'She was always a keeper' - Alcohol Free proving a fine rare purchase for Smith

Breeding your own successful racehorse must be as rewarding as it gets, but a rare purchase can also turn out to be the stuff of dreams. So it was with Alcohol Free, who carried Jeff Smith's silks to success in the Cheveley Park Stakes on Saturday.

David Bowe, general manager of Smith's Littleton Stud in Hampshire, struck the winning €40,000 bid for the daughter of No Nay Never, who was consigned by Churchtown House Stud, at Goffs' November Foal Sale two years ago. It was a decision that has borne much fruit.

Out of the Hard Spun mare Plying, who has also produced the stakes-winning Camelot gelding Alexander James, Alcohol Free has won two of her three starts, and was beaten less than a length into second on the other.

Her exploits have resulted in her Starspangledbanner half-sister's page receiving a major boost before coming under the hammer at Goffs Orby on Thursday.

Bowe said: "I went to Goffs to buy foals, Jeff is an owner-breeder primarily, but periodically we buy a few. I really liked her, she's by No Nay Never, who was starting to take off at that stage, and I followed her through the ring hoping to be able to buy her.

Alcohol Free: her half-sister sells at Goffs Orby this weekCredit: Edward Whitaker

"She was a smashing filly, by a good sire and a good model so I bought her. We loved her from the moment we bought her, she went on to be a cracking looking yearling and she was always a keeper.

"We decided to send her to Andrew [Balding], who expressed an interest when he saw her as a yearling before she went into training, and the rest is history!"

Another star filly in Smith's famous colours was Arabian Queen, who provided a huge shock when downing Golden Horn in the 2015 Juddmonte International, and has since taken well to her second career, with her first foal in training with Balding.

Bowe said: "She's got a horse in training with Andrew who's by Frankel. He's a lovely individual, we'll bring him back and send him back into training next year. He's been working well at home but hasn't done it on the track yet, which we're putting down to immaturity.

"She's got a yearling filly by Frankel who's a very nice model as well and we're hoping for big things with her, plus a colt foal by Kingman."

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