not counted in the trainers prize money table. He was purchased by the sales team for just €50,000 as a breeze up.

The 2023 season was not shy of Group Race success, the team secured 3 Stakes Race winners in the first two months of the season. At Doncaster, the first turf meeting of the year, Vadream (Brazen Beau) bolted up to win The Listed Cammidge Trophy by 4½ lengths. She showed a huge amount of speed and when dropped back to 5 furlongs for the first time, Vadream (Brazen Beau) won the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting. Grand Alliance (Churchill) won The Group 3 John Porter Stakes. The son of Churchill has had his quirks, but Charlie has always maintained faith in the horse, that faith was repaid at Newbury when he won comfortably in a hot renewal of the race. Since Newbury Grand Alliance (Churchill) has proved he can stay 2 miles, he did this when finishing a very admiral second to dual Group Race winner Sober in the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay. This makes his career going forward very exciting.

1st Gr.3 Grand Alliance (John Porter Stakes)
1st Gr.3 Vadream (Palace House Stakes)
1st Listed Vadream (Cammidge Trophy)
2nd Gr.2 Grand Alliance (Prix Kergorlay)
2nd Listed Cloudbreaker (Aphrodite Fillies’ Stakes)
2nd Listed Marbaan (Cathedral Stakes)
3rd Gr.2 Marbaan (Lennox Stakes)
4th Gr.2 Grand Alliance (Princess of Wales’s Stakes)
4th Gr.3 Gorak (John of Gaunt Stakes)
4th Gr.3 Marbaan (Pavilion Stakes)
4th Listed Cloudbreaker (Fillies’ Trial Stakes)